Cellphone use in North Carolina public schools will now be limited under a new law signed by Gov. Josh Stein. House Bill 959 requires schools to create policies restricting student access to phones and wireless devices during the school day. Schools must ban device use during instructional time, with exceptions for emergencies, health needs, or educational use.
Each district will set its own rules and consequences, but the law aims to ensure consistent enforcement and relieve teachers from setting policies individually. The Department of Public Instruction must report annually on compliance.
Originally a social media literacy bill, the law still includes a mandate for social media education, which will be taught at least once in elementary and middle school and twice in high school starting in 2026.
