Blog · Schools
Brazil's School Phone Ban: What Schools Need to Know in 2026
Yes. Since 2025, Federal Law 15.100/2025 bans students from using personal phones during classes, recess and breaks in all public and private basic education schools, from preschool to the end of secondary school. Teaching, health and accessibility uses are allowed.
Law 15.100, signed on 13 January 2025, covers educação infantil, ensino fundamental and ensino médio in public and private schools. Use is banned during classes, recess and breaks. Exceptions: teaching use directed by teachers, accessibility and inclusion, health needs, and danger or force majeure. The law restricts use, not possession, so each school sets storage rules in its regimento.
The law was signed in January 2025 and applied from the 2025 school year, with guidance from the Ministry of Education (MEC) issued in February 2025. In 2026 the MEC ran a national survey of 8,189 school leaders in March and April, and published results on 30 June 2026 to mark the first year of the law.
The MEC survey found 92% of schools had adopted the rules: 45% fully and 47% still implementing. School leaders reported better concentration (95%) and fewer conflicts and cyberbullying cases (88%). The most cited challenge, named by 39%, was storage infrastructure for devices, more so in public schools (45%) than private ones (18%).
Whatever Law 15.100 requires, lockable pouches let students keep their own phone, locked, from the first bell to the last, so escolas do not collect, store or answer for devices. Before The Internet ships lockable phone pouches and unlocking bases worldwide, including to Brazil, and can print the school's name or crest on them. Schools buy them outright: one price, no subscription, lease or per-student annual licence. Send us your student numbers and any written quote you already have, and we will beat it.
Frequently asked questions
Does Brazil's law ban students from bringing phones to school?
No. It bans use during classes, recess and breaks. Each school decides whether phones are stored and how, in its internal rules.
Are there exemptions for health or disability?
Yes. Use is allowed for accessibility and inclusion, health needs, teacher-directed learning, and in danger or force majeure.
Is the law working?
A 2026 MEC survey found 92% of schools had adopted it, and most leaders reported better concentration and fewer conflicts. Storage was the main challenge cited.
Related reading
School phone bans by country · Phone-free schools toolkit · How to roll out phone pouches in a school
Written by the team at Before The Internet, a Toronto-based phone-free company that rents lockable phone pouches for events across North America and sells them to schools and venues worldwide, shipping purchases to any country.
Planning a phone-free school?
Buying for next term or next year? Send your student numbers and target start date. A person replies within 24 hours with a real figure for your budget, and we ship worldwide.
Name
Work email
Phone
Event date
Headcount
Not sure what you need yet?
Keep reading
Trade shows and launches
Phone-free concerts and festivals