Blog · Schools
Maryland's Phone-Free Schools Act: What Schools Need to Know Before 2027-28
Not yet statewide. Maryland's Phone-Free Schools Act, signed by Governor Wes Moore in May 2026, requires every county board to ban student cellphone and social media use for the whole school day, including lunch and passing periods, starting in the 2027-28 school year.
Until 2027-28, phone rules in Maryland are set by each county board, and they vary. Howard County requires devices out of sight and silenced, Harford County has elementary students keep phones in backpacks and middle schoolers in lockers, and Baltimore County lets students carry phones but bans visible use. The new law will replace these with one minimum standard covering phones, laptops and other personal devices, plus social media access.
The Phone-Free Schools Act, reported as House Bill 630, passed the General Assembly in spring 2026 and was signed by Governor Moore in May 2026. County boards must have bell-to-bell policies in place by the start of the 2027-28 school year, covering lunch, recess, passing periods and other transitions. Exceptions cover students with disabilities, IEPs, health needs, educational use and emergencies. Students may not be suspended or expelled just for breaking the policy.
Several large systems, including Prince George's, Anne Arundel, Montgomery and Baltimore City, opposed the bill as a limit on local control, while the Maryland State Education Association backed it. The state sets no storage method and reporting mentions no funding. Baltimore County has piloted pouches in some schools but cited cost. Boards should budget during 2026-27, since suspension cannot be the main sanction.
Whatever Maryland's new law requires, lockable pouches let students keep their own phone, locked, from the first bell to the last, so the school does not collect, store or answer for devices. Before The Internet ships lockable phone pouches and unlocking bases across the United States, including to Maryland, 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
When does Maryland's bell-to-bell ban start?
In the 2027-28 school year. Until then, each county board's own policy applies.
Can students be suspended for breaking the rule?
No. The law bars suspension or expulsion solely for violating the phone policy, so boards need other consequences.
Does it cover lunch and social media?
Yes. Reporting on the law says the ban covers lunch, recess, passing periods and other transitions, and also bars social media access during the school day.
Related reading
School phone bans by US state · Phone-free schools toolkit · Bell-to-bell school phone policy template
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