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New Jersey's Bell-to-Bell School Phone Ban: What Districts Need to Know
Governor Murphy signed a law on January 8, 2026 making New Jersey public schools phone-free bell to bell statewide from the 2026-27 school year. Districts need a policy and a storage method in place for the new school year.
New Jersey had encouraged districts to restrict phones for several years, and many had their own rules. The January 2026 law makes it statewide: students cannot use phones during the school day, from the first bell to the last, starting with the 2026-27 school year. The outgoing governor described phones in class as needless distractions and pointed to student mental health and learning time. Districts set the details, including exceptions for medical and educational needs and how families reach students in an emergency.
With the rule now in force, the practical question is storage. Collection takes staff time every morning and makes the district responsible for every device. Lockers take space and rely on compliance. Lockable pouches keep the phone with the student all day but locked, so there is nothing to collect and nothing to lose, and the pouch does not block signal. Students tap the pouch on a magnetic base by the exit at dismissal.
Budgeting matters too. A pouch programme bought outright is a one-time cost, plus a few replacements each year. A recurring rental, lease or per-student fee comes back every budget cycle. For a district planning several years ahead, owning the pouches is usually the cheaper route, and it is simpler to approve as a single purchase.
Our warehouse is in Randolph, New Jersey, so New Jersey schools are about as close as it gets for us. Before The Internet sells lockable phone pouches to schools outright. You pay once, the pouches and unlocking bases belong to the school, and there is 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
Are phones banned in New Jersey schools?
Yes. A law signed on January 8, 2026 requires New Jersey public schools to be phone-free bell to bell starting in the 2026-27 school year.
When does the New Jersey school phone ban start?
With the 2026-27 school year. Districts were expected to have policies and storage in place before students returned in September 2026.
Is there a New Jersey supplier of school phone pouches?
Before The Internet keeps stock at a warehouse in Randolph, New Jersey, and sells lockable phone pouches to schools outright, with no subscription.
Related reading
New York's bell-to-bell school phone ban · School phone bans by US state · Buying vs renting school phone pouches
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.
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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.
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