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North Dakota's Bell-to-Bell School Cellphone Ban: What Schools Need to Know in 2026
Yes. Since 1 August 2025, House Bill 1160 has required North Dakota public schools to keep students' personal cellphones, smartwatches and tablets securely stowed and inaccessible from the start of the school day until dismissal. Private schools are not covered.
HB 1160, signed by Governor Kelly Armstrong on 25 April 2025 and in force from 1 August 2025, requires public school policies keeping personal electronic communication devices securely stowed and inaccessible during instructional time from the start of the day until dismissal. School-issued devices for learning are allowed, as are devices needed for medical reasons or set out in an IEP. Schools may also restrict devices on trips, at games, on buses and at dances.
An earlier Senate bill failed in April 2025 before the House version passed 82-8 and the Senate 42-4. The law applies only to public schools. Districts must also collect data each year on how the ban affects behavior, mental health, discipline, attendance and achievement, so 2026-27 is the second year of reporting.
About $1.5 million for lock-away devices such as phone pouches was in an early version but removed before passage, so districts pay for storage themselves and choose their own method. Medina Public Schools banned phones in class in its first year, moved to bell-to-bell in its second, and its principal reports students talking more at lunch. Parents are directed to the school office for urgent contact.
Whatever North Dakota's HB 1160 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 North Dakota, 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 the law apply to private schools?
No. HB 1160 applies to North Dakota public schools only.
Did the state fund phone storage?
No. About $1.5 million for lock-away devices such as pouches was proposed but removed before the bill passed, so districts fund storage locally.
What do districts have to report?
Districts must collect annual data on the ban's effect on student behavior, mental health, discipline, attendance and academic performance.
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.
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