Posted on January 15, 2026
On January 8th, Governor Murphy signed what his administration calls a bell-to-bell cell phone ban into law, which will take effect during the 2026-27 school year. This law requires "guidelines on student use of internet-enabled devices to be developed by the New Jersey Department of Education," with each public school's governing body adopting corresponding policies. This bill incorporates many recommendations from the Commission on the Effects of Social Media Usage on Adolescents, on which ACNJ served as a member.
In addition to banning cellphones at school, the Commission has also recommended delaying social media access until age 16.
More in the News:
- NJ Spotlight Article: Students expected to benefit from cell phone ban
- NJ.com: Sweeping N.J. school cellphone ban signed into law. Here’s what students need to know
- New York Times: New Jersey is Latest State to Ban Student Phones in Schools
- NJ 101.5 Radio: Gov. Murphy signs ‘bell-to-bell’ cell phone ban in all NJ schools
- New Jersey Monitor: Gov. Murphy signs bill to ban cellphones in classrooms
- Eyewitness News: Gov. Murphy signs law banning cellphones in New Jersey public schools
- NBC New York: NJ Gov. Phil Murphy signs school cell phone ban bill
- 6abc Action News: New Jersey is the latest state to ban cellphones during the school day in grades K-12
- Bergen Record: Bill banning cell phone use in NJ schools signed by Murphy
