A new North Carolina law prohibiting grade school students from using cellphones and other devices during the school day will take effect in January 2026.

NC House Bill 959, which Gov. Josh Stein signed into law on July 1, requires school districts to limit student technology use. It also mandates that elementary, middle and high schools teach about topics related to internet safety, such as misinformation, digital footprints, cyberbullying and social media addiction.

“When teachers don’t have to compete with cellphones for student attention, real learning happens,” Gov. Stein said in a press release accompanying the bill. “This bipartisan bill gives students a distraction-free learning environment so they can focus on their education.”

North Carolina is among 35 states to have passed similar legislation in the past two years. Such policies have also gained traction at the local level.

Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools currently requires students to put away their cellphones, headphones, smartwatches and similar devices for the duration of the school day. Teachers may allow individual students to use technology if necessary to participate in a class activity or accommodate health needs. High school students are also permitted to use devices during their lunch breaks.

Besides enjoying support from across the political spectrum, laws like NC 959 are also popular with parents and experts.

Ali Sakkal, an associate teaching professor of education at Wake Forest, said the wave of similar policies shows that “urgent attention” is needed to help students navigate online spaces safely. He believes that NC 959 is a good development, but that it alone cannot completely address the complex issues associated with technology use.

“The bill signed by [Gov.] Stein is a much-needed step in… helping students focus and connect better at school and also understand some of the real dangers around misinformation and mental health,” Sakkal said. “But for this to really work, we can’t just put all the responsibility on teachers… the benefits that we hope to gain from this bill will require a unified effort from parents and school administrators to support teachers on the front lines.”