The SEP restricts cell phones in classrooms across the country

The Secretariat of Public Education (SEP) will restrict the use of cell phones, smart devices, and personal electronics in public and private schools across the country. This is being implemented through Agreement number 09/09/26, published this September 22, 2026, in the Official Gazette of the Federation (DOF) and signed by Secretary Mario Delgado Carrillo. The regulation will take effect on November 3, 2026, and covers basic, upper secondary, and higher education levels.

From national debate to federal agreement

The instrument is issued based on Articles 3 and 4 of the Political Constitution of the United Mexican States, the General Education Law, the General Higher Education Law, and the General Law on the Rights of Girls, Boys, and Adolescents. Its stated objective is to guarantee healthy educational environments, harmonious coexistence, and the integral development of students.

The National Council of Educational Authorities (CONAEDU) unanimously approved the proposal at its Third Extraordinary National Plenary Meeting, held on September 18, 2026, after receiving observations from federal entities, UNESCO, and SIPINNA. The first version of the instrument had been presented on August 28, 2026.

The Agreement is supported by a previously documented international and local context:

• UNESCO reported that countries with some type of cell phone regulation in schools rose from 24% in 2023 to 58% in March 2026.
• 19 federal entities already have current provisions: Aguascalientes, Campeche, Mexico City, Colima, Coahuila, Durango, State of Mexico, Guanajuato, Guerrero, Hidalgo, Jalisco, Morelos, Michoacán de Ocampo, Nuevo León, Querétaro, San Luis Potosí, Sonora, Tamaulipas, and Tlaxcala.

Total restriction in basic education

In the initial, preschool, primary, and secondary levels, a restriction on the use of cell phones, smart devices, and personal electronics is established throughout the entire school day. They may only be used for previously scheduled educational purposes, with pedagogical intent and under the guidance of teachers, as well as in cases of personal emergency, disability, accessibility, inclusion, or health needs.

Educational authorities in the states and Mexico City must adopt the necessary measures to apply these conditions and may make adjustments according to the context of each entity.

Upper secondary and higher education: community agreements

In upper secondary education, responsible and safe use will be encouraged, and non-pedagogical use during the school day will be limited through a process of consultation and the construction of agreements in assembly. The planned modalities are:

• Safe storage space in the classroom, with equipment under the custody of school authorities.
• Limited use by time and space, such as during recess and in authorized areas.
• No use throughout the entire school day.
• Scheduled use on specific days defined by the school community.

In the higher education level, only responsible and safe use is encouraged, in accordance with the agreements of each educational community and with full respect for university autonomy.

Decalogues and consultation support

Article 7 of the Agreement refers to three guiding decalogues —basic, upper secondary, and higher education— which can be adapted to the level, context, and needs of each school. The National Consultation on Basic Education regarding the use and regulation of digital devices, held on August 24 and 28, 2026, gathered the opinions of 565,396 educational figures:

• 81.2% support measures of a national nature.
• 95.7% support setting a minimum age for the use of social networks.
• 88.8% support limiting access during the school day and 56.3% support zero access.
• 38.2% observed that students carried a cell phone and 24.7% a smartwatch.
• 38.7% reported conflicts started on social networks that continued at school.

Validity, assemblies, and deadlines

The Agreement comes into force on November 3, 2026. Starting the day after its publication, federal and state educational authorities will begin assemblies with mothers, fathers, guardians, and educational communities to inform, disseminate, and build agreements. Entities will have 180 calendar days after the entry into force to issue or harmonize their legal instruments, and semi-annual spaces for feedback and follow-up are planned.

The measure affects students, teachers, and families across the country and makes the 2026-2027 school year the first with a single national framework for the use of cell phones in classrooms. Its application will depend on school assemblies and the regulatory harmonization of each entity, therefore the actual scope of the restriction will vary between campuses and educational levels.

Source: Official Gazette of the Federation, No. 257/2026, Tuesday, September 22, 2026, First Section, p. 157 (official reference: Agreement number 09/09/26).