Can You Bring a Smartwatch (Apple Watch) to Court or Jury Duty? (2026)
Short answer: Treated like a phone: allowed where phones are allowed, banned where they are banned. Each courthouse sets its own security rules, so check yours before you go.
At court (visitors, defendants, witnesses)
Courthouses that ban phones nearly always ban smartwatches, because they can record and send messages. Where phones are allowed, watches must be silenced.
At jury duty
Jurors who may bring a phone can usually wear a smartwatch in the assembly room, but it must be silenced and may need to be removed in the courtroom.
Tips
- Put it in airplane or theater mode before security.
- Never photograph or record with it inside the courthouse.
104 of the 399 large county courthouses we track ban phones for the general public. Electronics rules follow the phone rule, so look up your courthouse: phone policy by county or the phone checker.
Related: Smartwatch policy by county
Other Items
- a Laptop
- AirPods or Headphones
- Food and Snacks
- a Water Bottle
- a Book or Kindle
- a Phone Charger or Power Bank
- Medication
- a Vape or E-Cigarette
- a Pocket Knife
- Pepper Spray
- an Umbrella
- Your Children
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you bring a smartwatch (apple watch) to court?
Treated like a phone: allowed where phones are allowed, banned where they are banned. Courthouses that ban phones nearly always ban smartwatches, because they can record and send messages. Where phones are allowed, watches must be silenced.
Can you bring a smartwatch (apple watch) to jury duty?
Jurors who may bring a phone can usually wear a smartwatch in the assembly room, but it must be silenced and may need to be removed in the courtroom.