Cell phone policy: Can I bring my cell phone into the courthouse? (2026)
National Summary: It depends on the county administrative order: 290 of 399 tracked courthouses across the United States allow silenced cell phones, while 109 prohibit cell phones for general visitors and traffic court defendants. Updated 2026-11-04
Whether general visitors, traffic defendants, and jurors may bring cell phones past the Sheriff security checkpoint, or if devices are banned at the door. Of the 399 county courthouses we track across the United States, 290 (73%) allow visitors to bring cell phones inside on silent mode, while 109 (27%) ban cell phones for the general public at the security checkpoint. Warning: 78 courthouses ban phones AND provide no storage lockers at the entrance.
By State (44 States)
| State | Tracked | Cell phone policy | Phone Policy Split | Lockers | Jury Parking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama (AL) | 7 counties | 0 of 7 qualify | 0 allow · 7 ban | 0 with lockers | 7 free validated |
| Arizona (AZ) | 6 counties | 6 of 6 qualify | 6 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 6 free validated |
| Arkansas (AR) | 3 counties | 0 of 3 qualify | 0 allow · 3 ban | 0 with lockers | 3 free validated |
| California (CA) | 35 counties | 35 of 35 qualify | 35 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 34 free validated |
| Colorado (CO) | 10 counties | 10 of 10 qualify | 10 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 10 free validated |
| Connecticut (CT) | 3 counties | 3 of 3 qualify | 3 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 3 free validated |
| Delaware (DE) | 3 counties | 0 of 3 qualify | 0 allow · 3 ban | 3 with lockers | 3 free validated |
| District of Columbia (DC) | 1 counties | 1 of 1 qualify | 1 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 1 free validated |
| Florida (FL) | 27 counties | 27 of 27 qualify | 27 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 27 free validated |
| Georgia (GA) | 13 counties | 3 of 13 qualify | 3 allow · 10 ban | 0 with lockers | 13 free validated |
| Hawaii (HI) | 1 counties | 1 of 1 qualify | 1 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 1 free validated |
| Idaho (ID) | 3 counties | 3 of 3 qualify | 3 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 3 free validated |
| Illinois (IL) | 20 counties | 2 of 20 qualify | 2 allow · 18 ban | 3 with lockers | 20 free validated |
| Indiana (IN) | 11 counties | 0 of 11 qualify | 0 allow · 11 ban | 0 with lockers | 11 free validated |
| Iowa (IA) | 4 counties | 4 of 4 qualify | 4 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 4 free validated |
| Kansas (KS) | 4 counties | 4 of 4 qualify | 4 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 4 free validated |
| Kentucky (KY) | 5 counties | 5 of 5 qualify | 5 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 5 free validated |
| Louisiana (LA) | 6 counties | 0 of 6 qualify | 0 allow · 6 ban | 0 with lockers | 6 free validated |
| Maine (ME) | 1 counties | 1 of 1 qualify | 1 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 1 free validated |
| Maryland (MD) | 10 counties | 10 of 10 qualify | 10 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 10 free validated |
| Massachusetts (MA) | 8 counties | 8 of 8 qualify | 8 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 8 free validated |
| Michigan (MI) | 14 counties | 14 of 14 qualify | 14 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 14 free validated |
| Minnesota (MN) | 8 counties | 8 of 8 qualify | 8 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 8 free validated |
| Mississippi (MS) | 4 counties | 0 of 4 qualify | 0 allow · 4 ban | 0 with lockers | 4 free validated |
| Missouri (MO) | 5 counties | 5 of 5 qualify | 5 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 5 free validated |
| Nebraska (NE) | 3 counties | 0 of 3 qualify | 0 allow · 3 ban | 0 with lockers | 3 free validated |
| Nevada (NV) | 2 counties | 2 of 2 qualify | 2 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 2 free validated |
| New Hampshire (NH) | 2 counties | 2 of 2 qualify | 2 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 2 free validated |
| New Jersey (NJ) | 15 counties | 15 of 15 qualify | 15 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 15 free validated |
| New Mexico (NM) | 3 counties | 0 of 3 qualify | 0 allow · 3 ban | 3 with lockers | 3 free validated |
| New York (NY) | 22 counties | 22 of 22 qualify | 22 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 21 free validated |
| North Carolina (NC) | 12 counties | 12 of 12 qualify | 12 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 12 free validated |
| Ohio (OH) | 14 counties | 14 of 14 qualify | 14 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 14 free validated |
| Oklahoma (OK) | 3 counties | 3 of 3 qualify | 3 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 3 free validated |
| Oregon (OR) | 8 counties | 8 of 8 qualify | 8 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 8 free validated |
| Pennsylvania (PA) | 16 counties | 0 of 16 qualify | 0 allow · 16 ban | 16 with lockers | 15 free validated |
| Rhode Island (RI) | 1 counties | 1 of 1 qualify | 1 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 1 free validated |
| South Carolina (SC) | 7 counties | 0 of 7 qualify | 0 allow · 7 ban | 0 with lockers | 7 free validated |
| Tennessee (TN) | 8 counties | 0 of 8 qualify | 0 allow · 8 ban | 0 with lockers | 8 free validated |
| Texas (TX) | 34 counties | 34 of 34 qualify | 34 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 34 free validated |
| Utah (UT) | 5 counties | 5 of 5 qualify | 5 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 5 free validated |
| Virginia (VA) | 12 counties | 2 of 12 qualify | 2 allow · 10 ban | 8 with lockers | 12 free validated |
| Washington (WA) | 10 counties | 10 of 10 qualify | 10 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 10 free validated |
| Wisconsin (WI) | 10 counties | 10 of 10 qualify | 10 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 10 free validated |
Top 30 High-Traffic County Courthouses for Cell phone policy
| County Courthouse | State | Cell phone policy | Lockers | Jury Parking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles County (Los Angeles) | CA | Allowed (silent mode in courtrooms) | No lockers | Free Validated |
| Harris County (Houston) | TX | Allowed (silent mode in courtrooms) | No lockers | Free Validated |
| Maricopa County (Phoenix) | AZ | Allowed (silent mode in courtrooms) | No lockers | Free Validated |
| San Diego County (San Diego) | CA | Allowed (silent mode in courtrooms) | No lockers | $20/day |
| Orange County (Santa Ana) | CA | Allowed (silent mode in courtrooms) | No lockers | Free Validated |
| Miami-Dade County (Miami) | FL | Allowed (silent mode in courtrooms) | No lockers | Free Validated |
| Dallas County (Dallas) | TX | Allowed (silent mode in courtrooms) | No lockers | Free Validated |
| Kings County (Brooklyn) | NY | Allowed (silent mode in courtrooms) | No lockers | Free Validated |
| Riverside County (Riverside) | CA | Allowed (silent mode in courtrooms) | No lockers | Free Validated |
| Clark County (Las Vegas) | NV | Allowed (silent mode in courtrooms) | No lockers | Free Validated |
| King County (Seattle) | WA | Allowed (silent mode in courtrooms) | No lockers | Free Validated |
| Queens County (Jamaica) | NY | Allowed (silent mode in courtrooms) | No lockers | Free Validated |
| San Bernardino County (San Bernardino) | CA | Allowed (silent mode in courtrooms) | No lockers | Free Validated |
| Tarrant County (Fort Worth) | TX | Allowed (silent mode in courtrooms) | No lockers | Free Validated |
| Bexar County (San Antonio) | TX | Allowed (silent mode in courtrooms) | No lockers | Free Validated |
| Broward County (Fort Lauderdale) | FL | Allowed (silent mode in courtrooms) | No lockers | Free Validated |
| Santa Clara County (San Jose) | CA | Allowed (silent mode in courtrooms) | No lockers | Free Validated |
| Wayne County (Detroit) | MI | Allowed (silent mode in courtrooms) | No lockers | Free Validated |
| Middlesex County (Cambridge) | MA | Allowed (silent mode in courtrooms) | No lockers | Free Validated |
| Alameda County (Oakland) | CA | Allowed (silent mode in courtrooms) | No lockers | Free Validated |
| New York County (Manhattan) | NY | Allowed (silent mode in courtrooms) | No lockers | $45/day |
| Sacramento County (Sacramento) | CA | Allowed (silent mode in courtrooms) | No lockers | Free Validated |
| Hillsborough County (Tampa) | FL | Allowed (silent mode in courtrooms) | No lockers | Free Validated |
| Palm Beach County (West Palm Beach) | FL | Allowed (silent mode in courtrooms) | No lockers | Free Validated |
| Suffolk County (Riverhead) | NY | Allowed (silent mode in courtrooms) | No lockers | Free Validated |
| Orange County (Orlando) | FL | Allowed (silent mode in courtrooms) | No lockers | Free Validated |
| Nassau County (Mineola) | NY | Allowed (silent mode in courtrooms) | No lockers | Free Validated |
| Bronx County (Bronx) | NY | Allowed (silent mode in courtrooms) | No lockers | Free Validated |
| Travis County (Austin) | TX | Allowed (silent mode in courtrooms) | No lockers | Free Validated |
| Franklin County (Columbus) | OH | Allowed (silent mode in courtrooms) | No lockers | Free Validated |
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I bring my cell phone to a courthouse across the United States?
It depends on the county administrative order: 290 of 399 tracked courthouses across the United States allow silenced cell phones, while 109 prohibit cell phones for general visitors and traffic court defendants.
Which courthouses across the United States ban phones and have no lockers at the door?
Cook County (Chicago), Marion County (Indianapolis), Shelby County (Memphis), DeKalb County (Decatur), Davidson County (Nashville) and 73 more prohibit public cell phones and have no entrance storage lockers. If you arrive by Uber or bus with a phone, bailiffs will turn you away.
Are summoned jurors allowed to bring cell phones across the United States?
In 399 of 399 counties across the United States, summoned jurors presenting an official Jury Summons are permitted to bring cell phones into the Jury Assembly Room even when general visitors are banned.
How is this courthouse policy data verified?
We verify every county against official Court Administrative Orders (.gov), Jury Commissioner instructions, and Sheriff Court Security directives. Last verified 2026-11-04.
How we verify courthouse administrative orders and security rules