Courthouse Cell Phone Policy by State: Why Illinois, Virginia & Georgia Ban Phones (2026)
Updated 2026-11-04 · Tracked across 399 U.S. County Courthouses
Why can you walk into a Los Angeles or Detroit courthouse with an iPhone in your pocket, while doing the exact same thing in suburban Chicago, Chesterfield County (VA), or Memphis (201 Poplar) gets you turned away at the door? Because courthouse security is governed by a patchwork of State Supreme Court rules and Chief Judge Administrative Orders.
State-by-State Breakdown (399 Major County Courthouses)
| State | Tracked Courthouses | Phones Allowed (Silent) | Phones Banned for Public | Have Phone Lockers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | 20 | 2 | 18 (90%) | 3 |
| Pennsylvania | 16 | 0 | 16 (100%) | 16 |
| Indiana | 11 | 0 | 11 (100%) | 0 |
| Georgia | 13 | 3 | 10 (77%) | 0 |
| Virginia | 12 | 2 | 10 (83%) | 8 |
| Tennessee | 8 | 0 | 8 (100%) | 0 |
| Alabama | 7 | 0 | 7 (100%) | 0 |
| South Carolina | 7 | 0 | 7 (100%) | 0 |
| Louisiana | 6 | 0 | 6 (100%) | 0 |
| Mississippi | 4 | 0 | 4 (100%) | 0 |
| Arkansas | 3 | 0 | 3 (100%) | 0 |
| Delaware | 3 | 0 | 3 (100%) | 3 |
| Nebraska | 3 | 0 | 3 (100%) | 0 |
| New Mexico | 3 | 0 | 3 (100%) | 3 |
| California | 35 | 35 | 0 | 0 |
| Texas | 34 | 34 | 0 | 0 |
| Florida | 27 | 27 | 0 | 0 |
| New York | 22 | 22 | 0 | 0 |
| New Jersey | 15 | 15 | 0 | 0 |
| Michigan | 14 | 14 | 0 | 0 |
| Ohio | 14 | 14 | 0 | 0 |
| North Carolina | 12 | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| Colorado | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| Maryland | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| Washington | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| Wisconsin | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| Massachusetts | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Minnesota | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Oregon | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Arizona | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Kentucky | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Missouri | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Utah | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Iowa | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Kansas | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Connecticut | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Idaho | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Oklahoma | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Nevada | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| New Hampshire | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| District of Columbia | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Hawaii | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Maine | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Rhode Island | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
States with Statewide "Right to Carry a Phone" Court Rules
- Michigan (MCR 8.115): In May 2020, the Michigan Supreme Court amended Rule 8.115 to prohibit local judges from barring the public from bringing cell phones into courthouses, recognizing that pro se litigants rely on phones for digital evidence, calendars, and rideshares.
- California (CRC Rule 1.150): All 58 California Superior Courts allow visitors and jurors to bring phones through security on silent mode, strictly penalizing only unauthorized photography or recording inside the building.
- New York, Florida, New Jersey & Texas Metro: Major metropolitan courts allow silenced phones through x-ray screening.
States Where County Sheriffs & Chief Judges Ban Phones
- Illinois: 48 of Illinois’s 102 counties ban or severely restrict portable electronic devices to prevent witness intimidation in criminal and traffic corridors.
- Virginia: Scores of Virginia Circuit & General District Courthouses ban phones and smartwatches under local judicial orders; counties like Prince William and Loudoun provide free lobby lockers, while Chesterfield and Henrico have none.
- Georgia, South Carolina, Indiana & Tennessee: Heavily split by county, with major criminal justice centers (such as 201 Poplar in Memphis and Clayton County in Georgia) enforcing strict zero-phone rules.
Going to Court Without a Lawyer?
Skip the Security Line & Protect Your Record in your county
If you have a Traffic Ticket, Speeding/CDL Violation, DUI, Misdemeanor, or Family Court hearing in your county, a licensed local attorney can often appear in court on your behalf—saving you from missing work, risking a bench warrant, or taking points on your license.