Cell phones banned: Which courthouses ban cell phones at the security checkpoint? (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
County courthouses where Sheriff deputies prohibit general visitors and defendants from bringing cell phones inside the building. 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 phones banned | Phone Policy Split | Lockers | Jury Parking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama (AL) | 7 counties | 7 of 7 qualify | 0 allow · 7 ban | 0 with lockers | 7 free validated |
| Arizona (AZ) | 6 counties | 0 of 6 qualify | 6 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 6 free validated |
| Arkansas (AR) | 3 counties | 3 of 3 qualify | 0 allow · 3 ban | 0 with lockers | 3 free validated |
| California (CA) | 35 counties | 0 of 35 qualify | 35 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 34 free validated |
| Colorado (CO) | 10 counties | 0 of 10 qualify | 10 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 10 free validated |
| Connecticut (CT) | 3 counties | 0 of 3 qualify | 3 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 3 free validated |
| Delaware (DE) | 3 counties | 3 of 3 qualify | 0 allow · 3 ban | 3 with lockers | 3 free validated |
| District of Columbia (DC) | 1 counties | 0 of 1 qualify | 1 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 1 free validated |
| Florida (FL) | 27 counties | 0 of 27 qualify | 27 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 27 free validated |
| Georgia (GA) | 13 counties | 10 of 13 qualify | 3 allow · 10 ban | 0 with lockers | 13 free validated |
| Hawaii (HI) | 1 counties | 0 of 1 qualify | 1 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 1 free validated |
| Idaho (ID) | 3 counties | 0 of 3 qualify | 3 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 3 free validated |
| Illinois (IL) | 20 counties | 18 of 20 qualify | 2 allow · 18 ban | 3 with lockers | 20 free validated |
| Indiana (IN) | 11 counties | 11 of 11 qualify | 0 allow · 11 ban | 0 with lockers | 11 free validated |
| Iowa (IA) | 4 counties | 0 of 4 qualify | 4 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 4 free validated |
| Kansas (KS) | 4 counties | 0 of 4 qualify | 4 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 4 free validated |
| Kentucky (KY) | 5 counties | 0 of 5 qualify | 5 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 5 free validated |
| Louisiana (LA) | 6 counties | 6 of 6 qualify | 0 allow · 6 ban | 0 with lockers | 6 free validated |
| Maine (ME) | 1 counties | 0 of 1 qualify | 1 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 1 free validated |
| Maryland (MD) | 10 counties | 0 of 10 qualify | 10 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 10 free validated |
| Massachusetts (MA) | 8 counties | 0 of 8 qualify | 8 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 8 free validated |
| Michigan (MI) | 14 counties | 0 of 14 qualify | 14 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 14 free validated |
| Minnesota (MN) | 8 counties | 0 of 8 qualify | 8 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 8 free validated |
| Mississippi (MS) | 4 counties | 4 of 4 qualify | 0 allow · 4 ban | 0 with lockers | 4 free validated |
| Missouri (MO) | 5 counties | 0 of 5 qualify | 5 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 5 free validated |
| Nebraska (NE) | 3 counties | 3 of 3 qualify | 0 allow · 3 ban | 0 with lockers | 3 free validated |
| Nevada (NV) | 2 counties | 0 of 2 qualify | 2 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 2 free validated |
| New Hampshire (NH) | 2 counties | 0 of 2 qualify | 2 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 2 free validated |
| New Jersey (NJ) | 15 counties | 0 of 15 qualify | 15 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 15 free validated |
| New Mexico (NM) | 3 counties | 3 of 3 qualify | 0 allow · 3 ban | 3 with lockers | 3 free validated |
| New York (NY) | 22 counties | 0 of 22 qualify | 22 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 21 free validated |
| North Carolina (NC) | 12 counties | 0 of 12 qualify | 12 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 12 free validated |
| Ohio (OH) | 14 counties | 0 of 14 qualify | 14 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 14 free validated |
| Oklahoma (OK) | 3 counties | 0 of 3 qualify | 3 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 3 free validated |
| Oregon (OR) | 8 counties | 0 of 8 qualify | 8 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 8 free validated |
| Pennsylvania (PA) | 16 counties | 16 of 16 qualify | 0 allow · 16 ban | 16 with lockers | 15 free validated |
| Rhode Island (RI) | 1 counties | 0 of 1 qualify | 1 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 1 free validated |
| South Carolina (SC) | 7 counties | 7 of 7 qualify | 0 allow · 7 ban | 0 with lockers | 7 free validated |
| Tennessee (TN) | 8 counties | 8 of 8 qualify | 0 allow · 8 ban | 0 with lockers | 8 free validated |
| Texas (TX) | 34 counties | 0 of 34 qualify | 34 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 34 free validated |
| Utah (UT) | 5 counties | 0 of 5 qualify | 5 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 5 free validated |
| Virginia (VA) | 12 counties | 10 of 12 qualify | 2 allow · 10 ban | 8 with lockers | 12 free validated |
| Washington (WA) | 10 counties | 0 of 10 qualify | 10 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 10 free validated |
| Wisconsin (WI) | 10 counties | 0 of 10 qualify | 10 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 10 free validated |
Top 30 High-Traffic County Courthouses for Cell phones banned
| County Courthouse | State | Cell phones banned | Lockers | Jury Parking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cook County (Chicago) | IL | Phones banned · NO lockers at door | No lockers | Free Validated |
| Marion County (Indianapolis) | IN | Phones banned · NO lockers at door | No lockers | Free Validated |
| Shelby County (Memphis) | TN | Phones banned · NO lockers at door | No lockers | Free Validated |
| DeKalb County (Decatur) | GA | Phones banned · NO lockers at door | No lockers | Free Validated |
| Davidson County (Nashville) | TN | Phones banned · NO lockers at door | No lockers | Free Validated |
| Jefferson County (Birmingham) | AL | Phones banned · NO lockers at door | No lockers | Free Validated |
| Douglas County (Omaha) | NE | Phones banned · NO lockers at door | No lockers | Free Validated |
| Greenville County (Greenville) | SC | Phones banned · NO lockers at door | No lockers | Free Validated |
| Knox County (Knoxville) | TN | Phones banned · NO lockers at door | No lockers | Free Validated |
| Lake County (Crown Point) | IN | Phones banned · NO lockers at door | No lockers | Free Validated |
| East Baton Rouge Parish (Baton Rouge) | LA | Phones banned · NO lockers at door | No lockers | Free Validated |
| Richland County (Columbia) | SC | Phones banned · NO lockers at door | No lockers | Free Validated |
| Charleston County (Charleston) | SC | Phones banned · NO lockers at door | No lockers | Free Validated |
| Jefferson Parish (Gretna) | LA | Phones banned · NO lockers at door | No lockers | Free Validated |
| Madison County (Huntsville) | AL | Phones banned · NO lockers at door | No lockers | Free Validated |
| Mobile County (Mobile) | AL | Phones banned · NO lockers at door | No lockers | Free Validated |
| Pulaski County (Little Rock) | AR | Phones banned · NO lockers at door | No lockers | Free Validated |
| Horry County (Conway) | SC | Phones banned · NO lockers at door | No lockers | Free Validated |
| Allen County (Fort Wayne) | IN | Phones banned · NO lockers at door | No lockers | Free Validated |
| Chesterfield County (Chesterfield) | VA | Phones banned · NO lockers at door | No lockers | Free Validated |
| Hamilton County (Chattanooga) | TN | Phones banned · NO lockers at door | No lockers | Free Validated |
| Hamilton County (Noblesville) | IN | Phones banned · NO lockers at door | No lockers | Free Validated |
| Rutherford County (Murfreesboro) | TN | Phones banned · NO lockers at door | No lockers | Free Validated |
| Orleans Parish (New Orleans) | LA | Phones banned · NO lockers at door | No lockers | Free Validated |
| Spartanburg County (Spartanburg) | SC | Phones banned · NO lockers at door | No lockers | Free Validated |
| Henrico County (Henrico) | VA | Phones banned · NO lockers at door | No lockers | Free Validated |
| Lancaster County (Lincoln) | NE | Phones banned · NO lockers at door | No lockers | Free Validated |
| McHenry County (Woodstock) | IL | Phones banned · NO lockers at door | No lockers | Free Validated |
| Benton County (Bentonville) | AR | Phones banned · NO lockers at door | No lockers | Free Validated |
| Lexington County (Lexington) | SC | Phones banned · NO lockers at door | 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