Indiana School Internet Safety Laws: CIPA, Posted Policies and the Bell-to-Bell Device Law
Indiana school corporations follow federal CIPA for filtering, and state law adds two practical duties: post your internet use policy online, and run a wireless device policy that now covers the whole school day.
Here is what each rule asks for and how it changes the way you filter school devices.
Key Indiana dates
What CIPA requires of Indiana schools
The Children's Internet Protection Act applies to schools and libraries that take E-Rate discounts for internet access or internal connections. For most Indiana public schools, it is the filtering standard that matters.
Technology protection measure
Blocks or filters visual depictions that are obscene, child pornography or harmful to minors on computers that minors use.
Internet safety policy
Covers minors' access to inappropriate matter, safety in email and messaging, hacking, and disclosure of minors' personal information.
Public notice and meeting
At least one public hearing or meeting on the policy, after reasonable public notice.
Monitoring
School policies include monitoring minors' online activity. CIPA says this does not require tracking the internet use of identifiable users.
Education
Students learn appropriate online behavior, including social networking and cyberbullying awareness and response.
Certification
FCC Form 486 for schools and libraries, or Form 479 for consortium members, each funding year.
For the full explanation, read what CIPA is. For how E-Rate ties in, see E-Rate and CIPA funding.
Put the Indiana school-day filter on the devices that now carry everything
With personal devices away from July 2026, almost every minute online at school runs through equipment you manage. Our hosted CIPA filter is a DNS filter we run for you, so one setting covers each building's network.
- Every SSID students can join can use the same DNS setting, guest and event networks included
- VPN/Proxy/Anonymizers is part of the CIPA preset, so proxy sites stay shut
- The policy record helps your posted internet use policy and your actual settings agree
What Indiana adds on top of CIPA
Indiana does not have a state statute that lists filter categories for schools. Its additions are about transparency and devices, plus a 2023 rule on school library materials.
Each school corporation posts its internet use policy on its website. Families can see the rules without asking.
- Keep the posted version current
- Match it to your CIPA policy
Since July 1, 2024, school corporations and charter schools have needed a policy limiting student wireless device use, published on the school website. SEA 78 widens it to the full school day from July 1, 2026.
- Choose a no-device or storage model
- Keep the listed exceptions
A 2023 law deals with material in school libraries that is obscene or harmful to minors and asks boards to set a process for parent requests. It concerns books and collections, not web filters.
- Uses similar wording to CIPA
- Check the current statute text
That split is useful. Your board keeps full control over which categories to block beyond the federal floor, and the state rules mostly decide how openly you explain those choices and how students reach the internet during the day.
Indiana's device law: 2024 versus 2026
The 2026 change is the one most districts are working through now. It moves the line from class time to the whole school day.
| Point | SEA 185 (from July 1, 2024) | SEA 78 (from July 1, 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| When use is limited | During instructional time | During the whole school day |
| Policy model | Local policy, with set exceptions | Schools choose a no-device model or a storage model |
| Devices | Wireless communication devices | Reporting lists phones, tablets, laptops, gaming devices and some smart watches |
| Exceptions | Teacher-approved learning, emergencies, health management | Emergencies, medical needs, and accommodations such as IEP and 504 plans |
| Publication | Policy published on the school website | Same, with the updated policy |
| Signed | 2024 session | March 5, 2026 |
These summaries are in our own words from the enacted bills and public reporting. Read the current text of IC 20-26-5-40.7 for definitions, as the 2026 law may handle school-provided devices differently from personal ones.
Pairing the device rollout with filter work
Device policy and filtering are usually owned by different teams. Running them on one calendar avoids gaps, such as phones stored all day while school laptops still reach proxy sites.
| Phase | Device policy work | Filtering work |
|---|---|---|
| Before the year | Choose the no-device or storage model, set exceptions, publish the policy | Refresh the category list, test VPN and proxy blocks, confirm off-campus filtering |
| First weeks | Explain the rules to students and families, train staff on exceptions | Watch unblock requests, since more learning now runs on school devices |
| Mid year | Review incidents and exception requests by school | Spot check blocked and allowed sites, look for new bypass tools |
| Year end | Update the posted policy if the board changes it | Save configuration exports and close the evidence folder |
A short joint meeting each term between the principal group and the technology team is usually enough. The goal is that the device policy, the posted internet use policy and the filter settings all describe the same school day.
VPN and proxy names worth testing against your Indiana setup
The year-start checklist includes testing the VPN and proxy blocks. These names are all in our database under the same category, so one switch covers them.
| Service | Categories in our data |
|---|---|
| nordvpn.com | File Sharing/P2P, VPN / Proxy / Anonymizers |
| expressvpn.com | VPN / Proxy / Anonymizers |
| tunnelbear.com | VPN / Proxy / Anonymizers |
| proxysite.com | VPN / Proxy / Anonymizers |
| vpnbook.com | VPN / Proxy / Anonymizers |
| surfshark.com | VPN / Proxy / Anonymizers |
What it means for filtering and monitoring
With personal devices put away all day, almost every minute a student spends online at school runs through equipment you manage. That makes your filter the main control, and your evidence of it more important.
School-issued devices
The main way students get online. Filter at the device level so rules apply on campus, at home and on any network.
Highest prioritySchool networks
Filter every SSID that minors can join, including guest and event networks. Block VPN and proxy services at the network edge.
Always onPersonal devices
Stored or left at home under SEA 78. Exceptions remain, so keep the school network filtered for any device that joins it.
Policy controlledSettings that follow from Indiana's rules
CIPA core on every student device
Adult and explicit content blocked, with Lingerie/Swimsuits/Intimate Apparel blocked for minors. This is the federal floor and does not change by grade.
Bypass categories closed
VPN / Proxy / Anonymizers blocked everywhere. When personal phones are stored, students who want to get around rules turn to proxy sites on school devices.
Local categories by grade band
Gambling, Weapons, Illegal Drugs, Violence and Hate/Discrimination are common blocks. Social Networking, Gaming and Streaming Media often vary by age.
Messaging during the school day
If the device policy aims to stop social contact during the day, Email and Messaging and Social Networking on school devices are worth a fresh look.
Monitoring in proportion
CIPA asks for monitoring of minors, not a record of every click. Decide what class supervision covers and what automated alerts you really need.
Posted policy matches settings
Because your policy is public under IC 20-26-5-40.5, families can compare it to what they see. Keep the words and the settings in step.
For 1:1 programs, our guide to 1:1 device filtering for schools covers device-level setup, and enforcing CIPA off campus covers take-home use.
Same rules on a Chromebook whether it is in class or at the kitchen table
The guide above calls school devices the highest priority, and they leave the building every day. A private encrypted link in our hosted CIPA filter keeps the same rules on laptops and phones off the network, with nothing installed on the computer.
Situations Indiana schools run into
Device rules and filtering rules meet in daily practice. These are the cases that come up most once phones are put away.
A student has a 504 plan that allows a phone
The device law keeps that exception. If the phone joins school Wi-Fi it is filtered like any other device; on cellular data it is outside your filter, which is why the plan should define use.
A teacher wants students to use a website on phones
Under the 2026 model, plan learning on school-provided devices where you can. They carry your filter and your monitoring, and they keep the lesson inside the policy.
A parent asks why a site is blocked
Point to the posted policy and the category. The domain category checker shows how any single site is classed, which settles most questions quickly.
Students try AI chat tools on school laptops
Neither CIPA nor Indiana law requires a block. If your board decides to restrict them, our AI tools blocklist for schools covers the category.
Writing a posted policy families can actually read
Because Indiana puts your internet use policy on the public website, it doubles as a parent guide. A clear policy prevents most complaints before they start.
Lead with the purpose
Open with what the policy protects: student safety, learning time and school systems. Families read the first lines most closely.
Name the blocked content in plain words
List the kinds of sites blocked for students, such as adult content, gambling and proxy services, instead of vendor category codes.
Say what happens at home
If school devices are filtered off campus, say so. Parents of take-home device users ask this more than any other question.
Be honest about monitoring
Describe what staff can see and when. Vague wording about monitoring causes more worry than a clear, limited description.
Explain how to ask for an unblock
Give teachers and families a route to request a review of a blocked site, and say who decides.
Link the device policy
Point to the SEA 78 device policy so the two published documents read as one set of rules.
For model topics, see our guides to the CIPA internet safety policy and the acceptable use policy for schools.
Student data in filtering and monitoring tools
Filters and monitoring tools create records about named students. Federal FERPA and COPPA rules apply to them in Indiana as anywhere else.
Blocking by site category needs very little personal data. Tools that read what students type or see collect far more, so justify each one.
Sign a data privacy agreement with every filtering and monitoring vendor that limits use, sets deletion and bans resale or advertising use.
Keep browsing logs tied to named students only as long as you need them for safety and discipline. Configuration records are what E-Rate asks for.
We did not confirm a separate Indiana statute that sets filter vendor duties, so check current state guidance. Our guide to student data privacy, FERPA and filtering covers the federal side.
Indiana compliance checklist
Each row shows which law it comes from. Use it with our general CIPA compliance checklist for the federal detail.
| Task | Source | Owner | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Internet safety policy covers every CIPA topic | CIPA | Board | |
| Public notice given and a hearing or meeting held | CIPA | Board secretary | |
| Internet use policy posted on the website, current version | IC 20-26-5-40.5 | Communications | |
| Device policy updated to the whole school day model | SEA 78 | Board | |
| No-device or storage model chosen and explained to families | SEA 78 | Principals | |
| Device policy published on the school website | IC 20-26-5-40.7 | Communications | |
| CIPA categories blocked on all student devices and networks | CIPA | Technology | |
| VPN, proxy and anonymizer services blocked | CIPA intent | Technology | |
| Take-home devices filtered off campus | CIPA | Technology | |
| Online safety lessons scheduled, including cyberbullying | CIPA | Curriculum | |
| Library material request process in place | HEA 1447 | Library and board | |
| Form 486 filed, or Form 479 for the consortium lead | CIPA | E-Rate lead |
Evidence to keep
E-Rate rules require records to be kept for at least 10 years after the last date of service. Because Indiana makes your policies public, keep dated copies of what was posted and when.
- Adopted internet safety policyWith adoption date and board vote.
- Meeting notice and minutesShowing the public process before adoption.
- Website snapshotsDated captures of the posted internet use and device policies.
- Device policy and family noticeThe SEA 78 model chosen and how families were told.
- Filter configuration exportsCategory settings by group, saved each term.
- Off-campus coverage proofShowing take-home devices are filtered at home.
- Online safety lessonsCurriculum map and delivery records by grade.
- Form 486 or 479For each funding year, with filing date.
Licence holders of our category data also receive validation reports with the measured accuracy of the CIPA categories. Filing them with your configuration exports shows that the filter does what the posted policy promises.
Indiana school year tasks and how the hosted filter supports them
The rows follow the phases from the device and filtering calendar earlier on this page.
| Phase of the year | Task for the technology team | What the hosted CIPA filter gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Before the year | Refresh categories and test the bypass blocks | 120M+ categorized domains and VPN/Proxy blocked by the CIPA preset |
| Before the year | Confirm off-campus filtering | A private encrypted link keeps the rules on devices away from the network |
| First weeks | Handle unblock requests | Always-allow and always-block lists per site, applied in seconds |
| Staff research needs | Allow adult research for a short time | Staff PIN for 15, 30 or 60 minutes, logged, then it switches back |
| Mid year | Spot check blocked and allowed sites | Activity reports for each school |
| Year end | Save configuration exports | Policy record and log export for your evidence folder |
Indiana school internet safety FAQ
Short answers to the questions Indiana technology directors ask most.
Does Indiana have a school internet filtering law?
Indiana requires each school corporation to post an internet use policy on its website (IC 20-26-5-40.5). It does not set its own list of categories. The filtering standard for E-Rate schools is CIPA.
What is the Indiana school cell phone law?
SEA 185 added IC 20-26-5-40.7 in 2024 for instructional time. SEA 78, signed March 5, 2026 and effective July 1, 2026, covers the whole school day with a no-device or storage model.
Do the device laws cover school-issued laptops?
They aim at students' personal devices. School-provided devices for learning become the main way students get online, so filter them well. Check the current statute for exact definitions.
Do we have to post our policies online?
Yes. The internet use policy and the wireless device policy must both be published on the school website.
Does HEA 1447 require a web filter?
No. It concerns school library materials that are obscene or harmful to minors and the process for parent requests. Web filtering still follows CIPA and your local policy.
Does a school without E-Rate need a filter?
CIPA applies only with the covered funding, but the posting duty and device law apply anyway. Almost every Indiana school filters for student safety regardless.
How long should we keep records?
At least 10 years after the last date of service for E-Rate records. Keep the policy, meeting records, filter exports, website snapshots and Form 486 copies.
Can staff turn the filter off for research?
CIPA lets an authorized person disable the filter for an adult doing bona fide research or other lawful work. Record who approved it, for whom and for how long, and keep student unblocks to reviewed, specific sites.
Do charter schools follow the same rules?
The device law names school corporations and charter schools. CIPA applies to any school that takes the covered E-Rate discounts, including charters. Check your charter agreement for any extra terms.
Should social media be blocked on school devices?
That is a local choice, but it fits the purpose of a whole-day device rule. See social media filtering in schools for grade band options.
Compare other state school internet laws
Nearby and similar states take different approaches to filtering, devices and data.
Looking for another state? Our school internet safety laws by state page lists them all.
Related guides
- What Is CIPA? Children's Internet Protection Act Requirements
- CIPA Compliance Checklist for Schools and Districts (8 Steps)
- Explaining Web Filtering to Parents: Letters, FAQs, Clear Limits
- Michigan School Internet Safety Laws: CIPA, SOPPA and Phones
- Kentucky School Internet Safety Laws: KRS 156.675 and HB 208
Pricing is set by how many schools and devices you have, and we send the quote within one business day. A pilot on one Indiana building lets you see the blocks and reports before you commit.
Talk to us about your district
With phones put away all day, your filter carries more weight. We will show how our CIPA category data and the hosted CIPA filter pilot can cover every school device and network.