Judge bans laptops and cellphones in Maryland's federal courthouses

Luke Parker, The Baltimore Sun on Sep 17, 2026

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BALTIMORE — Laptops, cellphones and other electronic devices are not allowed inside Maryland’s two federal courthouses, a judge decided this week.

Although video and audio recordings of court proceedings have been barred for years, this week’s standing order prevents the general public from bringing most kinds of “portable electronic devices” inside the federal buildings in Baltimore and Greenbelt.

On top of computers and cellphones (including smartphones), the ban includes tablets, cameras, smart watches, smart glasses, earpieces, fitness trackers and anything capable of taking pictures, recording video or audio, or communicating wirelessly.

Starting Nov. 2, devices brought into a courthouse will be subject to a security inspection, according to the order, and any that are not allowed inside will be stored inside a lobby lockbox until the owner is ready to leave.

Exceptions will be made to certain employees or parties, so long as they carry valid photo IDs or other credentials. This includes employees and contractors of the judiciary and several other law enforcement agencies, members of the Bar of the District of Maryland, and attorneys on record in scheduled proceedings.

Others can obtain limited or temporary permission, such as trustees in a bankruptcy case, people representing themselves in a case, litigants in “traffic and other petty offense” matters, visitors attending naturalization and memorial ceremonies, as well as visitors with special or disability-related needs.

Jurors and prospective jurors may carry devices in the courthouse, and journalists will have limited access “inside spaces specifically designated for media use.”

Wednesday’s order is designed to further current rules “intended to protect the integrity of judicial proceedings and the security of court personnel, attorneys, litigants, witnesses and jurors,” wrote U.S. District Chief Judge George L. Russell III.

Violators may face sanctions, including fines, lost privileges, device confiscation and, “at the discretion of court security personnel,” ejection from the courthouse.

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