Texas School Bus Law: When You Must Stop

You are driving on a two-lane road with a center line when a school bus ahead stops with its red warning lights on. You are traveling in the opposite direction from the bus. What must you do?

Answer choicesSlow down and pass carefullyStop before reaching the bus and waitStop only if children are visible outsideStop only if you are behind the bus

The answer

Stop before you reach the bus. On a road without separate roadways, drivers approaching from either direction must stop when a bus is stopped to load or unload a student and is showing its required visual signal.

You may not move again until the bus starts moving, the bus driver signals you to go, or the warning signal is no longer on.

Texas treats this as a crime. A first offense carries a fine of $500 to $1,250, and the penalties rise for repeat offenses and when a student is seriously hurt.

Exceptions

On a highway with separate roadways, you do not have to stop for a bus on the other roadway.
On a controlled-access highway, you need not stop for a bus stopped in a loading zone that is part of or next to the highway, where pedestrians are not permitted to cross.
Roadways count as separate only if divided by a space where vehicles cannot operate, a physical barrier, or a clearly indicated dividing section built to impede traffic. A center turn lane does not make roadways separate.

Penalty

A first offense is a misdemeanor with a fine of $500 to $1,250. A second offense within five years carries $1,000 to $2,000. Serious bodily injury to a student or a later offense can raise the charge, and a court may suspend a repeat offender's license for up to six months.

Why this rule matters for safety

Children often cross in front of or behind a stopped bus and can be hidden from drivers in either direction, so every lane has to stay stopped.

Official sources

Texas Transportation Code, Chapter 545 (Operation and Movement of Vehicles) · Texas Legislature (Texas Constitution and Statutes system)Sec. 545.066, passing a school bus, including the divided-highway exception and penalty. The PDF shows no publication date.
School bus safety · Texas Department of TransportationSummary of the stop rule and the up to $1,250 first-offense fine. The page shows no date other than 2025 crash figures.

Rules checked against these sources on October 11, 2026. Laws change. Confirm with the Texas agency before you rely on this for a legal matter.

When must you stop for a school bus in Texas?