What drivers need to know about North Carolina’s school bus stop law

As students return to class, the N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles is reminding drivers that passing a stopped school bus is illegal and can bring serious penalties.

Under North Carolina law, drivers approaching a stopped school bus from any direction must stop when the bus is displaying flashing red lights or its mechanical stop arm. Drivers must remain stopped until the stop arm is withdrawn, the red lights stop flashing and the bus begins moving again.

NCDOT says yellow flashing lights mean a bus is preparing to stop to load or unload children. Red flashing lights and an extended stop arm mean children are getting on or off the bus, and drivers must stop.

The law applies on most roads, including two-lane roads, two-lane roads with a center turn lane and four-lane roads without a median. On divided highways with four or more lanes and a median, or on roads with four or more lanes and a center turn lane, only traffic traveling behind the bus is required to stop. Drivers traveling in the opposite direction do not have to stop when the roadway is divided as described under state law.

Violating the law is a Class 1 misdemeanor with a minimum $500 fine. A driver convicted of illegally passing a stopped school bus is not eligible for a prayer for judgment continued.

Penalties increase if someone is hit. A willful violation that results in a person being struck is a Class I felony with a minimum $1,250 fine. If the crash results in death, the offense is a Class H felony with a minimum $2,500 fine. State law also allows driver’s license revocations for repeat violations and felony convictions.

NCDOT reported 1,079 crashes involving school buses in North Carolina in 2023, resulting in 683 injuries and six deaths.

Safety officials urge drivers to slow down near schools, neighborhoods and bus stops, and to watch for children who may step into the roadway unexpectedly.