Driving Tests

Hawaii School Bus and Roundabout Rules: Who Stops or Yields

informational·how to guide·Published March 29, 2026

When must you stop for a school bus in Hawaii, and who yields in a roundabout?

In Hawaii, stop when a school bus is stopped on your highway with its alternating red lamps flashing and you are in the bus lane or any lane next to it. Stay stopped until the bus moves or the lamps go off. The Driver's Manual says failure to comply can cost $1,000. In a roundabout, yield to traffic already inside and to pedestrians and bicyclists.

Where these rules come from

The rules on this page come from the Hawaii Driver's Manual (English, 2023 edition) of the Hawaii Department of Transportation. The school bus section of the manual names the state law, HRS 291C-95. This guide is current as of 2026. Confirm the rules with your county driver licensing office or the Hawaii Department of Transportation (hidot.hawaii.gov) before you drive.

When you must stop for a school bus in Hawaii

Two conditions start the stop rule. The school bus is stopped on the highway with its alternating red signal lamps flashing. You are on the same highway, in the lane of the bus or in a lane next to it.

The rule counts lanes, not directions. A lane next to the bus lane can carry traffic that comes toward the bus, and that traffic stops too. The one exception is traffic that goes the opposite way on a divided highway: two roadways separated by a strip of land or other space not meant for vehicles.

What to do when you see a school bus with red lamps

1
Look for flashing alternating red lamps on a bus that is stopped on your highway.
2
Check which lane the bus is in. If you are in that lane or in a lane next to it, you must stop.
3
Stop before you reach the bus and wait.
4
Do not move until the bus moves again or the red lamps go off.
5
Watch for children near the road before you drive on.

Do you have to stop? Check your lane

You are behind the bus in its lane

Stop before you reach the bus.

You come toward the bus on a two-lane road

Stop. Your lane is next to the bus lane.

You are in another lane next to the bus lane

Stop, in either direction of travel.

You go the opposite way on a divided highway

You do not have to stop. Our practice question on a school bus on the other side of a divided highway tests this case.

Can you pass a school bus with flashing lights?

No. Do not pass when there is a school bus on the same roadway and its flashing lights are on. This rule is on the no-passing list in Chapter V of the manual, and it applies to every driver on that roadway.

Be alert at the times when school buses make their runs. Children who wait along the road in the morning are a sign that a bus is near, and a waiting child can dart in front of traffic.

Who goes first in a Hawaii roundabout?

A roundabout is a one-way circular intersection. Traffic that enters must yield the right-of-way to traffic that is already circling. Each road into a roundabout has a yield sign and may also have yield lines on the pavement. Roundabouts are designed for all road users: drivers, pedestrians, pedestrians with disabilities and bicyclists. Expect people on foot and on bikes at each entry and exit.

How to drive through a roundabout

1
Slow down as you approach the roundabout.
2
Yield to pedestrians and bicyclists as you enter and as you exit.
3
Look to your left and yield to traffic already in the roundabout, bicyclists too. Our practice question on entering a roundabout checks this step.
4
Drive to the right of the central island and go counterclockwise. Keep your speed low.
5
Use your right turn signal to exit.
6
If you miss your exit, drive around the roundabout again until you reach it.

Who goes first at an intersection with no signs or signals?

When two vehicles reach an intersection at the same time, yield to the car on the right. The practice question on two cars that arrive at the same time shows how to apply it. The table gives the other yield rules that you need at intersections and signs.

Other yield rules at a glance

Other yield rules at a glance
Situation	What you do
You turn left	Yield to all oncoming traffic so close that it is a hazard
The light turns green	Yield to pedestrians and cars still in the intersection
You enter a public street from an alley, driveway or farmyard	Stop and yield
You reach a stop sign	Make a complete stop and yield to approaching traffic before you go. Stop at the stop line, or before the crosswalk if there is no line.
You reach a yield sign	Other traffic has the right-of-way. Be ready to stop. Stop only when other traffic has the right-of-way.

Stop signs, blocked intersections and lane changes

At a stop sign, if you cannot see other traffic from your first stop, move ahead slowly and stop again where you can see approaching traffic.

Never drive into an intersection or a crosswalk unless there is space for your whole vehicle on the other side. Never change lanes when you approach or move through an intersection or a crosswalk.

Key takeaways

Stop for a school bus that is stopped on your highway with alternating red lamps flashing when you are in its lane or any lane next to it, in either direction.
Stop before you reach the bus. Wait until it moves or the lamps go off. Failure to comply can cost $1,000.
Only traffic that goes the opposite way on a divided highway does not have to stop. No driver on the same roadway may pass the bus while its flashing lights are on.
In a roundabout, yield to traffic already inside and to pedestrians and bicyclists. Go counterclockwise and signal right to exit.
At an intersection with no signs or signals, yield to the car on the right when you both arrive at the same time.
Next step: practice on the free Hawaii Class 3 instruction permit practice test, in English.

Hawaii school bus and roundabout rules: common questions

Do I have to stop for a school bus on the other side of the road in Hawaii?

Yes, if your lane is next to the bus lane. On a two-lane road, the oncoming lane is next to the bus lane, so you stop. On a divided highway, two roadways with a strip of land or other space between them, traffic that goes the opposite way does not have to stop.

What is the penalty for passing a school bus in Hawaii?

The Hawaii Driver's Manual says that failure to comply with the school bus stop law, HRS 291C-95, can cost you $1,000. The stop rule covers the bus lane and each lane next to it while the alternating red lamps flash. Also, no driver may pass a school bus on the same roadway while its flashing lights are on.

When can I go after a school bus stops?

Wait until the bus starts to move again or its flashing red lamps turn off. Then look for children before you drive on, because a child who waits along the road can dart in front of traffic. Move off with care.

Do pedestrians have the right of way in a Hawaii roundabout?

Yes. Yield to pedestrians and bicyclists as you enter and as you exit the roundabout. Roundabouts are designed for pedestrians, including pedestrians with disabilities, as well as for drivers and bicyclists. Each entry has a yield sign, so slow down and be ready to stop for them.

What if I miss my exit in a roundabout?

Stay in the circle, keep your speed low and drive through the roundabout again until you reach your exit. Keep to the right of the central island and go counterclockwise. Use your right turn signal when you leave the roundabout.