Driving Tests

Maine School Bus Stopping Law: When You Must Stop and the Fines

informational·how to guide·Published April 24, 2026

When must you stop for a school bus in Maine?

In Maine, you must stop before reaching a school bus that has stopped with its red lights flashing to pick up or drop off passengers. This applies when you meet the bus or overtake it, from either direction. You may not go until the bus moves again or its driver signals you to go. Not stopping is a Class E crime with a $250 minimum fine for a first offense.

Where the Maine school bus rules come from

Every rule in this guide comes from Maine law (Title 29-A, section 2308), the Maine section on overtaking and passing school buses. This guide is current as of 2026. Confirm the rules with the Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles (maine.gov/sos/bmv) before you drive.

Where and from which direction the Maine stop rule applies

The stop rule is not only for public roads. It applies to a driver on a way, in a parking area or on school property.
It also applies in both directions. You must stop when you overtake a stopped bus from behind, and you must stop when you meet a stopped bus as you come from the opposite direction. The law says "from either direction."

What to do when you meet a stopped school bus

1
Watch for the flashing lights
The bus driver must turn on the flashing lights at least 100 feet before the bus stops. When you see them, get ready to stop before you reach the bus.
2
Stop before reaching the bus
When the bus has stopped with its red lights flashing, stop your vehicle before you reach the bus. Do this whether the bus is ahead of you or coming toward you, unless one of the two exceptions below applies.
3
Stay stopped while the bus loads or unloads
The bus driver must keep the lights on until the bus has picked up or dropped off its passengers. Stay stopped the whole time.
4
Go only when the bus moves or the driver signals
You may not proceed until the school bus resumes motion or the bus driver signals you to go. Do not decide for yourself that it is clear.

When you do not have to stop

Your road is separated by curbing or other physical barrier, and the bus is in a lane that the barrier separates from your lane

You do not have to stop when you meet or pass the bus.

Your road is separated by curbing or other physical barrier, and it is a limited access highway where pedestrians are not permitted to cross the roadway, with the bus stopped in a loading zone

You do not have to stop when you meet or pass the bus. All of these parts must be true.

No curbing or other physical barrier separates your lane from the bus

Stop before you reach the bus, from either direction.

How the Maine barrier exception works

Both exceptions apply only on a way separated by curbing or other physical barrier. In the first case, the barrier must be between the bus's lane and your lane. When you are not sure that a barrier separates you from the bus, stop and wait. The free question on what Maine law says about a bus across a physical barrier helps you check the rule.

Penalties for passing a stopped school bus in Maine

Penalties for passing a stopped school bus in Maine
Who	What the law says	Penalty
The driver, first offense	A violation of the stop rule is a Class E crime.	A $250 minimum fine.
The driver, second offense within 3 years of the first	The same stop rule, broken a second time inside 3 years.	A mandatory 30-day suspension of the driver's license.
The registered owner of the vehicle	The owner of a vehicle involved in a violation commits a traffic infraction.	A traffic infraction, not a Class E crime.

Can the owner of the car be charged?

Yes. A person who is the registered owner of a vehicle when it is involved in a violation of the stop rule commits a traffic infraction. A person issued a dealer or transporter plate counts as a registered owner. Except in the cases below, it is not a defense that the owner was not driving the vehicle.
The process can start with the school bus driver. A bus driver who sees a violation may report the time, the location, the plate number and a description of the vehicle to a law enforcement officer. The officer starts an investigation and, if possible, contacts the registered owner and asks who was driving. The officer may have the owner served with a summons.

When the owner cannot be charged

Another person is convicted of driving the vehicle at the time of the violation. Then the owner may not be found in violation.
The vehicle was reported stolen to a law enforcement officer or agency before the violation, or within a reasonable time after it.
The owner is a lessor, a lessee had the vehicle at the time, and the lessor gives the officer a copy of the lease agreement. Then the lessee, not the lessor, may be charged.
The vehicle had a dealer or transporter plate and another person drove it. The dealer or transporter gives the officer that person's name and address. Then that person may be charged.

Key takeaways

Stop before reaching a school bus that has stopped with its red lights flashing to pick up or drop off passengers, from either direction.
The rule applies on a way, in a parking area and on school property.
Do not go until the bus moves again or the bus driver signals you to proceed.
You may skip the stop only where curbing or other physical barrier separates your road: when the barrier separates the bus's lane from yours, or on a limited access highway with the bus in a loading zone.
Not stopping for a stopped bus with red lights flashing is a Class E crime with a $250 minimum fine. A second offense within 3 years brings a mandatory 30-day license suspension. The registered owner can face a traffic infraction.
Next step: practice on the free Maine Class C permit practice test. It is free and in English only.

Maine school bus law: common questions

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

Yes, unless a curb or other physical barrier separates the bus's lane from yours. The law says you must stop when you meet a bus from either direction. Try the free question on stopping for a bus with red lights flashing.

Is passing a school bus in Maine a crime?

Yes. Not stopping for a stopped school bus with red lights flashing is a Class E crime, not only a traffic infraction. The first offense has a $250 minimum fine. A second offense within 3 years brings a mandatory 30-day license suspension. For the other rules that apply to new drivers, read our guide to Maine provisional license rules.

Does the school bus rule apply in a parking lot or school yard?

Yes. The stop rule covers a driver on a way, in a parking area or on school property. Stop for a stopped bus with red lights flashing in any of these places.

Can I get a ticket if someone else drove my car past a school bus?

Yes. As the registered owner, you commit a traffic infraction, and it is generally no defense that you were not driving. You are not charged if another person is convicted of driving, or if the vehicle was reported stolen before the violation or within a reasonable time after it. A lessor or a dealer can also give the officer the lease or the driver's name, and then that person may be charged.

When can a Maine school bus driver use the flashing lights?

Only to control traffic while the bus stops to pick up or drop off school-age persons. The one other use is during a driving license examination. The driver must turn the lights on at least 100 feet before the stop and keep them on until the bus has picked up or dropped off its passengers.