Driving Tests

Mississippi School Bus Law (Nathan's Law): When to Stop and the Fines

informational·how to guide·Published April 23, 2026

Do I have to stop for a school bus on a four-lane road in Mississippi, and what is the fine?

Yes, in most cases. Stop at least 10 feet from a school bus that has stopped with its red lights flashing or its stop sign out. On a divided highway with four or more lanes, you may keep driving if you are on the opposite side from the bus. A first conviction brings a fine of $350 to $750, up to one year in jail, or both.

Where the Mississippi school bus rules come from

The stop rule and the fines come from Laws of 2019, House Bill 677, which changed Mississippi Code section 63-3-615 and took effect on July 1, 2019. The name "Nathan's Law" and the 2011 text of section 97-3-7 come from Laws of 2011, Senate Bill 2472. The exam rule comes from the 2021 text of section 63-1-33 (Laws of 2021, Senate Bill 2598). The plain-language steps come from the Mississippi Driver's Manual of the Mississippi Department of Public Safety (DPS). The current Mississippi Code was not checked, so a later act could have changed a number. This guide is current as of 2026. Confirm the rules with the Mississippi Department of Public Safety Driver Service Bureau (driverservicebureau.dps.ms.gov) before you drive.

When you must stop for a school bus in Mississippi

Mississippi law tells you to stop for a school bus that has stopped on the road to pick up or drop off school children, whether you meet the bus or come up behind it. The rule applies when the bus has its flashing red lights on, or when its hand-operated stop sign is out.

Come to a complete stop at least 10 feet from the bus before you reach it. Stay stopped until the children have crossed. Then wait until the bus moves again, or until the red lights are off and the stop sign is back in. The Driver's Manual asks you to wait until all of these have happened.

Four-lane roads: do you stop or keep driving?

You drive on a divided highway with four or more lanes, on the opposite side from the stopped bus

You may keep driving on your side of the highway without stopping.

You drive on that divided highway in the same direction as the stopped bus

You must stop at least 10 feet from the bus and wait, as on any other road.

The road has four or more lanes but is not divided, for example a road with a center turn lane

The exception covers only a divided highway, so stop in both directions. If you are not sure that the road is divided, stop.

You drive on a divided highway with four or more lanes, and the bus is in a loading zone that is part of or next to the highway, where pedestrians may not cross the roadway

You do not have to stop.

Why a school bus may block two lanes

The 2019 act lets a school bus driver stop and block the two outermost right lanes, on any road, so that no one passes while children get on or off. On a two-lane road, that means both lanes. The bus driver may block them only while the bus is receiving or discharging school children.

Fines for passing a stopped school bus in Mississippi

Fines for passing a stopped school bus in Mississippi
Offense	Fine (U.S. dollars)	Jail	License
First conviction (misdemeanor)	$350 to $750	Up to 1 year, in place of the fine or with it	No suspension
Second or later offense within 5 years (misdemeanor)	$750 to $1,500	Up to 1 year, in place of the fine or with it	90-day suspension after the conviction

Penalty when a child is hurt

If the violation injures a child who is boarding or leaving a school bus, the conviction counts as a violation of Section 97-3-7, and the driver is punished under subsection (2) of that section. In the 2011 text of that subsection, causing any injury to such a child during a school bus violation was aggravated assault. The punishment was up to one year in county jail or up to 20 years in the Penitentiary.

What Nathan's Law of 2011 did

Senate Bill 2472 created "Nathan's Law". The Governor approved it on April 4, 2011.
It clarified the offense of passing a school bus that is stopped to load or unload students, and it revised the penalty.
It let every school district mount a camera on the hand-operated stop sign of a school bus.
It asked the state Department of Transportation and Department of Education to run an information campaign for drivers when funds are available.
It made every driver's license exam cover school bus safety.

Witnesses and the registered owner

Since House Bill 677 took effect in 2019, any person may witness a driver passing a stopped school bus. The older text named only a law enforcement officer or a school bus driver.

When a person witnesses the violation and it is not otherwise clear who drove, the law infers that the person in whose name the vehicle is registered committed it. The owner can rebut this inference.

School bus safety on the Mississippi license exam

The 2021 text of section 63-1-33(2) still says that every driver's license exam must check that the applicant knows the school bus safety rules. Review the stop rule and the divided-highway exception before your computerized permit exam. Our Mississippi Class R practice test is free and in English only. Try the practice questions on stopping for a school bus and on a school bus on a divided highway. They are practice questions, not real test questions.

Key takeaways

Stop at least 10 feet from a school bus with flashing red lights or an extended stop sign. Stay stopped until the children have crossed. Then wait until the bus moves, or the lights are off and the sign is in.
On a divided highway with four or more lanes, traffic on the opposite side from the bus may keep driving. On a road that is not divided, stop in both directions. If you are not sure, stop.
A first conviction brings a fine of $350 to $750, up to one year in jail, or both. A second offense within 5 years brings $750 to $1,500, up to one year in jail, or both, plus a 90-day license suspension.
When a person witnesses a violation and the driver is not clear, the registered owner can be inferred to be the driver. The owner can rebut this.
Next step: practice on the free Mississippi Class R practice test.

Mississippi school bus law: common questions

Does the Mississippi school bus law apply to church buses and daycare buses?

Only when the bus shows a plainly visible "school bus" sign on the front and the rear, with letters at least 4 inches high. The stop rule also applies only when the bus has stopped to pick up or drop off school children, with its flashing red lights on or its stop sign out.

Do I stop if the school bus is on the other side of the road?

It depends on the road. On a divided highway with four or more lanes, you may keep driving on your side when the bus is stopped in the opposing roadway. On a two-lane road, or on a road with four or more lanes that is not divided, stop. A driver going in the same direction as the bus must stop.

Does a second school bus ticket cost me my license?

Yes, if you are convicted. A conviction for a second or later offense within 5 years brings a 90-day suspension of your driver's license and driving privileges. The Commissioner of Public Safety suspends it after the court abstract arrives. The fine for that offense is $750 to $1,500, or up to one year in jail, or both.

Can the owner of a car get the ticket if someone else drove?

It can happen. When a person witnesses the violation but the driver is not otherwise clear, the law infers that the registered owner committed it. The owner can rebut this. If charges go against several owners of one vehicle, only one of them can be convicted. A rental or leasing company can rebut the inference with a copy of the rental or lease agreement in effect at the time.