Driving Tests

New Hampshire School Bus Law: 25 Feet, Fines and 2027 Changes

informational·how to guide·Published April 22, 2026

When do you have to stop for a school bus in New Hampshire?

In New Hampshire, you must stop at least 25 feet from a marked school bus that has stopped to pick up or drop off school children. This applies from either direction: a bus ahead of you or one coming toward you. Stay stopped until the bus moves or its flashing red lights stop. A first offense costs $150 plus a penalty assessment today, and $300 from January 1, 2027.

Where the New Hampshire school bus facts come from

The stop rule, the exceptions and all penalties come from New Hampshire law: RSA 265:54, Overtaking and Passing School Bus. The rule for other stopped buses comes from RSA 265:55, and the school bus lettering comes from RSA 265:56. Parts of RSA 265:54 change on January 1, 2027, so this guide gives both versions with their dates. This guide is current as of 2026. Confirm the rules with the New Hampshire Division of Motor Vehicles (dmv.nh.gov) before you drive.

When you must stop for a school bus in New Hampshire

The vehicle is a school bus with school bus signs or the other marks that the state requires.
The bus has stopped on the road to pick up or drop off school children.
You meet the bus or come up behind it. The law says "from either direction", so a bus coming toward you counts the same as a bus ahead of you.
You stop before you reach the bus, at least 25 feet away from it.

When you can go, and when you do not have to stop

If the bus is still stopped and its flashing red lights are on

Stay stopped. You may go only when the bus starts to move again or its flashing red lights go off. Our free practice question about a school bus that stops in the other lane of a two-lane road tests this rule.

If the bus starts to move, or the red lights stop

You may go. Either event ends your duty to wait.

If you are on a divided highway with separate roadways and the bus is on the other half, going the opposite way

You do not have to stop. See how this works in our free question about a bus on the other side of a divided roadway.

If you are on a controlled access highway and the bus is stopped in a loading zone that is part of or next to the highway

You do not have to stop when pedestrians may not cross the roadway there.

Passing a school bus on the right: $500 and a suspension

If you must stop for a school bus, you may not pass it on the right. The only exceptions are the divided highway and loading zone cases in the section above.
Passing on the right is a violation with a $500 fine plus a penalty assessment. For a first offense, your license or nonresident driving privilege must be suspended for up to 30 days.
For a second or later offense, you must appear in court. The fine is $500 to $1,200 plus a penalty assessment. The suspension is 30 days for a second offense, and 30 to 120 days for a third or later offense.

Penalties for not stopping: now and from January 1, 2027

Penalties for not stopping: now and from January 1, 2027
Offense	Until January 1, 2027	From January 1, 2027
First offense	A violation. Fine of $150 plus a penalty assessment.	A class B misdemeanor. Fine of $300 plus a penalty assessment. Your license must be suspended for 7 days.
Second offense	Fine of $250 to $1,000. Your license may be suspended for 30 days.	A class A misdemeanor. Fine of at least $750. Your license is revoked for at least 30 days, unless the court finds exceptional circumstances.
Third or later offense	Fine of $250 to $1,000. Your license may be suspended for 30 days.	A class A misdemeanor. Fine of at least $750. At least 15 days in a row in the county jail (county correctional facility). Your license is revoked and not restored for at least one year.

What changes on January 1, 2027

A 2026 change to RSA 265:54 (2026, chapter 163) takes effect on January 1, 2027. Failing to stop for a school bus then moves from a violation to a misdemeanor: class B for a first offense and class A for a second or later offense. The 7-day suspension for a first offense is mandatory.
After a third offense, the revocation lasts at least one year. Then you may ask the court to let you apply for a license again, but only after you complete a driver safety course.
The penalties for passing a stopped bus on the right, in the section above, stay the same.

School bus camera evidence from January 1, 2027

Today, sworn testimony from the school bus driver or another witness that a vehicle did not stop is enough to prove that the vehicle owner was driving and broke the rule, unless that evidence is rebutted or contradicted.
From January 1, 2027, this testimony rule stays, and video from the bus camera may also be used as evidence to identify the vehicle owner or driver. The footage must be made available by subpoena. The owner of a cited vehicle can get access to the recording or a copy of it on request.

Key takeaways

Stop at least 25 feet from a marked school bus that has stopped to pick up or drop off children, from either direction.
Wait until the bus moves again or its flashing red lights stop.
You do not have to stop on a divided highway with separate roadways when the bus is on the other half, going the opposite way.
Today, a first offense is a violation with a $150 fine plus a penalty assessment. From January 1, 2027, it is a class B misdemeanor with a $300 fine plus a penalty assessment and a 7-day license suspension.
Next step: practice on the free New Hampshire non-commercial operator practice test.

New Hampshire school bus law: common questions

How can I tell that a bus is a school bus?

A school bus that carries school children must show the words "School Bus" on the front and the rear, where people can easily see them, in letters at least 8 inches high. When a school bus is driven for another purpose, all of its school bus marks must be covered or hidden.

Does a school bus have to let traffic pass in New Hampshire?

Yes, in one case. When road conditions and space permit, and 5 or more vehicles follow a moving school bus, the bus driver must pull over and let them pass. When you pass the bus, no part of your vehicle may go to the left of or across a solid (unbroken) painted line.

Do I stop for a city bus or another bus that is loading?

The 25-foot stop rule applies to school buses. For any other bus or passenger vehicle that has stopped to let passengers get on or off, RSA 265:55 says to slow down. If it is necessary for public safety, come to a full stop.

Does the New Hampshire school bus law apply to out-of-state drivers?

Yes. The stop rule applies to every driver on a New Hampshire road. The suspension rules cover a nonresident driving privilege as well as a license. For example, from January 1, 2027, a first offense of failing to stop brings a 7-day suspension of your license or your nonresident privilege to drive in New Hampshire.

Can I lose my license for failing to stop for a school bus?

Yes. Today, your license may be suspended for 30 days for a second or later offense of failing to stop. Passing on the right brings a suspension for each offense: up to 30 days for a first offense, 30 days for a second, and 30 to 120 days for a third or later. From January 1, 2027, a first offense brings a 7-day suspension, a second offense a revocation of at least 30 days, and a third offense a revocation of at least one year.