Driving Tests

Oregon School Bus Law: When to Stop, Divided Roads and the $440 Fine

informational·how to guide·Published April 20, 2026

When must you stop for a school bus in Oregon, and what is the fine?

In Oregon, stop when a stopped bus has its red lights flashing, whether you come from behind or from the other direction. Stop before you reach the bus and stay stopped until the red lights go off. You need not stop if the bus is on a different roadway, such as across a barrier. Flashing amber lights mean prepare to stop. The presumptive fine is $440.

Where the Oregon school bus law facts come from

The stop rule, the stop arm camera rules and bus driver reports come from Oregon law, ORS chapter 811 (ORS 811.155 to 811.159). The fine amounts come from ORS chapter 153 (ORS 153.018 and 153.019), and the bus light rules from ORS 816.260. The light meanings and the road, railroad and transit bus examples come from the 2026-2027 Oregon Driver Manual, which says it is not a source of law. This guide is current as of 2026. Confirm the rules with Oregon DMV (oregon.gov/odot/dmv) before you drive.

What do the amber and red lights on a school bus mean?

A school bus has flashing amber and red lights near the top, on the front and the rear. Lights of the same color on the same end flash in turn.
Flashing amber lights warn that the bus is about to stop on the road to load or unload children. Slow down and prepare to stop.
Flashing red lights mean stop. Stop before you reach the bus. A bus may also have a stop arm that extends near the driver's window when the red lights begin to flash. The law ties your duty to the red lights, so stop for red lights even when you do not see a stop arm.

Do you stop for a school bus on the other side of the road?

You are on a two-lane road, behind the bus or coming toward it

Stop. Oregon law covers a driver who meets or overtakes a stopped bus with red lights "from either direction." Traffic in both directions stops.

The road has a painted median strip or a center turn lane

Stop. A painted median or turn lane does not make two separate roads, so all lanes of traffic stop in both directions, also on a 4-lane road.

The road has an unpaved median or a barrier between the two directions

Stop only if you are on the same side as the bus. The law excuses a driver when the bus is stopped on "a different roadway," such as the other side of a divided highway with an unpaved median strip or a barrier. Traffic on the other side may go on with care.

You are not sure whether the road is divided

Stop and wait for the red lights to go off.

How long must you stay stopped for a school bus?

Stay stopped until the bus safety lights are no longer operating, which means until the bus driver turns off the flashing red lights. Do not move only because the children have crossed the road. If the red lights still flash, you still wait.
Try our free question on what to do when the red lights still flash after the children cross.

Do you stop for church buses and worker buses in Oregon?

Yes. Buses that carry people to a place of worship and buses that carry workers may use flashing amber and red lights. When one of these buses turns on its lights, treat the lights the same as you would for a school bus: prepare to stop for amber, and stop for red. Test yourself with our free question on a farm worker bus with flashing red lights.

What is the fine for passing a stopped school bus in Oregon?

What is the fine for passing a stopped school bus in Oregon?
Item	Amount or rule
Offense	Failure to stop for bus safety lights, a Class A traffic violation
Presumptive fine	$440
Maximum fine	$2,000 for an individual
Surcharge	Added to the presumptive fine, so you can pay more than $440
Camera ticket	Same penalties as a ticket given by other means

How a school bus stop arm camera ticket works in Oregon

Oregon law lets a school district or other education provider put stop arm cameras on its buses, in agreement with a police agency.
A bus with a camera must show a warning sign about the camera.
A police officer reviews the camera evidence and signs the citation.
The citation is mailed to the registered owner of the vehicle within 10 business days of the alleged violation.
The law presumes that the registered owner was the driver. The owner has 30 days from the mailing date to respond.
The images and video may be used only to investigate a violation or a crime.

Can a school bus driver report you in Oregon?

Yes. The driver of a school bus or a worker transport bus may report a violation to the local police within 72 hours. The report gives the date and time, and the plate number and the state that issued it. The police then find the registered owner and send the owner a letter that says the vehicle was seen failing to stop for bus safety lights.

How to study the school bus rule for the Oregon knowledge test

Read the School Buses section of the 2026-2027 Oregon Driver Manual before you take the Oregon knowledge test.
Practice the divided road case with our free question on a school bus across a concrete barrier.
Answer sample question 2 at the end of the manual. It asks about a 4-lane road with a painted median and a stopped school bus.

Key takeaways

Flashing amber lights mean prepare to stop. Flashing red lights mean stop before you reach the bus and stay stopped until the lights go off.
You stop from either direction. Only traffic across an unpaved median or a barrier from the bus may go on; a painted median or turn lane does not split the road.
Failing to stop is a Class A traffic violation with a $440 presumptive fine and a $2,000 maximum.
A stop arm camera can lead to a mailed citation, and a bus driver report leads to a police letter to the registered owner.
Next step: practice on the free Oregon Class C passenger permit practice test.

Oregon school bus law: common questions

Can you go to jail for passing a stopped school bus in Oregon?

No. Failure to stop for bus safety lights is a Class A traffic violation. Oregon law says that the penalty for a violation is a fine, and a law that creates a violation may not impose a term of imprisonment. For this violation, the presumptive fine is $440, and the court can set a fine up to $2,000.

What if someone else was driving my car when the stop arm camera caught it?

Send a certificate of innocence by mail within 30 days after the citation was mailed. In it, you swear or affirm that you were not the driver, and you add a photocopy of your driver license. The citation is then dismissed without a court appearance. It can be sent again only once, only to you, and only if you appear to have been the driver.

What happens if I ignore a school bus camera ticket in Oregon?

You have 30 days from the date the citation was mailed to respond. If the registered owner does not respond, a default judgment for failure to appear may be entered against the owner. The penalties of a camera ticket are the same as for a ticket for this offense given in any other way.

Do I have to stop behind a school bus at railroad tracks?

Be ready to stop. All school buses must stop at railroad tracks, so when you follow a school bus toward a crossing, expect it to stop. If the bus also turns on its flashing red lights, stop before you reach it and stay stopped until the lights go off.

Do I have to stop for a city bus in Oregon?

Public transit buses often pull to the curb to load or unload passengers. When a transit bus driver signals to re-enter the traffic lane and the electric sign on the back of the bus flashes "yield," vehicles that come from behind must yield to the bus. The school bus stop rule applies to a bus that is stopped with red bus safety lights flashing.