GLEN BURNIE, MD (August 19, 2026) – As students across Maryland head back to school in the coming weeks, the Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA) is reminding motorists to slow down, stay alert and know when to stop for school buses. 

Each school day, more than 600,000 students rely on school buses to travel safely to and from school. While school buses are among the safest forms of transportation, boarding or exiting the bus can be very dangerous for bus riders. Other drivers play a critical role in protecting students by obeying school bus stopping laws and remaining vigilant near bus stops and in school zones. 

“Back-to-school means more children are walking to bus stops, crossing streets and getting on and off school buses,” said Motor Vehicle Administrator Chrissy Nizer, who also serves as Governor Wes Moore's Highway Safety Representative. “Stopping for a school bus is the law and one of the simplest and most important ways drivers can help keep Maryland's children safe. We urge every motorist to slow down, stay focused and do not pass a stopped school bus.” 

Passing a stopped school bus puts children's lives at risk and carries significant penalties. Drivers caught by an automated school bus camera face a $250 civil citation. If stopped by law enforcement, the violation may result in a fine of up to $570 and three points on their driver's license. 

When to Stop for a School Bus

Maryland law requires drivers to know and follow these rules whenever they encounter a school bus: 

• Flashing yellow lights mean the bus is preparing to stop. Slow down, use extra caution and be prepared to stop. Children may enter the roadway unexpectedly. 

• Flashing red lights and an extended stop arm mean drivers must stop at least 20 feet from the bus while children are boarding or exiting. 

• Drivers traveling in the same direction as the school bus must always stop, regardless of the number of lanes or the presence of a center turn lane. 

• Drivers traveling in the opposite direction must stop unless the roadway is divided by a physical median barrier, such as a grass median, concrete barrier or guardrail. 

• Remain stopped until the stop arm is retracted, the red lights stop flashing, and the bus begins moving again. 

Drivers should also be especially cautious in school zones and near bus stops, where children may be walking, biking or crossing streets before and after school. 

Maryland Department of Transportation is Serious About Safety. Learn more about the Highway Safety Office?and Maryland’s safety efforts?at?ZeroDeathsMD.gov?or on Facebook,?X, and Instagram at @ZeroDeathsMD