Passing Stopped School Bus

In the State of Illinois, you are required to stop if a school bus extends its stop sign arm. The driver should remain stopped until the school bus brings the arm in, the school bus starts moving, or the school bus driver signals the vehicle to continue. The only exception is if you are driving on a four-lane highway, the two lanes traveling in the opposite direction of the bus do not have to stop.

When you receive a ticket for passing a stopped school bus, it is considered a petty offense. However, the penalties under 625 ILCS 5/11-1414 are harsh.

If you receive a conviction for this offense, the Illinois Secretary of State will suspend your driver’s license for three months and the minimum mandatory fine the court will impose is $300 (increased from $150 on January 1, 2020).

If this is your second offense, within five years, your license will be suspended for one year and the minimum mandatory fine is $1,000 (increased from $500 on January 1, 2020).

Additionally, judges are not permitted to offer court supervision for this offense. Court supervision means you would not have a conviction on your driving record and it would not cause your insurance rates to rise.

Since the penalties are harsh and supervision is not available, it is highly recommended that you consult an experienced traffic attorney today to help you avoid a conviction for this offense.