# School Bus Safety in Texas: What the Law Requires

Texas drivers must stop for a school bus with its signals on, from either direction. When they may go, what passing costs and the rules for phones near schools.

Our guide to [school bus safety in Louisiana](/blog/school-bus-safety-louisiana/) covers the danger zone around a bus and the habits that keep children safe at the stop. Texas rules are close to Louisiana's but not the same, and families who drive across the state line should know the differences.

* **$500–$1,250** Fine for a first offense of passing a stopped school bus in Texas.<br /><small>Source: Tex. Transp. Code § 545.066</small>
* **38.4M** Estimated illegal passes of stopped school buses nationwide in the 2025–2026 school year.<br /><small>Source: NASDPTS 2026 survey</small>
* **6 months** Longest license suspension a court may order for a second or later conviction.<br /><small>Source: Tex. Transp. Code § 545.066</small>

## When Texas Drivers Must Stop

Texas law requires a driver approaching a stopped school bus from either direction to stop before reaching it whenever the bus is picking up or dropping off students with its visual signals on ([Tex. Transp. Code § 545.066](https://tcss.legis.texas.gov/resources/TN/htm/TN.545.htm)). The driver stays stopped until the bus starts moving, the bus driver signals to go or the signals turn off. Two details set Texas apart from Louisiana:

- **No set distance.** Texas law says to stop before reaching the bus but does not name a distance. Louisiana requires drivers to stop at least 30 feet back. Stopping well back gives children room to cross and gives the bus driver a clear view of traffic.

- **The bus driver can wave traffic on.** A Texas driver may also go when the bus driver signals to proceed. Louisiana's law has no such signal; drivers there wait until the bus moves or its signals turn off.

## When Drivers Do Not Have to Stop

A driver on a highway with separate roadways does not have to stop for a school bus on a different roadway. Texas law spells out what counts as separate roadways: the roadways must be divided by a space where vehicles may not drive, a physical barrier or a clearly marked divider built to keep traffic apart. Roadways separated only by a left-turn lane do not count.

On a controlled-access highway with separate roadways, drivers also do not have to stop for a bus stopped in a loading zone that is part of or next to the highway where pedestrians may not cross.

## What Passing a Stopped Bus Costs in Texas

Passing a stopped school bus is a misdemeanor, and the penalties climb with repeat offenses and with the harm done:

- **First offense.** A fine of $500 to $1,250, several times Louisiana's $100 to $500 for a first offense that hurts no one.

- **Repeat offense.** A fine of $1,000 to $2,000 for a second or later offense committed within five years of the last one.

- **Serious injury.** A Class A misdemeanor if the driver causes serious bodily injury to another person.

- **Serious injury, again.** A state jail felony if the driver has already been convicted of causing serious bodily injury by passing a bus.

For a second or later conviction, the court may also suspend the driver's license for up to six months. A driver who does not pay the fine, or whom the court finds unable to pay, may be ordered to perform community service.

## Phones in School Zones and Behind the Wheel

Texas drivers may not use a phone while driving through a school crossing zone unless the vehicle is stopped or the phone is used hands-free ([Tex. Transp. Code § 545.425](https://tcss.legis.texas.gov/resources/TN/htm/TN.545.htm)). A local authority that enforces the rule must post signs at each entrance to the school crossing zone, and a missing sign is a defense to the charge. A local authority that bans handheld phone use throughout its jurisdiction posts its signs where highways enter instead, and there the missing-sign defense does not apply. Calling for emergency help is also a defense.

School bus drivers have a rule of their own: a driver generally may not use a phone while driving a school bus with a child on board unless the bus is stopped (§ 545.425).

Texting is banned statewide. A driver may not read, write or send an electronic message on a portable device while driving unless the vehicle is stopped (§ 545.4251). Hands-free use, navigation, playing music and summoning emergency help are defenses to the charge. The fine is $25 to $99 for a first offense and $100 to $200 after a prior conviction. The offense becomes a Class A misdemeanor, with a fine of up to $4,000 and up to a year in jail, if the driver caused another person's death or serious bodily injury.

## Claims Against a Texas School District

When a school bus crash hurts someone, the Texas Tort Claims Act sets the rules for a claim against the school district ([Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code ch. 101](https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/CP/htm/CP.101.htm)). Three points matter most:

- **Vehicle claims only.** The Act applies to a school district only for claims involving motor vehicles (§ 101.051). A government unit can be liable when an employee acting within the scope of the job causes injury or death through the operation or use of a motor vehicle and would be personally liable under Texas law (§ 101.021).

- **Six-month notice.** The district is entitled to notice of the claim within six months of the crash, describing the injury, the time and place and what happened. The requirement does not apply if the district already has actual notice of the death or injury (§ 101.101).

- **Damage limits.** The Act caps what a government unit can owe, and the cap depends on the kind of unit: the state and cities have higher limits than other units of local government (§ 101.023).

Other parties can share responsibility too, such as a private bus contractor, a driver who passed the stopped bus or a parts manufacturer. More on bus crash claims is on our [Texas bus accident lawyer](/texas/bus-accident-lawyer/) page.

## Sources

- Texas Legislature, [Texas Transportation Code, Chapter 545](https://tcss.legis.texas.gov/resources/TN/htm/TN.545.htm)
- Texas Legislature, [Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code, Chapter 101](https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/CP/htm/CP.101.htm)

## Keep Reading

- [Distracted Driving](/resources/car-accidents/causes/distracted-driving/)
- [How Common Are Pedestrian Accidents During Halloween?](/resources/car-accidents/safety/halloween-pedestrian-risks/)

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How far back do drivers have to stop for a school bus in Texas?

Texas law does not set a distance. A driver must stop before reaching the bus and stay stopped until the bus moves, the bus driver signals to go or the bus turns its signals off.

### Do drivers going the other way have to stop for a school bus in Texas?

Yes, unless the highway has separate roadways divided by a space vehicles may not use, a physical barrier or a divider built to keep traffic apart. A center left-turn lane does not count, so traffic in both directions stops there.

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

$500 to $1,250 for a first offense and $1,000 to $2,000 for another offense within five years. Causing serious bodily injury makes it a Class A misdemeanor.

### Can drivers use a phone in a Texas school zone?

Only hands-free or while the vehicle is stopped. Texas law bans other phone use while driving in a school crossing zone, though calling for emergency help is a defense.