NOTE: The information below was changed to shed light on Illinois legal changes with passage of Public Act 101-55. Once this Act became effective on January 1, 2020, the penalties for passing a stopped school bus became more severe.
A ticket for failing to stop for a school bus can be expensive and suspend your driver’s license. The law is written in the Illinois Vehicle Code at 625 ILCS 5/11-1414.
Illinois Vehicle Code at 625 ILCS 5/11-1414
The law provides that all vehicles must come to a complete stop for a school bus that is loading or unloading child passengers. The school bus must display a flashing stop sign and comply with various other requirements.
Motorists are not required to stop for a school bus where the bus is stopped on a four-lane highway, if there are at least two lanes traveling in the opposite direction. But the only vehicles that are permitted to continue driving past the school bus must be on the opposite two lanes of the road.
The offense is not criminal. A ticket for passing or overtaking a school bus is a petty offense. The penalty used to be a fine of $150 on the first offense and $500 on the second offense. But starting in 2020, the penalty increased to a fine of $300 on the first offense and $1,000 on the second or subsequent offense.
The important issue for these tickets is that a conviction for this offense will cause the Secretary of State to suspend your driver’s license for a period of three months. A second conviction will cause the Secretary of State to suspend your driver’s license for one year. Though you may be eligible for a restricted driving permit during the suspension period (e.g., a hardship license allowing you to drive to and from work).