Passing a school bus in Missouri: now 5 points

When do I have to stop?

When you meet or overtake, "from either direction," a school bus that has stopped to receive or discharge school children and whose driver has given the signal to stop (RSMo 304.050). You stay stopped until the bus moves again or the driver signals you to go.

When don't I have to stop?

• The bus is on a different roadway of a highway with separate roadways.
• The bus is going the opposite direction on a highway with four or more lanes.
• The bus is stopped in a loading zone along a limited-access highway where pedestrians can't cross.

On an ordinary two-lane road, both directions stop.

What changed in 2026?

The points. RSMo 302.302 now lists failure to stop for a school bus at 5 points, effective August 28, 2026. It appears on the August 2026 revision of the Department of Revenue's Form 899. Charts printed before then don't show it.

What is the fine?

$130.50 on the statewide fine schedule, plus court costs.

Can the owner be charged if the driver isn't identified?

Yes. If an officer or the bus driver witnesses the violation and the driver's identity isn't otherwise apparent, the law presumes the registered owner committed it. The owner can rebut that.

Can the Driver Improvement Program keep the points off?

No. The program covers speeding, careless and imprudent driving and ordinary 2-point moving violations. The school bus violation has its own line in the points table and isn't one of them.

How close is 5 points to a suspension?

Three points. Missouri suspends at 8 points in 18 months, and one state speeding ticket is 3.

If you get another ticket in the next 18 months, ask the court for the Driver Improvement Program on that one. How the program works.

How do the points come off?

With time. They drop by a third after a year without a new conviction, by half of the rest after two years, and to zero after three.