Passing a School Bus
HRS 291C-95 — stop at least 20 feet back in every adjacent lane, up to $1,000 on a state highway
When a school bus is stopped on a road in a residential area with its red signals flashing, the driver of every vehicle in the bus's lane and in every lane next to it, whichever way that traffic runs, stops at least 20 feet from the bus and stays stopped until the bus moves again and the signals are off.
Who handles this in Hawaii: Hawaii State Bar Association, Lawyer Referral and Information Service; and legal aid programs and the state offices, listed in the Hawaii directory.
- The rule does not reach a vehicle on a different roadway from the bus.
- Where the road is divided into lanes by an intervening space, a physical barrier or a clearly marked dividing section, it reaches every lane on the bus's side.
- The bus driver turns on the signals only when stopped to pick up or drop off school children. They are four flashing red lamps, two facing forward and two to the rear, visible at 500 feet in normal sunlight.
| Where | What it carries |
|---|---|
| WhereAny road | What it carriesA fine of up to $500, community service, or both |
| WhereFailing to stop on a state highway | What it carriesA fine of up to $1,000, community service, or both |
Sources for this section (1)
- HRS 291C-95 — Overtaking and passing school bus
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Hawaii attorney.