Passing A School Bus
SDCL § 32-32-6 — fifteen miles per hour past amber lights, a full stop fifteen feet back for red, and a Class 1 misdemeanor
- Amber lights flashing: slow to fifteen miles per hour or less and pass with caution.
- Red lights flashing: a complete stop, at least fifteen feet from the bus, until the red lights go off.
Those apply on a road with less than two lanes each way. On a highway with two or more lanes each way, a driver meeting a bus going the other way does not slow or stop; a driver behind a bus going the same way does. A turning lane does not count as a lane.
A Class 1 misdemeanor. A violation is a Class 1 misdemeanor. Where the driver is unknown, the vehicle used is subject to a civil penalty of $250.
A particular ticket is a question for a licensed South Dakota attorney.
Sources for this section (2)
- SDCL § 32-32-6 — Amber or red signal; Motorist duty to slow or stop; Exception; Penalty
- SDCL § 32-32-9 — Civil penalty against vehicle failing to stop for school bus
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed South Dakota attorney.