With the return to school and school buses once again traveling on the streets, drivers should pay special attention to the lights and signals of these vehicles. In Georgia, ignoring a stopped school bus can become an especially costly violation.

The so-called Addy's Law toughened the penalties for those who illegally pass a school bus when its visual signals are activated. A conviction can carry a minimum fine of $1,000, up to 12 months in jail, or both, according to state law.

Additionally, the Georgia Department of Driver Services (DDS) establishes six driving record points for a conviction for failure to stop for a school bus. This is the maximum number of points assigned to a single violation within the state system.

When is it mandatory to stop for a school bus?

The general rule in Georgia is simple: when a school bus is stopped and has its lights activated for picking up or dropping off students, vehicles approaching from either direction must stop before reaching the bus. The driver cannot move forward again until the bus resumes moving or stops using its visual signals.

DDS also reminds that the red or amber lights on the bus serve as an advance warning. Once stopped, the motorist must remain stopped until passengers have cleared the road and the bus deactivates its signals or moves again.

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The exception that many drivers confuse

Vehicles traveling in the opposite direction do not always have to stop. The exception applies when the two roadways are actually separated by a grass bed, unpaved area, or physical barrier. In that case, drivers traveling on the opposite roadway are not required to stop for the school bus.

This is important because a highway with multiple lanes or a center turning lane does not necessarily constitute a divided highway for the purposes of this rule.

Vehicles traveling behind the bus or on the same road must stop.

What is Addy’s Law and why was it approved?

The rule is named after Adalynn “Addy” Pierce, an 8-year-old girl who died in 2024 after being run over while crossing a road to board her school bus.

The Georgia Legislature later passed HB 409, officially known as Addy's Law, and the rule went into effect on July 1, 2024.

In addition to increasing penalties against drivers, the legislation mandated that public school systems must consider routes that prevent students from having to traverse roads with speed limits of 40 mph or higher to board the bus.

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Fine of $1,000 also if the violation is recorded

The legislation also covers violations detected through cameras installed on school buses. If the footage shows that a vehicle illegally passed a stopped bus, the owner may receive a $1,000 civil penalty.

There is an important difference here: a civil-only penalty caught on camera is not considered a moving traffic violation and does not result in points on your license. Nor does it constitute a criminal conviction in and of itself.

However, if the owner receives a second or subsequent such penalty within the same jurisdiction, the law enforcement agency must send a notification to his or her insurance company.

It is different from the case in which the driver receives a traffic citation and is subsequently convicted: there the six points established by the DDS can be applied.

You can see: Traffic fines in the United States

Why is the warning coming back now?

Although Addy's Law has been in effect for more than two years, the warning takes on new relevance in August with the return of students to schools and the increase in school buses in circulation.

Georgia drivers once again face one of the most severe penalties related to school buses: failing to respect a stop can mean $1,000 or more, points on your license and, in certain cases, even a jail sentence.

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