Texas School Bus FAQs: Laws, Safety, and Requirements
Texas school bus rules come from three places: the Texas Education Code, the Texas Transportation Code, and the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS). Together they set who can drive a bus, what safety equipment each bus needs, when other drivers have to stop, and which students qualify for a ride. You can find more district guides in the Transfinder resources library.
THE SHORT VERSION
- Stopping for a bus: Drivers from both directions stop for flashing red lights and an extended stop-arm. Fines start at $500 and climb to $2,000 for repeat offenses.
- Seat belts: Three-point belts are required on buses that are model year 2018 or later, with a narrow board-approved budget exception.
- Who can drive: A Class B CDL with Passenger (P) and School Bus (S) endorsements, plus a separate 20-hour DPS certification.
- Who gets a ride: Districts choose whether to bus students. State funding follows students who live two or more miles from campus.
Prepared by the Transfinder team in Schenectady, New York. Transfinder has built student transportation software for K-12 school districts for more than 30 years, as of September 2026.
When do you have to stop for a school bus in Texas?
Stop the moment a school bus turns on its flashing red lights and swings out its stop-arm to load or unload students. Texas Transportation Code Section 545.066 requires drivers coming from both directions to stop and stay stopped until the bus pulls in the stop-arm, turns off the red lights, or starts moving again. You do not have to stop if the bus is across a divided highway separated by a median or a physical barrier. A left-turn lane by itself does not count as a divider, so you still stop. A first violation carries a fine of $500 to $1,250. A second offense within five years runs $1,000 to $2,000, and causing serious bodily injury raises it to a Class A misdemeanor.
Are seat belts required on Texas school buses?
Yes, on newer buses. Texas Transportation Code Section 547.701 requires a three-point lap-and-shoulder seat belt for every passenger and the driver on school buses that are model year 2018 or later. A district can leave the belts off a specific new bus only if its board of trustees finds the budget will not cover them and votes to approve that decision in a public meeting. Buses that are model year 2017 or earlier are exempt. When a bus is equipped with seat belts for all passengers, Texas Education Code Section 34.013 requires students to wear them, and the district may set a discipline policy to enforce it.
What license do you need to drive a school bus in Texas?
You need a Class B or higher commercial driver license (CDL) with two endorsements: a Passenger (P) endorsement and a School Bus (S) endorsement. First-time S applicants must also finish federal Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) before the skills test if their commercial learner permit was issued on or after February 7, 2022. On top of the CDL, Texas requires a separate school bus driver certification through the Department of Public Safety: a 20-hour initial course and periodic 8-hour recertification under 37 Texas Administrative Code Section 14.35. Drivers must be at least 18, pass a background check, and pass a DOT physical.
How far must a student live from school to ride the bus in Texas?
Texas does not force districts to bus every student. Under Texas Education Code Section 34.007, a district may choose to run a transportation system and set its own rules. State funding, though, is tied to distance. The state pays a transportation allotment for each regular eligible student who lives two or more miles from their assigned campus, measured along the shortest public-road route. Districts can also receive extra funding to bus students who live within two miles but would face hazardous traffic, such as crossing a freeway with no sidewalk, or a high risk of violence on the walk to school. Districts that provide service plan their bus routes and attendance zones to match that policy.
Do Texas school buses have to stop at railroad crossings?
Yes. Texas Transportation Code Section 545.2535 requires every school bus to stop before a railroad grade crossing, no closer than 15 feet and no farther than 50 feet from the nearest rail. The driver has to look and listen both ways for a train, then cross only when it is safe and without shifting gears on the tracks. The bus does not have to stop at a crossing marked exempt or tracks out of service.
What is the most dangerous area around a school bus?
The danger zone is the area within about 10 feet on every side of the bus, where the driver's view is worst. The worst spots are directly in front of the bus and near the right rear wheels. Teach children to take five giant steps, about 10 feet, ahead of the bus before crossing, make eye contact with the driver, and never walk behind the bus or reach under it for a dropped item.
How are students with disabilities transported in Texas?
Special transportation is a service the district must provide when a student's individualized education program (IEP) calls for it. If a student qualifies for special education under Texas Education Code Section 29.003 and cannot get to school without special support, the student's ARD (Admission, Review, and Dismissal) committee decides what that support looks like, such as a lift-equipped bus, a bus aide, a wheelchair securement position, or a specific curb-to-curb pickup. Districts handle these trips with specialized routing, and state transportation funding recognizes these students separately from regular riders.
Can students stand on a Texas school bus?
No. Texas Education Code Section 34.004 says a district may not require or allow a child to stand on a moving school bus or passenger van. Every rider needs a seat, which makes seating capacity and route planning a real constraint for districts, especially at bell times when buses fill up.
How Transfinder helps Texas districts
Texas districts use Routefinder PLUS to plan compliant routes and support special education transportation, Attendance ZonePlanning to manage attendance zones, and Stopfinder to keep families informed.
- Routefinder PLUS builds and optimizes bus routes, including special-needs routing and seating capacity.
- Attendance ZonePlanning draws and adjusts attendance zones as enrollment shifts.
- GPS Connect shows bus locations in real time and confirms on-time stops.
- Stopfinder gives parents live updates on their student's stop and bus.
References
The sources supporting these answers are listed below.
Texas Education Agency. (2023). School transportation allotment handbook. https://tea.texas.gov/finance-and-grants/state-funding/2023-2024-school-transportation-allotment-handbook1.pdf
Texas Legislature. (n.d.). Education Code Chapter 34: Transportation. https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/ED/htm/ED.34.htm
Texas Legislature. (n.d.). Education Code Section 29.003: Eligibility criteria. https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/ED/htm/ED.29.htm
Texas Legislature. (n.d.). Transportation Code Chapter 545: Operation and movement of vehicles. https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/TN/htm/TN.545.htm
Texas Legislature. (n.d.). Transportation Code Chapter 547: Vehicle equipment. https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/TN/htm/TN.547.htm
Texas Secretary of State. (n.d.). 37 Texas Administrative Code Section 14.35: School bus driver training and certification. texreg.sos.state.tx.us (37 TAC 14.35)
