When Minnesota Law Says You Don’t Have to Stop for a School Bus

When you see a school bus with its red lights flashing and stop signs out, you have to stop, right? The answer is yes. However, there *is* one exception to that law here in Minnesota.

The 2026 school year is underway across the Land of 10,000 Lakes, and those big, yellow buses are still a common sight in Minnesota. Stopping for them isn't only the safe thing to do; it's the law. But this might be the only time you DON'T have to stop for a school bus when you're on the road in the North Star State.

Minnesota School Bus Laws: When Drivers Must Stop

It'll cost you big-time if you drive by a school bus in Minnesota with its red lights flashing and stop arm out. According to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety (MDPS), illegally passing a stopped school bus carries a fine of $500, and many buses are equipped with cameras to record violations and report them to law enforcement. Drivers can also face criminal charges for passing a school bus on the right, passing when a child is outside the bus, or injuring or killing a child.

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When you see a school bus with flashing red lights, it's the law in Minnesota that all approaching vehicles from both directions on two-lane and multi-lane roads must stop at least 20 feet from the school bus, regardless of whether or not the stop arm has been extended. And you must stay stopped until the red lights turn off and the stop arm is retracted.

But what about if you're on a divided road-- one where there's a median between you and the oncoming lane? Take, for instance, West Circle Drive in northwest Rochester. There's a lovely green median between the eastbound and westbound lanes. What if you see a bus with its light flashing heading west and you're heading east?

When Don't You Have to Stop for a School Bus in Minnesota?

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According to MDPS, that might be the *only* time you don't have to stop for a school bus with its flashing red lights activated.

Motorists are NOT required to stop for a bus if the bus is on the opposite side of a separated roadway (median, etc.) — but they should remain alert for children.

Minnesota School Bus Exception for Divided Roads

MDPS also says that even if you're on a separated roadway or divided highway, drivers should still slow down, pay attention, and anticipate school children and buses, especially in neighborhoods and school zones.

It should be noted that the situation above is fairly rare across Minnesota, MDPS said, saying that current Minnesota law says that school bus drivers legally cannot allow kids to cross a divided roadway anyway.