We are often asked about New York school bus tickets under Vehicle And Traffic Law Section 1174(a). They are commonly enforced in order to protect you entering and exiting children.
So how much is a ticket for passing a school bus? A New York school bus tickets carry a whopping 5 points and there is a $250 to $400 fine for passing a school bug for a first offense. For a second conviction for failure to stop for a school bus ticket, the fine is $600 to $750, and for a third conviction, the fine is $750 to $1,000. The high fine amounts reflect the Legislature’s desire to deter these dangerous violations.
Of course, these ranges of fines do not include the $70 additional New York State surcharge imposed on all moving violations. Additionally it does not include the Driver Assessment Fee that is imposed on motorists who accumulate 6 or more points on their licenses. This fee is $300 for 6 points and $75 for every point above 6. If a motorist has any other points, a school bus conviction will make him or her subject to the Driver Assessment Fee.
Further, if a motorist is convicted of this charge within 3 years of one another, the DMV will impose a 6-month revocation of license and there will be re-instatement fees following the revocation period.
There another issue involving school bus tickets issued under VTL 1174(a). It is not widely known (or enforced) but a judge can also impose up to 30 days in jail for a first violation, and 180 days for a second or third violation.
One final cost of passing a school bus in NY ticket conviction involves your automobile insurance rates. By law, a New York insurance company cannot raise your rates for one school bus ticket if you have an otherwise clean record. For multiple convictions of moving violations, however, your auto insurance rates can be hiked. The only option to address a hike is to take a Driver Safety Class that takes 10% off your insurance rates.
As you can see, there are many costs associated with school bus tickets. You therefore should always stop when approaching a stopped school bus.