Kentucky School Bus Law: What You Should Know

Kentucky School Bus Law: When Must Drivers Stop for a School Bus?

Kentucky drivers regularly encounter school buses carrying children to and from school. When one of those buses stops to pick up or drop off students, other motorists have an important legal duty to stop. The Kentucky school bus law discussed below will outline this duty.

Kentucky Revised Statute (KRS) 189.370 establishes the primary rules for motorists approaching a stopped school bus. Kentucky lawmakers also changed this statute in 2026. The amendment became effective on July 15, 2026, and significantly changed when motorists traveling in the opposite direction must stop on roads with four or more lanes.

97 child pedestrian deaths occurred in school-transportation-related crashes across the U.S. during the ten-year period beginning in 2008, according to the National Safety Council publication. Understanding the current Kentucky School Bus Law can help drivers obey the law and, more importantly, protect children as they enter and leave school buses.

Kentucky School Bus Law Requires Motorists to Stop

KRS 189.370 requires a motorist to stop when a school or church bus used to transport children stops on a highway to receive or discharge passengers with its stop arm and signal lights activated.

The statute applies to vehicles approaching from any direction. A motorist must bring the vehicle to a stop and cannot proceed until the bus finishes receiving or discharging passengers and begins moving again. This rule generally applies to drivers traveling behind the school bus and drivers approaching it from the opposite direction.

Consider a school bus that stops on a two-lane Kentucky highway. The bus extends its stop arm and activates its signal lights. A driver traveling behind the bus must stop. A driver approaching from the opposite direction must also stop. Neither driver should attempt to pass the bus simply because no children appear visible.

A school bus creates substantial visual obstructions. A motorist may not see a child walking in front of the bus. Children may also unexpectedly enter the roadway after leaving the bus. Kentucky law removes the need for motorists to make their own judgment about whether passing appears safe. When KRS 189.370 requires a stop, the motorist must stop.

How Long Are You Required to Remain Stopped?

Stopping the vehicle represents only part of a driver’s obligation. KRS 189.370 also establishes how long the driver must remain stopped. The motorist cannot proceed until the school bus has completed receiving or discharging passengers and has been put into motion. Drivers should pay close attention to this requirement.

A motorist should not start moving simply because the bus door closes. Likewise, a driver should not proceed because the last visible child has boarded the bus. Instead, the statute provides an easily recognizable point at which traffic may begin moving again: the school bus itself starts moving. This rule gives children time to board the bus, leave the bus, and clear the immediate area before surrounding traffic begins moving.

Kentucky School Bus Law Applies to Opposite-Direction Traffic

Some drivers mistakenly believe that motorists traveling in the opposite direction never need to stop for a school bus. Kentucky law does not establish such a broad exception. KRS 189.370 begins with the rule that a vehicle approaching the stopped bus from any direction must stop when the statutory conditions apply.

The statute then establishes a specific exception for certain divided highways. The distinction matters because Kentucky changed this exception in 2026.

Kentucky School Bus Law Changed on July 15, 2026

The Kentucky General Assembly passed House Bill 7 during the 2026 Regular Session. The Governor signed the bill on April 9, 2026, and the relevant changes became effective July 15, 2026.

The legislation amended KRS 189.370

Under the current statute, a motorist approaching a stopped bus from the opposite direction does not have to stop when traveling on a highway with four or more lanes divided by an elevated barrier or unpaved median. The physical design of the roadway therefore matters. Drivers should not assume that four traffic lanes alone create an exception.

Kentucky School Bus Law on Four-Lane Roads

The current law narrows the circumstances in which opposite-direction motorists may continue past a stopped school bus. Suppose a school bus stops on a four-lane road with two lanes traveling in each direction. The bus activates its stop arm and signal lights. A driver approaches the bus from the opposite direction.

Can that driver continue?

The answer depends on the roadway. If an elevated barrier or unpaved median divides the highway, the exception in KRS 189.370 applies to the vehicle approaching from the opposite direction.

Without that type of division, the motorist should not assume the exception applies merely because the road contains four lanes. That distinction makes the 2026 amendment especially important for Kentucky drivers who regularly travel on multi-lane roads.

When Does the Law Apply?

KRS 189.370 also specifies that its requirements apply when the bus displays the markings and equipment required by Kentucky’s minimum specifications for school buses. The bus must have stopped on the highway to receive or discharge passengers with its stop arm and signal lights activated for the stopping requirement discussed in the statute.

Those conditions give motorists clear notice that children may enter or leave the roadway. The law then places the responsibility on approaching drivers to stop when required.

The Kentucky School Bus Law Protects Children from Serious Injuries

School bus stops create unique dangers. Children may cross the roadway. A child may walk in front of the bus where approaching drivers cannot see him or her. Younger children may also act unpredictably near traffic.
Motorists can reduce those risks by following KRS 189.370 exactly.

Drivers should slow down when they see a school bus preparing to stop. Once the statutory stopping requirements apply, motorists should stop and remain stopped until the law permits them to proceed. A few seconds of patience can prevent a catastrophic collision.

Contact Stein Whatley Astorino After a Kentucky School Bus Accident

Drivers have a responsibility to operate their vehicles safely around children and school buses. When a motorist violates Kentucky traffic law and causes a collision, an injured child has the right to pursue a personal injury claim.

School bus accidents can also present complicated factual and legal questions. A proper investigation requires witness statements, photographs, video recordings, vehicle information, medical records, and other evidence. Our legal team works quickly to gather perishable information and evidence.

The Kentucky personal injury attorneys at Stein Whatley Astorino, PLLC represent children injured because of negligent drivers. Our attorneys investigate serious motor vehicle accidents and evaluate the Kentucky laws that apply to each case.

If you or a family member suffered injuries in an accident involving a school bus or a motorist who failed to stop for one, contact Stein Whatley Astorino, PLLC to discuss your legal options.

Case evaluations are free and confidential.     502.553.4750.

This article provides general information about Kentucky law and does not constitute legal advice. Kentucky statutes may change, and the application of a statute depends on the facts of each case.