School bus drivers in Washington documented 960 illegal passes during a one-day survey in 2026, part of an annual national effort involving 101,334 drivers from 40 states, according to the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. If that single-day count repeated across Washington's 180-day school year, it would amount to more than 172,000 violations. Nationwide, participating drivers recorded 56,024 illegal passes in the same day.
Nearly 341,000 Washington K-12 students rode buses daily during the 2025-26 school year, accounting for almost 100 million miles traveled, according to OSPI. School bus drivers in Washington must hold a Class A or B Commercial Driver's License with passenger and school bus endorsements and complete required training and annual in-service training.
Washington state law specifies when drivers must stop for school buses. On a two-lane road, drivers traveling in both directions must stop when a bus's flashing red lights or retractable stop sign are activated. On roads with three or more marked lanes, drivers traveling in the opposite direction are not required to stop. However, drivers traveling in the same direction as the bus must always stop.
Drivers who illegally pass a stopped school bus face a mandatory $500 fine that cannot be waived, reduced, or suspended. The Washington state Department of Licensing's Driver Guide reminds drivers to continue watching for children along the roadway even after a bus's red lights stop flashing.