Key takeaways:
- Districts across the country can now leverage AI-powered school bus safety programs to better protect students on their way to and from school.
- These programs help catch and deter drivers who illegally pass stopped school buses, but they only work where state laws allow automated enforcement.
- 29 states currently have legislation permitting the use of AI-powered stop-arm cameras.
- If your state doesn’t allow these safety programs yet, you can help change that by raising awareness, rallying your community, and encouraging local lawmakers to take action.
Each day, millions of students across the country rely on school buses to get to and from school safely. But every time a driver illegally passes a stopped school bus, it puts those students in serious danger.
At BusPatrol, our mission is simple: help communities reduce these dangerous illegal passings through the use of smart, AI-powered technology. These programs are effective and proven to change driver behavior, but they rely on state legislation to work.
Why is legislation necessary? Because in many states, current laws do not permit schools or municipalities to issue citations using automated enforcement technology. In these jurisdictions, a police officer must physically witness the violation in real time in order to issue a ticket — something that’s nearly impossible given the scale of the problem. There are over 500,000 school buses on U.S. roads covering millions of miles every day, making it unfeasible for law enforcement to be present at every stop-arm violation.
A recent BusPatrol pilot in Allentown, Pennsylvania highlighted the stark difference between automated enforcement and traditional policing. Over just 47 school days, two buses outfitted with BusPatrol’s technology captured 205 violations — that’s 2.18 violations per bus per day. By comparison, traditional law enforcement in Pennsylvania issued only 667 tickets over the course of a full year, across 30,000+ school buses. That works out to just 0.00017 citations per bus per day.
Put simply: two buses with BusPatrol tech identified nearly a third as many violations in under two months as traditional enforcement across Pennsylvania did in an entire year. The data speaks for itself — automated enforcement is far more effective at catching and addressing dangerous driving behavior. But without the legislation to support it, far too many violations continue to go unchecked.
This enforcement gap is exactly why legislation matters. Laws that allow for stop-arm camera enforcement give schools and municipalities the tools they need to hold drivers accountable and keep kids safe. In this post, we’ll cover which states currently allow automated enforcement, what steps to take if your state doesn’t, and how you can help push for safer school routes in your community.
Which states currently allow stop-arm camera enforcement?
Right now, 29 states have passed legislation allowing school bus stop-arm cameras to be used for enforcement.
States with legislation in effect:
- Alabama
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Mississippi
- New Jersey
- New York
- North Carolina
- Ohio
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
States with proposed legislation:
- Connecticut
- Idaho
- Iowa
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- New Hampshire
- Utah
- Vermont
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
States with no legislation enacted or proposed:
- Alaska
- Hawaii
- Kansas
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Mexico
- North Dakota
- Oklahoma
- South Dakota
- Texas
This legislation gives districts the tools they need to hold drivers accountable — and more importantly, to protect students. BusPatrol is proud to serve 400+ school districts across the country, helping protect more than 1.6 million student riders each day.
If you don’t see your state on this list, there’s a chance that could change in the near future. New legislation is introduced regularly as communities across the country push for safer roads. Stay tuned to the BusPatrol blog or reach out to our team for the latest updates on the legislative landscape in your state.
What if your state hasn’t passed legislation yet?
Just because your state doesn’t allow stop-arm enforcement today doesn’t mean you can’t help make it happen tomorrow. Here’s how you can advocate for safer roads in your community:
- Start local: Attend school board meetings, PTA gatherings, or city council forums to share your concerns. Use data and personal stories to make the issue real.
- Raise awareness: Share news articles, videos, and statistics with neighbors, local news outlets, or on social media.
- Build a coalition: Reach out to other parents, educators, and school transportation officials. The more people speaking up, the harder it is to ignore.
- Contact your legislators: Call or write to your state representative. Point to states like Massachusetts, where local data from a BusPatrol pilot helped get a stop-arm law passed in 2025.
We’ve seen firsthand how powerful community voices can be. Every state that allows stop-arm enforcement today started with advocates who said, enough is enough.
How can you help keep kids safer tomorrow?
Automated enforcement works. Communities that use BusPatrol’s technology see a 30% reduction in violations year over year, and over 90% of drivers never reoffend after receiving just one citation.
But we need more states, and more people, to get on board.
If your state allows stop-arm enforcement, let’s work together to protect more students. If it doesn’t, let’s change that. Get in touch to learn more or book a meeting with our team.
