Eden Prairie schools are back in session next week! As a refresher, the EPPD would like to remind drivers of the importance of stopping for school bus stop arms.

Last April, a new school bus stop arm law went into effect which states that when a school bus driver activates the red flashing lights, vehicles must stop at least 20 feet away from the school bus, regardless of whether the stop arm is extended or not. Previously the law required drivers to stop for a bus’s red flashing lights AND extended stop arm. The previous version could have created a situation where some drivers might pass the bus when the lights were flashing but the stop arm wasn’t extended.

Red flashing lights indicate students are either entering or exiting the bus. Motorists must stop at least 20 feet from a school bus that is displaying flashing red lights, regardless of whether the stop arm has been extended. This applies when approaching from behind the bus and from the opposite direction on undivided roads (see diagram).

In Eden Prairie in 2025, there were 98 reported violations and to date in 2026 there have been 38. In order to help prevent this number from increasing, this September the EPPD will conduct extra proactive stop arm patrol throughout the city.

Drivers who violate the law face a $500 fine and can 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.

Please help keep our students safe by stopping for the stop arm.