Drivers in Miami-Dade County who illegally pass stopped school buses will begin receiving $225 citations in the mail starting Monday as authorities officially relaunch the county’s school bus camera enforcement program.
The relaunched Miami-Dade County Bus Infraction Detection Program comes after a 14-day warning and education period that began on May 4. Officials said the initiative is aimed at improving student safety by targeting motorists who ignore school bus stop arms and flashing red lights.
According to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, approximately 900 school buses across the county will now be equipped with cameras capable of capturing potential violations. Authorities said all footage will be reviewed by deputies before citations are issued.
“Passing a stopped school bus is illegal, dangerous, and puts children at risk,” officials said, reminding drivers that they must stop whenever a bus has its red lights flashing and stop arm extended.
Authorities cited national and statewide statistics showing the scale of the issue. Officials said an estimated 40 million drivers across the United States illegally pass stopped school buses each year, while Florida records an average of more than 8,000 violations daily.
The enforcement program was originally launched in 2024 but was suspended last April following public complaints and what Miami-Dade Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz described as “unacceptable errors” in enforcement.
Some drivers reported receiving citations despite believing they had obeyed traffic laws, while other tickets reportedly contained incorrect citation numbers and fine amounts.
Cordero-Stutz said changes have since been implemented to address those concerns, including revisions to state law, increased transparency, enhanced deputy training, and stronger oversight of the video review process.
“Those concerns helped lead to important clarification at the state level, changing the law statewide, strengthening the framework under which BusPatrol now operates, and ensuring greater consistency and transparency,” the sheriff said Friday.
Officials also noted that deputies will now play a greater role in reviewing video evidence before citations are approved. Additional personnel are also being assigned to the program as part of the expanded oversight measures.
Under updated state rules, drivers who receive citations will now have the option of contesting tickets through a local hearing process.
Authorities also confirmed that outstanding citations issued under the previous version of the program will be dismissed.
