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Indiana criminal charge

Reckless driving; passing a school bus with extended stop arm; penalty; license suspension in Indiana

Current through 2026 Indiana legislative session

Reckless driving; passing a school bus with extended stop arm; penalty; license suspension is a criminal offense under Indiana law, defined by Ind. Code § 9-21-8-52. Its classification is not fixed: Indiana assigns a different penalty class depending on the circumstances of the offense. The class that applies — and the sentencing range that follows from it — depends on which statutory variant fits the facts.

Defined by Ind. Code § 9-21-8-52.

What is the penalty for reckless driving; passing a school bus with extended stop arm; penalty; license suspension in Indiana?

Penalties for Reckless driving; passing a school bus with extended stop arm; penalty; license suspension
PenaltyRangeBasisAuthority
Jail / prisonup to 60 days (Reckless driving (general) — A person recklessly commits one of the listed unsafe driving acts (unreasonable speed, unsafe passing on curve/slope, weaving in traffic, or refusing to yield half the road) without causing injury.)discretionaryInd. Code § 35-50-3-4
Fineup to $500 (Reckless driving (general) — A person recklessly commits one of the listed unsafe driving acts (unreasonable speed, unsafe passing on curve/slope, weaving in traffic, or refusing to yield half the road) without causing injury.)discretionaryInd. Code § 35-50-3-4
Jail / prisonup to 1 year (Reckless driving causing bodily injury — The reckless driving described in subsection (a) causes bodily injury to a person.)discretionaryInd. Code § 35-50-3-2
Fineup to $5,000 (Reckless driving causing bodily injury — The reckless driving described in subsection (a) causes bodily injury to a person.)discretionaryInd. Code § 35-50-3-2
Jail / prisonup to 180 days (Reckless driving causing property damage — An offense under subsection (a) results in damage to the property of another person.)discretionaryInd. Code § 35-50-3-3
Fineup to $1,000 (Reckless driving causing property damage — An offense under subsection (a) results in damage to the property of another person.)discretionaryInd. Code § 35-50-3-3
Jail / prisonup to 1 year (Passing a stopped school bus with extended stop arm — A person recklessly passes a school bus stopped with its arm signal device extended, without causing injury or death.)discretionaryInd. Code § 35-50-3-2
Fineup to $5,000 (Passing a stopped school bus with extended stop arm — A person recklessly passes a school bus stopped with its arm signal device extended, without causing injury or death.)discretionaryInd. Code § 35-50-3-2
Jail / prison6 months to 30 months (Passing a stopped school bus causing bodily injury — The offense of passing a stopped school bus with extended stop arm causes bodily injury to a person.; fixed term; advisory sentence 1 year; court may enter judgment of conviction as a Class A misdemeanor in limited circumstances (IC 35-50-2-7(c)))presumptiveInd. Code § 35-50-2-7
Fineup to $10,000 (Passing a stopped school bus causing bodily injury — The offense of passing a stopped school bus with extended stop arm causes bodily injury to a person.)discretionaryInd. Code § 35-50-2-7
Jail / prison1 years to 6 years (Passing a stopped school bus causing death — The offense of passing a stopped school bus with extended stop arm causes the death of a person.; fixed term; advisory sentence 3 years)presumptiveInd. Code § 35-50-2-6
Fineup to $10,000 (Passing a stopped school bus causing death — The offense of passing a stopped school bus with extended stop arm causes the death of a person.)discretionaryInd. Code § 35-50-2-6

Applies to current.

How is reckless driving; passing a school bus with extended stop arm; penalty; license suspension classified in Indiana?

The classification depends on the circumstances:

Classification variants for Reckless driving; passing a school bus with extended stop arm; penalty; license suspension
VariantClassificationWhen it appliesStatute
Reckless driving (general)Class C MisdemeanorA person recklessly commits one of the listed unsafe driving acts (unreasonable speed, unsafe passing on curve/slope, weaving in traffic, or refusing to yield half the road) without causing injury.Ind. Code § 9-21-8-52(a)
Reckless driving causing bodily injuryClass A MisdemeanorThe reckless driving described in subsection (a) causes bodily injury to a person.Ind. Code § 9-21-8-52(a)
Reckless driving causing property damageClass B MisdemeanorAn offense under subsection (a) results in damage to the property of another person.Ind. Code § 9-21-8-52(c)
Passing a stopped school bus with extended stop armClass A MisdemeanorA person recklessly passes a school bus stopped with its arm signal device extended, without causing injury or death.Ind. Code § 9-21-8-52(b)
Passing a stopped school bus causing bodily injuryLevel 6 FelonyThe offense of passing a stopped school bus with extended stop arm causes bodily injury to a person.Ind. Code § 9-21-8-52(b)
Passing a stopped school bus causing deathLevel 5 FelonyThe offense of passing a stopped school bus with extended stop arm causes the death of a person.Ind. Code § 9-21-8-52(b)

Common questions about reckless driving; passing a school bus with extended stop arm; penalty; license suspension in Indiana

Is reckless driving; passing a school bus with extended stop arm; penalty; license suspension a felony or a misdemeanor in Indiana?

It depends on the circumstances: reckless driving; passing a school bus with extended stop arm; penalty; license suspension ranges from a Class C Misdemeanor to a Level 5 Felony in Indiana under Ind. Code § 9-21-8-52.

Reckless driving (general): Class C Misdemeanor (Ind. Code § 9-21-8-52(a)) · Reckless driving causing bodily injury: Class A Misdemeanor (Ind. Code § 9-21-8-52(a)) · Reckless driving causing property damage: Class B Misdemeanor (Ind. Code § 9-21-8-52(c)) · Passing a stopped school bus with extended stop arm: Class A Misdemeanor (Ind. Code § 9-21-8-52(b)) · Passing a stopped school bus causing bodily injury: Level 6 Felony (Ind. Code § 9-21-8-52(b)) · Passing a stopped school bus causing death: Level 5 Felony (Ind. Code § 9-21-8-52(b))

What are the penalties for reckless driving; passing a school bus with extended stop arm; penalty; license suspension in Indiana?

Penalties for reckless driving; passing a school bus with extended stop arm; penalty; license suspension in Indiana depend on how it is classified — from a Class C Misdemeanor up to a Level 5 Felony — with the ranges set by Ind. Code § 35-50-3-4, Ind. Code § 35-50-3-2, Ind. Code § 35-50-3-3, Ind. Code § 35-50-2-7 and Ind. Code § 35-50-2-6; the full table of ranges by variant is published on this page.

Which Indiana statute covers reckless driving; passing a school bus with extended stop arm; penalty; license suspension?

Reckless driving; passing a school bus with extended stop arm; penalty; license suspension is governed by Ind. Code § 9-21-8-52 (Reckless driving; passing a school bus with extended stop arm; penalty; license suspension).

Legal terms used in this law

This reference is informational and is not legal advice. Penalty ranges are the statutory classification ranges; sentencing in a specific case depends on its facts and history.