Online:
Payments may be made online using Visa, MasterCard or Discover at https://dallas.alertbus.com. You may login online using your citation number and license plate number.

By Mail:
Payments by personal check, money order or Visa, MasterCard or Discover are accepted by mail to School Bus Stop Arm Program, P.O. Box 227177, Dallas, Texas 75222-7177. Checks and money orders should be made payable to "School Bus Stop Arm Program." NO CASH payments are accepted.

In Person:
Payment in person may be made at 612 N. Zang Blvd., Dallas, TX 75208, on regular business days between 8:00 A.M. and 4:00 P.M.

Running the stop arm on school buses is a serious and dangerous problem. The statistics and studies that have been conducted provide some disturbing evidence. Below are the results of several studies, including two conducted locally by Dallas County Schools.

1. Studies conducted by Dallas County Schools in 2006 and 2008:
   • In 2006, study included 1,245 buses and recorded 769 stop arm violations
   • In 2008, pilot program where 5 buses were installed with stop arm cameras; over a 3 day period, each bus recorded at least 1 violation
2. Study conducted by Texas Transportation Institute & Texas A&M University (2008):
   • School districts reported that a total of 12,850 stop-arm violations occurred on November 8, 2006
   • DCS participated in this study - 842 buses reported 427 stop-arm violations (.05 violations per bus = statewide average) and DCS (DISD buses) had the 3rd most violations in this study
   • Using this data, TTI estimated that statewide 16,450 (0.47 stop-arm violations per bus) illegal passings occur each day in Texas
   • If this number is multiplied by the number of school days in a typical school year (180), then an estimated 2.96 million stop-arm violations will occur during a typical school year in Texas
3. National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Survey (2011):
   • 28 states participated in study
   • 111,914 buses were used
   • 37,756 incidents occurred in a single day
4. Study conducted by School Bus Fleet Magazine, 2011 School District Survey (November 2011):
   • More than 1/4 respondents (27%) cited stop-arm running - the illegal passing of stopped school buses - as the biggest safety-related challenge in school transportation.

A School Bus Stop Arm Violation occurs when a vehicle passes a stopped school bus in violation of Section 545.066 of the Texas Transportation Code, as amended, which is a civil offense under Dallas City Code Chapter 28, Article XX, Section 28-224. A vehicle must come to a complete stop behind the stop arm of an unloading school bus. Unless there is a raised median separating opposing traffic (turn lanes do not fall into this category), traffic traveling opposite the school bus must come to a complete stop as well, and all traffic must wait until the stop arm is retracted to continue. Violations are captured by cameras that record traffic activity passing the school bus in both directions. Violations are reviewed and verified by a peace officer and citations are then mailed to the vehicle owners.

As of October 1, 2012, a School Bus Stop Arm citation carries a civil penalty of $300.00 for each violation. If not paid within 30 days from the date of issuance, a $25 late payment penalty is assessed, and other penalties and court costs may be assessed.

Option A
You may sign an affidavit swearing that you were not the owner of the vehicle at the time of the violation. If the vehicle was sold prior to the violation date, you must also include a copy of the transfer of sale and provide the name and full contact information of the new legal owner. If the vehicle or license plate was reported stolen prior to the violation date, you must also submit a copy of the police report.

Option B
You may request a hearing in person to prove you were not the owner of the vehicle at the time of the violation. At the hearing you must provide oral testimony and documentation evidencing that the vehicle was sold or reported stolen prior to the violation date, including but not limited to, purchase and sale documentation, full contact information for the new legal owner, and/or a police report indicating the vehicle was reported stolen.

You may call the Customer Service Center at 214-670-4830, Monday through Friday, 9:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M. CST to verify.

You may call the Customer Service Center at 214-670-4830, Monday through Friday, 9:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M. CST.

You can print a confirmation page from your personal printer for payments made over the Internet. Once you have selected the citation(s) to be paid, and entered the credit card information, click on the "submit" button. Your credit card number will be validated and the amount of the charge will be submitted. If the card is valid and sufficient credit is available to make the payment, your credit card company will issue an approval back to our web site. The payment will be applied against the citation(s) immediately, and you will see a confirmation page appear on the screen. Please print this page for your records.

Our website uses 128-bit encryption, which is the highest level of encryption available. This is the same security used on all web-payment applications. For your security and assurance, this site does not store any information about your credit card. Once an approval or rejection is received, the information is purged from our system.

However, you may also pay your citation in person at 612 N. Zang Blvd., Dallas, TX 75208, on regular business days between 8:00 A.M. and 4:00 P.M.

On rare occasions, the online system may be unavailable during routine or emergency maintenance. If you are experiencing technical difficulties please call the Customer Service Center at, Monday through Friday, 9:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M. CST for assistance.

You may call the Customer Service Center at 214-670-4830, Monday through Friday, 9:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M. CST.

Our website does not support contesting a citation online. You have the right to request an administrative adjudication hearing in person or by mail to contest the violation. Enclosed with your Notice of Violation were instructions titled, "SCHOOL BUS STOP ARM PROGRAM - DENYING LIABILITY OF A VIOLATION," which specifically sets out the way a citation may be contested. You may also contact the Adjudication Office at 214-670-4830, between 8:15 A.M. - 5:00 P.M., Monday through Friday, to obtain additional information concerning contesting the violation. You must contest your citation by the due date that is stated on the front of your notice.

Our website does not support contesting a citation online. You may contest the citation by mail or in person at an administrative adjudication hearing.

If you are not satisfied with the results of your administrative adjudication hearing, you may appeal your case to the municipal court level through the Department of Court and Detention Services. Appeals must be made in person at Court and Detention Services at the following address:

Court and Detention Services
Main Street, Room 105
Dallas, TX 75201

The following items are required when requesting an appeal:

• A $15 filing fee
• Notarized Statement of Personal Financial Obligation
• Petition for Appeal to the City of Dallas Municipal Court from an Administrative Adjudication of a School Bus Stop Arm Citation

This fee is refundable if your case is dismissed. Refunds for the $15 filing fee must be requested in person at Court and Detention Services where the appeal was made. For more information regarding an appeal or a refund on your $15 filing fee, you may contact Court and Detention Services at 214-670-0109, Monday through Friday, 7:30 A.M. - 4:30 P.M.

Refunds take approximately 30 days. To inquire about a possible refund on your citation or a delay on receiving your refund of the citation fine (not the filing fee), please call 214-670-4830, Monday through Friday, 8:15 A.M. - 5:00 P.M.

Items required for a refund on your School Bus Stop Arm Citation fine (not the filing fee):

• A copy of your hearing or court dismissal record
• Proof of citation payment (register receipt, online payment confirmation, copy of canceled check, bank statement or credit card invoice with personal information marked out, etc.)

Failure to timely pay the fine or contest the violation is considered an admission of liability for the violation, is a waiver of the vehicle owner's right to appeal the fine, and may result in formal collection procedures, including a report being made to the Credit Bureau. Once a report has been made, you must contact the Credit Bureau directly and go through their dispute process. The City cannot circumvent the Credit Bureau's process. After requesting an inquiry through the Credit Bureau, an investigation is performed and if the mark was made in error, then the mark is completely removed from your report by the Credit Bureau.

• TransUnion: 1-800-916-8800
• Experian: 1-888-397-3742
• Equifax: 1-800-685-1111

If the Credit Bureau mark is confirmed as valid, then the mark will remain on your report. However, paying the outstanding balance lessens the mark against you by showing that the outstanding balance has been satisfied.

At this time there are approximately 900 school buses transporting students in the City of Dallas. It would be impossible to have a police officer at every location where students are picked up or dropped off; however, it is imperative that our students and the general public are provided with adequate safety. The school bus stop arm cameras can capture photos of the vehicle and license plate if a vehicle passes the school bus illegally when it is stopped with the stop sign deployed and the red lights flashing. Student safety is our number one priority and this will assist us greatly in insuring that our children are safe.

Under these circumstances, the citation issued with the automated school bus stop arm camera equipment should be dismissed. It is the vehicle owner's responsibility to provide this information to the Adjudication Office for appropriate dismissal. You may contact the Adjudication Office at 214-670-4830.

Yes, the cameras will capture photographs of every vehicle that passes a stopped school bus with its stop arm deployed and the red lights flashing. All photographs will be reviewed and verified by a peace officer to determine if it is a violation. A vehicle must come to a complete stop behind the stop arm of an unloading school bus. Unless there is a raised median separating opposing traffic (turn lanes do not fall into this category), traffic traveling opposite the school bus must come to a complete stop as well, and all traffic must wait until the stop arm is retracted to continue.

No, the cameras do not capture an image of the driver. This is a civil violation assessed against the owner of the vehicle; as such, there is no need to identify the driver with a photo. Photos are taken of vehicles. All that can be seen in the photo is the vehicle and the license plate.

The cameras are located on the same side of the school bus as the stop arm - the driver's side. There are multiple cameras that will take photographs of vehicles illegally passing a stopped school bus.

Certified Texas peace officers review photos of violations before a citation is issued to ensure that there was actually a violation of Dallas City Code Chapter 28, Article XX, Section 28-224.

No, the citation is a civil rather than a criminal offense. An arrest warrant may not be issued for failure to timely pay the civil fines, penalties, and court costs, and the imposition of the civil penalty may not be recorded on the vehicle owner's driving record.

The Dallas County Schools Police Department

The Customer Service Center phone number, 214-670-4830, is fully staffed with a live people, Monday through Friday, 9:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M. CST.