'A lot of these are close': Drivers begin challenging fines from FL’s new school bus camera law

This week, drivers ticketed for illegally passing a stopped school bus in Hillsborough County finally got the chance to challenge their violations.

“I didn’t know the bus was going to stop until I was already about to pass it,” one driver said during her appeal.

Watch full report from Katie LaGrone

“If I would have stopped, I would have caused a traffic hazard at that time,” said another.

“There’s really no wiggle room in the statue”

During the appeals, which were conducted over Zoom in front of an administrative law judge, dozens of drivers tried to argue why the bus cameras that caught them passing a school bus with its stop arm was deployed, got it wrong.

But often, the judge didn’t budge and referred to the state’s new school bus camera law to explain why the cameras got it right.

“There’s really no wiggle room in the statute here,” Administrative Law Judge John Van Laningham said during one driver’s appeal.

“It’s close, a lot of these are close,” said Judge Robert Cohen, who also heard some of the first driver appeals since these cameras started rolling in Hillsborough County last school year.


One driver, who lives in Wauchula said the Ford Explorer that was caught on camera illegally passing the school bus wasn’t hers. She provided documentation to prove it.

“I’ve never owned a white Explorer,” she said. Her violation was dismissed.

She is one of about 40 drivers whose violations were dismissed during the first week of appeals, according to BusPatrol, the district’s school bus camera vendor. More than 125 drivers were found liable and a few dozen failed to appear or paid their fine before their scheduled hearing, according to data provided by BusPatrol.

Lack of due process fueled concerns of “cash grab”

These appeals hearings are new and long overdue.

In 2023, lawmakers gave districts the green light to equip school buses with cameras to increase student safety.

A year later, school districts in Miami-Dade, Hillsborough, Polk and Santa Rosa County equipped their buses with cameras.

But soon after the cameras started rolling, so did the controversy around them.

Drivers complained about being unfairly fined.

In February, Lars Larson showed us video of his violation that suggested he was already past the front of the school bus when the school bus arm began to deploy.

“You see, I’m past the driver when the light comes on,” he said while showing us the video attached to his online notice of violation.

We also found the cameras have generated millions of dollars, fueling concerns of a “cash grab.”

Since last year, a total of more than $40 million in paid fines has been collected in the few counties with cameras rolling. In Miami-Dade, more than $20 million in paid violations was collected in just a couple of months.

Up to 70% of each paid fine goes to the camera vendor while the rest is divvied up between the local sheriff’s office, which reviews each violation, and the school district. By law, school districts must spend any revenue they receive from school bus camera fines on camera and bus maintenance and support.

Earlier this year, we also discovered how drivers who wanted to challenge their $225 fine couldn’t because even though the cameras started recording, local courts were never set up to hear driver appeals. In Polk County, we found drivers had to pay extra just to appeal.

Since our investigation, Miami-Dade and Polk counties have suspended their cameras until drivers can properly appeal their citations.

Our findings also led lawmakers to revise the law to give school districts the authority to set up the appeals process instead of relying on the courts.

“Had I not fought it, I would have been stuck paying for something I didn’t do!”

Tracy Lindsay waited nearly a year for his chance to appeal a ticket he received last September. Lindsey said he thought they threw out the violations but got a notice about his appeal hearing just a few weeks ago.

But before he could appeal his case, the Hillsborough County sheriff’s office asked the judge to dismiss his citation.

“The Hillsborough County sheriff’s office moves to dismiss this case based on the vehicle breached the entirety of school bus before the stop arms were fully extended,” the Deputy said after video from his violation was played during the appeal hearing.

The judge agreed and dismissed the violation.

“I definitely feel like it was a little bit of justice for me on my behalf, so I'm happy about that,” Lindsey said after the hearing.

Lindsey remains critical of the program.

“Had I not fought it, I would have been stuck paying for something I didn't do,” he said. “I think that it's kind of a money grab because certain people won't fight it, they'll just pay it,” he said.