Maine school bus camera rules: what Title 29-A, sections 2117 and 2308, say about cameras on school buses and the registered owner

This page quotes sections 2117 and 2308 of Title 29-A of the Maine Revised Statutes from the Maine Legislature website (legislature.maine.gov) and part of the Schedule of Amounts Due of the Maine Judicial Branch Violations Bureau (courts.maine.gov), listed under Sources below. It covers traffic surveillance cameras mounted on school buses and the registered owner of a vehicle involved in passing a stopped school bus. It does not cover speed cameras or red light cameras. It does not apply any of this text to any notice. Confirm what your paper says.

The sources quoted on this page do not say whether any school bus in Maine has a camera. This page does not say that school bus cameras are in use anywhere in Maine, and it does not say that camera notices are mailed. Section 2308, subsection 5, quoted below, describes a report to a law enforcement officer, an investigation by the officer, and a summons served on the registered owner.

Another page quotes Title 29-A, sections 2073 and 2074, and the Violations Bureau Schedule of Amounts Due, on speeding: What a Maine speeding ticket is.

The statute text below is quoted from the legislature.maine.gov section pages as shown when retrieved on 3 Nov 2026. Both pages state “Data for this page extracted on 10/05/2026 17:28:28.” The section history lines and the Revisor’s note shown on those pages are not quoted. Schedule rows are quoted cell by cell as printed, for the columns shown.

What Title 29-A, section 2117, says about traffic surveillance cameras

Title 29-A, section 2117, is headed “Use of traffic surveillance cameras restricted” and begins: “Except as provided in subsections 1 and 2, the State or a municipality may not use a traffic surveillance camera to prove or enforce a violation of this Title. For purposes of this section, "traffic surveillance camera" means a device that, in conjunction with a lighted traffic-control device or a lane direction control device, as described in section 2057, subsections 1 and 3, or a speed measurement device as described in section 2075, subsection 4, automatically produces one or more photographs, one or more microphotographs, a videotape or any other recorded image of a vehicle at the time the vehicle is operated in violation of state law.”

Title 29-A, section 2117, subsection 1, headed “School buses.”, states: “The State or a municipality may use a traffic surveillance camera mounted on a school bus in conjunction with a lighted traffic-control device to prove or enforce a violation of section 2308, subsection 2. A photograph, microphotograph, videotape or other recorded image or audio produced by a traffic surveillance camera mounted on a school bus is confidential and may only be released to a law enforcement officer for the purpose of an investigation into a violation of the law or to a law enforcement officer, prosecutor, defendant or court for the purpose of a prosecution of a violation of the law.”

It continues: “The state or a municipality may not retain a photograph, microphotograph, videotape or other recorded image or audio produced by a traffic surveillance camera mounted on a school bus for more than 30 days from the date of production unless it is released in accordance with this subsection.”

It continues: “For the purposes of this subsection, "prosecutor" means a person who by virtue of public employment is vested by law with a duty to prosecute offenders for crimes, whether that duty extends to all crimes or is limited to specific crimes.”

Title 29-A, section 2117, subsection 2, headed “Toll enforcement.”, states: “The Maine Turnpike Authority may use a photo-monitoring system, as defined by Title 23, section 1980, subsection 2‑A, paragraph B, subparagraph (4), for toll enforcement purposes.”

That is the statute’s statement. This page quotes all of the text of section 2117. This page does not quote section 2057, section 2075, or Title 23, section 1980, which section 2117 names. Section 2117 does not say whether any school bus has a camera. This page does not say how that text applies to a particular notice, license, or driving record.

What Title 29-A, section 2308, says about stopping for a school bus

Title 29-A, section 2308, is headed “Overtaking and passing school buses”.

Title 29-A, section 2308, subsection 1, headed “Receiving or discharging passengers.”, states: “A school bus operator shall activate flashing lights at least 100 feet before a stop is made to receive or discharge passengers. These lights must be continually displayed until after the bus has received or discharged passengers.”

Title 29-A, section 2308, subsection 2, headed “Stopping.”, states: “The operator of a vehicle on a way, in a parking area or on school property, on meeting or overtaking a school bus from either direction when the bus has stopped with its red lights flashing to receive or discharge passengers, shall stop the vehicle before reaching the school bus. The operator may not proceed until the school bus resumes motion or until signaled by the school bus operator to proceed.”

Title 29-A, section 2308, subsection 3, headed “Separated roadways.”, states: “The operator of a vehicle on a way separated by curbing or other physical barrier need not stop on meeting or passing a school bus:”

(A) “Traveling in a lane separated by the barrier from the lane in which that operator is traveling; or”
(B) “On a limited access highway where pedestrians are not permitted to cross the roadway with the school bus stopped in a loading zone.”

Title 29-A, section 2308, subsection 4, headed “Use of flashing red lights restricted.”, states: “Except during a driving license examination a school bus operator may not use the system of flashing lights on a school bus for a purpose other than controlling traffic while stopping to receive or discharge school-age persons.”

That is the statute’s statement. Subsections 5 and 6 of section 2308 are quoted below. This page does not say how that text applies to a particular notice, license, or driving record.

Registered owner: what Title 29-A, section 2308, subsection 5, says

Title 29-A, section 2308, subsection 5, headed “Registered owner's liability for vehicle illegally passing a school bus.”, states: “A person who is a registered owner of a vehicle at the time that vehicle is involved in a violation of subsection 2 commits a traffic infraction. For purposes of this subsection, "registered owner" includes a person issued a dealer or transporter registration plate.”

(A) “The operator of a school bus who observes a violation of subsection 2 may report the violation to a law enforcement officer. If a report is made, the operator shall report the time and the location of the violation and the registration plate number and a description of the vehicle involved. The officer shall initiate an investigation of the reported violation and, if possible, contact the registered owner of the motor vehicle involved and request that the registered owner supply information identifying the operator.”
(B) “The investigating officer may cause the registered owner of the vehicle to be served with a summons for a violation of this subsection.”
(C) “Except as provided in paragraph D, it is not a defense to a violation of this subsection that a registered owner was not operating the vehicle at the time of the violation.”
(D) “The following are defenses to a violation of this subsection.”
(D)(1) “If a person other than the owner is convicted of operating the vehicle at the time of the violation in violation of subsection 2, then the registered owner may not be found in violation of this subsection.”
(D)(2) “If the registered owner is a lessor of vehicles and at the time of the violation the vehicle was in the possession of a lessee, and the lessor provides the investigating officer with a copy of the lease agreement containing the information required by section 254, then the lessee and not the lessor may be charged under this subsection.”
(D)(3) “If the vehicle is operated using a dealer or transporter registration plate and at the time of the violation the vehicle was operated by any person other than the dealer or transporter, and if the dealer or transporter provides the investigating officer with the name and address of the person who had control over the vehicle at the time of the violation, then that person and not the dealer or transporter may be charged under this subsection.”
(D)(4) “If a report that the vehicle was stolen is given to a law enforcement officer or agency before the violation occurs or within a reasonable time after the violation occurs, then the registered owner may not be charged under this subsection.”
(E) “Notwithstanding subsection 6, a person who violates this subsection commits a traffic infraction.”

That is the statute’s statement. This page quotes all of subsection 5. This page does not quote section 254, which paragraph D names. This page does not say how that text applies to a particular notice, license, or driving record.

Driver: what Title 29-A, section 2308, subsection 6, says about a violation of subsection 2

Title 29-A, section 2308, subsection 6, headed “Penalty.”, states: “A violation of subsection 2 is a Class E crime that is punishable by a $250 minimum fine for the first offense and a mandatory 30-day suspension of a driver's license for a 2nd offense occurring within 3 years of the first offense.”

That is the statute’s statement. Paragraph E of subsection 5, quoted above, begins “Notwithstanding subsection 6,” and states that a person who violates subsection 5 “commits a traffic infraction.” This page keeps the registered owner text in subsection 5 and the subsection 6 text separate. It does not say which of them applies to a particular paper, does not add the figure in one to any figure in the other, and does not total any amount. This page quotes all of the text of section 2308.

What the Maine Violations Bureau Schedule of Amounts Due lists for section 2308, subsection 5

The Schedule of Amounts Due, a PDF headed “MAINE JUDICIAL BRANCH” and “VIOLATIONS BUREAU”, states: “The listed amounts that appear in this schedule are the amounts that will be accepted by the Maine Judicial Branch Violations Bureau for traffic infractions if paid with an answer of "not contested" filed in a timely manner.” It states: “This Schedule of Amounts Due is effective for traffic infractions occurring on and after September 24, 2025, unless otherwise ordered by the Chief Judge of the District Court.”

In its instructions, the Schedule of Amounts Due states: “To take advantage of the scheduled amount due, the answer of "Not Contested" must be filed within thirty-five (35) days after the Violation Summons and Complaint is served.” It also states: “The amount due shown in this book includes all statutory surcharges.”

In its listing of traffic infractions by title and section, the Schedule of Amounts Due prints this row for section 2308, subsection 5. Its list of abbreviations gives “VEH” as “Vehicle” and “PSG” as “Passing”. This page shows the row’s cells as printed, in the order title, section, subsection, description, and “Amount Due”:

“29-A” · “2308” · “5” · “Registered owner of veh psg stopped school bus” · “326.00”

Those are the schedule’s statements. The schedule states that the amount due shown in it “includes all statutory surcharges”. This page does not add any other amount to the figure in that row and does not total any amount. Subsection 6 of section 2308, quoted above, states a minimum fine for a Class E crime; the schedule row quoted here is for subsection 5. The sources quoted on this page do not list demerit points for section 2308, subsection 5, and this page does not state any. The schedule lists other infractions, and has other instructions, columns and entries, that this page does not cover. This page does not quote Title 4, section 164, which the schedule names. This page does not say which court handles a particular paper, and it does not say which row applies to a particular paper. Read any amount printed on your paper.

Paths the paper describes (not which to choose)

Read which officer or agency served your paper, the court named on it, the section and subsection it names, whether it is addressed to the registered owner or to the driver, the date, the answer date, any amount, and the response instructions printed on it. We do not tell you which path to choose or what step to take.

Violation.com does not collect Maine fines or court costs. If you upload a summons or notice, we summarize what it shows. It is not legal advice.

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Sources retrieved 3 Nov 2026:

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Information on this page was last checked against official sources on November 3, 2026.