                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

MAXIMUM SPEED LIMITS AT SCHOOL CROSSINGS; PENALTY (§ 46.2-873)

A. For the purposes of this section, &#8220;school crossing zone&#8221; means an
area located within the vicinity of a school at or near a highway where the
presence of children on such school property or going to and from school
reasonably requires a special warning to motorists. Such zones are marked and
operated in accordance with the requirements of this section with appropriate
warning signs or other traffic control devices indicating that a school crossing
is in progress.

B. The maximum speed limit shall be 25 miles per hour between portable signs,
tilt-over signs, or fixed blinking signs placed in or along any highway and
bearing the word &#8220;school&#8221; or &#8220;school crossing.&#8221; Any
signs erected under this section shall be placed not more than 750 feet from the
limits of the school property or crossing in the vicinity of the school.
However, &#8220;school crossing&#8221; signs may be placed in any location if
the Department of Transportation or the council of the city or town or the board
of supervisors of a county maintaining its own system of secondary roads
approves the crossing for such signs. If the portion of the highway to be posted
is within the limits of a city or town, such portable signs shall be furnished
and delivered by such city or town. If the portion of highway to be posted is
outside the limits of a city or town, such portable signs shall be furnished and
delivered by the Department of Transportation. The principal or chief
administrative officer of each school or a school board designee, preferably not
a classroom teacher, shall place such portable signs in the highway at a point
not more than 750 feet from the limits of the school property and remove such
signs when their presence is no longer required by this section. Such portable
signs, tilt-over signs, or fixed blinking signs shall be placed in a position
plainly visible to vehicular traffic approaching from either direction, but
shall not be placed so as to obstruct the roadway.

C. Such portable signs, tilt-over signs, or blinking signs shall be in a
position, or be turned on, for 30 minutes preceding regular school hours, for 30
minutes thereafter, and during such other times as the presence of children on
such school property or going to and from school reasonably requires a special
warning to motorists. The governing body of any county, city, or town may,
however, decrease the period of time preceding and following regular school
hours during which such portable signs, tilt-over signs, or blinking signs shall
be in position or lit if it determines that no children will be going to or from
school during the period of time that it subtracts from the 30-minute period.

D. The governing body of any city or town may, if the portion of the highway to
be posted is within the limits of such city or town, increase or decrease the
speed limit provided in this section only after justification for such increase
or decrease has been shown by an engineering and traffic investigation, and no
such increase or decrease in speed limit shall be effective unless such
increased or decreased speed limit is conspicuously posted on the portable
signs, tilt-over signs, or fixed blinking signs required by this section.

E. The governing body of a county within Planning District 8 may, if the portion
of the highway to be posted is within the limits of such county, increase or
decrease the speed limit provided in this section only after justification for
such increase or decrease has been shown by an engineering and traffic
investigation, and no such increase or decrease in speed limit shall be
effective unless such increased or decreased speed limit is conspicuously posted
on the portable signs, tilt-over signs, or fixed blinking signs required by this
section.

F. The City of Virginia Beach may establish school zones as provided in this
section and mark such zones with flashing warning lights as provided in this
section on and along all highways adjacent to Route 58.

G. Any person operating any motor vehicle in excess of a maximum speed limit
established specifically for a school crossing zone when such school crossing
zone is (i) indicated by appropriately placed signs displaying the maximum speed
limit and (ii) in operation pursuant to subsection B shall be guilty of a
traffic infraction punishable by a fine of not more than $250, in addition to
other penalties provided by law.

H. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this section, the maximum speed
limit in school zones in residential areas may be decreased to 15 miles per hour
if (i) the school board having jurisdiction over the school nearest to the
affected school zone passes a resolution requesting the reduction of the maximum
speed limit for such school zone from 25 miles per hour to 15 miles per hour and
(ii) the local governing body of the jurisdiction in which such school is
located enacts an ordinance establishing the speed-limit reduction requested by
the school board.

HISTORY: Code 1950, § 46-212; 1950, p. 881; 1952, c. 666; 1954, c. 244; 1956,
c. 364; 1958, c. 541, § 46.1-193; 1960, c. 153; 1962, c. 307; 1964, cc. 118,
408; 1966, c. 85; 1968, c. 641; 1972, cc. 89, 546, 553, 608; 1974, c. 528; 1977,
c. 577; 1978, c. 605; 1980, c. 347; 1989, c. 727; 1990, c. 928; 1994, c. 157;
1997, cc. 629, 781; 2007, c. 813; 2015, cc. 459, 460; 2023, c. 84.