It sounds as if the offense occurred in Massachusetts but you were ticketed by the Rhode Island police. If this is the case and you went to court for the offense in RI and were convicted of illegally passing the school bus then yes this violation would go on your RI driving record.
According to the RI driver's manual if red lights are flashing on the school bus, the law requires that motorists approaching from either direction come to a full stop and remain stopped until the bus’ red lights no longer flash. This requirement applies not only on public highways but also on private roads and in parking lots. A fine up to $300.00 and/or revocation of your driver’s license for a period up to thirty (30) days will be imposed for the first violation of this law. Penalties increase for additional violations.
If instead you plead guilty in a MA court then the offense still may show up on your RI driving record. Massachusetts is not a part of the Drivers License Compact which Rhode Island is a part of and requires states to exchange information regarding tickets. Massachusetts though has decided to share violation convictions with other states so Rhode Island is likely included in this arraignment and will be notified of your conviction for illegally passing the MA school bus.
Rhode Island state statutes say that the Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) is authorized to take action against the license of a RI resident if they receive notice of an offense in another state. For example if RI is notified of an offense in another state that would cause your license to be suspended, if the violation had occurred in Rhode Island, than the RI DMV would suspend your driver's license.
The statute does not make it clear if Rhode Island will put all out of state citations on your RI driving record or assess points, so you should check with the RI Division of Motor vehicles to find out for certain if they will place this citation on your Rhode Island driving record.
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