What CDL Do I Need to Drive a School Bus?
School bus driving has the longest requirement list of any entry level CDL job, and the license is only part of it. The federal side is a Class B with two endorsements. The rest is your state and your district.
A full size school bus needs a Class B CDL with both the P and S endorsements, and the air brake restriction removed. The S endorsement sits on top of P rather than replacing it.
Endorsements required: P S What the letters mean
Why a school bus falls where it does
A conventional school bus is a single vehicle rated over 26,001 pounds, which makes it Class B. Because it is built to carry 16 or more passengers including the driver, it also requires the P endorsement, and because it is a school bus it requires the S endorsement as well.
P and S are cumulative. You hold both: the passenger endorsement for carrying passengers at all, and the school bus endorsement for the procedures specific to students, crossings, the danger zone, and loading and unloading.
The numbers that decide it
The federal classes are defined on the manufacturer's ratings, not on what is loaded today.
- Full size bus, GVWR over 26,001 lbs, 16 or more passengers
- Class B CDL with P and S. The standard route bus.
- Small bus under 26,001 lbs carrying 16 or more passengers
- Class C CDL with P and S. Common on special needs and activity routes.
- Bus under 26,001 lbs carrying 15 or fewer including the driver
- No CDL for weight or capacity, though the district and the state may still require more.
- Articulated bus, or a bus towing a unit over 10,000 lbs
- Class A territory, and rare in school transport.
Air brakes
Most full size school buses have air brakes, so the air brake knowledge test applies. The P endorsement also carries a skills test taken in a vehicle of the type you intend to drive, which for a school bus means a bus.
Air brakes is not an endorsement. It is a restriction that stays on your license until you pass the air brake knowledge test, and it bars you from every air braked vehicle while it is there.
When the answer is different
The knowledge tests are the federal floor. School bus drivers in most states face additional district requirements on top: a background check, a physical, a driving record review and often state specific pre-service training. Your district will tell you what it adds, and West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles sets the testing side.
A first time S or P endorsement also triggers the federal Entry-Level Driver Training requirement, which is a separate step through a registered provider.
What people get wrong
- Thinking S replaces P. It does not. The school bus endorsement is in addition to the passenger endorsement.
- Assuming a small bus means no CDL. A capacity of 16 or more including the driver triggers a CDL on its own, whatever the bus weighs.
- Leaving the S endorsement test for later. Districts hire for a license that is already endorsed, and the S test is the most procedure heavy of the set.
Not sure this is what you will end up driving?
The CDL Selector asks a few yes or no questions and tells you the class and the endorsements your plans actually need, which is worth doing before you pay for a knowledge test.
Study material for Class B CDL
Practice tests, study guides rebuilt from the state CDL manual, and narrated audio. 120 days of access, extendable to 180 or 365
West Virginia School Bus CDL Study Material
You save $10.85
School districts and their contractors only hire drivers who hold both the School Bus (S) and Passenger (P) endorsements. Add them to your CDL with the three tests included here.
- General Knowledge
- Passenger
- School Bus
- CDL Manual Audio
120, 180, 365 days of access · No subscription
West Virginia CDL School Bus Study Material
Drivers who will operate a school bus or transport students.
120, 180, 365 days of access · No subscription
No subscription. If more time is needed, it’s your choice.
Questions people ask about driving a school bus
What endorsements do I need to drive a school bus?
Both P, for passengers, and S, for school bus. S does not cover P, so you hold the two together. Each is its own knowledge test.
Do I need a Class B or a Class C for a school bus?
Class B for a full size bus rated over 26,001 pounds. A smaller bus under that rating that still seats 16 or more including the driver is a Class C. Either way you need P and S.
Is the school bus test hard?
It is the most procedural of the knowledge tests, because most of what it asks about happens outside the bus: the danger zone, railroad crossings, student loading and unloading, and emergency evacuation. It is memorization more than reasoning.
Can I take the school bus test without a CDL?
No. The S endorsement is added to a CDL, so you need the class of license that the bus requires first. West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles can confirm the order it tests in.
Other vehicles, other classes
Next steps for a school bus
This page explains the federal class definitions in 49 CFR Part 383. States may be stricter and several have their own intrastate exemptions, so the edge cases are decided by West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles. BeginCDL.com is independent and not affiliated with any state agency.