To be eligible to operate a School Bus in Rhode Island an applicant must:

•  Be at least 21 years of age

•  Have at least 3 years of driving experience

•  Have a good driving record

•  Have no Felony convictions and/or crimes of moral turpitude

Rhode Island requires that any person who wishes to operate a school bus first acquire certain licenses, endorsements and certificates. In order to obtain the necessary credentials two requirements must be filled.

Licensing Requirement

• You must obtain a Commercial Driver's License (CDL) with the appropriate endorsements. The following written tests must be taken and passed at the main DMV office, License Section, and a permit obtained: General Knowledge test (50 questions); Passenger endorsement test (20 questions); School Bus endorsement test (20 questions); and Air Brakes test (25 questions). The DMV recommends that you take and pass the Air Brake test, even though the school bus that you plan to drive may not have air brakes. More information regarding CDL Licence here.
• Once you have taken and passed these tests you must obtain a CDL permit. The CDL permit will allow you to train in a school bus.
• Driving Skill Tests for the CDL license and for the School Bus (“S”) endorsement must be taken before a license may be issued.  
• The Driving Skills Test may be taken up to 120 days after conclusion of the School Bus Driver Training (after 120 days the yellow training card becomes invalid and the applicant must re-take the course).
• No School Bus Certificate may be issued unless the person is properly licensed.

Certification Requirement

Your employer or prospective employer (the school bus company or city/town school department) must forward the application for School Bus Driver Certification to:

Edward F. Parker II
RI Division of Motor Vehicles
Office of Motor Carrier & School Bus Safety
100 Main Street
Pawtucket, RI 02860

The School Bus Office runs the following background checks on applicants:

• A criminal background check, which includes requests for information from the Rhode Island Bureau of Criminal Identification (BCI); your local city or town police department and police departments from any other state where you may have resided.
• A driving record check, which includes your RI license driving record and any out of state driving record from a jurisdiction where the applicant was licensed. Please note that out-of-state record must be provided by the applicant to the Office of School Bus Safety or the application cannot be processed.
• At the conclusion of the background checks the Office of School Bus Safety will inform the school bus company or school department that the applicant has been accepted to the School Bus Training class at CCRI or the applicant will be informed by letter that he or she will be required to appear for a hearing before the Coordinator for School Bus Safety.
• After the hearing the applicant is either accepted or denied admission to the school bus training program.

Applicants accepted into the school bus training program must attend 10 hours of classroom instruction at the Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) A written knowledge test will be administered at the end of the course.

The applicant must then pass a Driving Skills test and Pre-Trip Inspection test no later than 120 days from the last day of the classroom training.

Once the applicant has completed and passed all training and testing, the following documentation must be brought to the Division of Motor Vehicles main branch office for processing.

1. Physical Examination form (must be done 3 months prior to certification)
2. Affidavit for CDL history check
3. Application for Commercial Driver's License
4. Commercial Driver License permit showing vehicle class and endorsements
5. Certification of road test
6. Commercial Driver License road test
7. CCRI School Bus Driver Training card showing class attendance and scores for both pre-trip inspection and driving skills test

The documentation is reviewed by the Coordinator of School Bus Safety to ensure that all needed documentation is present and complete and that the results of the Physical Application form are consistent with Federal and State requirements for school bus drivers and commercial motor vehicle operators.

School Bus Manual (12 pages)