Learn How to Perform an Air Brake Check in a School Bus on YouTube! [1]
A school bus driver with a NY State commercial driver license (CDL) must have an "S" (school bus) endorsement. The “S” endorsement is required to drive specific types of school buses. A school bus driver may not apply for the “S” endorsement unless they already have a “P” (Passenger) endorsement or are applying for both the “S” and the “P” endorsement at the same time.
For the purposes of the “S” endorsement, the term “school bus” is defined as:
You must apply for the S endorsement at a DMV office and pay the required fees.
You must pass a written (knowledge) test to receive a CDL permit with the S endorsement. The written test is based on the information in Section 10 of the CDL Manual [2] (CDL-10). 3
You must then pass a road (skills) test to receive the S endorsement. You must take the road test on a school bus.
See how to schedule and take a road test [3]
No. You cannot drive a school bus that has a seating capacity of 16 or more adults (that includes the driver) or that has a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of more than 26,000 lbs. The CDL S endorsement is not required for the vehicles that you are allowed to drive.
The CDL S endorsement is not required for these trips.
No, you are not required to have the "S" if you only drive children to and from a day camp, even if the bus you drive is a yellow school bus.
No. The federal government has advised the NY State DMV that an S endorsement is not required if a person operates a school bus as:
No. Contact the state that issued the CDL to receive the S endorsement. The NY State DMV can issue the S endorsement only to a qualified driver who has a NY State CDL.
No. You can renew the CDL with the S endorsement without additional tests.
There will be no change to your status under Article 19-A of the VTL.