Washington State law requires that anyone driving a school bus must have a commercial driver’s license (CDL) Class B or C (depending on the school bus size). Review the OSPI School Bus Driver Handbook for details.
Entry-level Commercial Driver’s Licenses (CDL) require a higher level of training for anyone:
- obtaining a first-time school bus (S), passenger (P), or hazardous materials (H) endorsement;
- seeking a Class A or Class B CDL for the first time;
- upgrading an existing Class B CDL to Class A CDL.
Schools may provide their own instructors if registered with the Training Provider Registry and have the required CDL license.
- Instructors must use the curriculum content listed in the ELDT standards for the class of licensure and/or endorsements sought by the prospective driver.
- This curriculum may be purchased, or the trainer may elect to create and document their curriculum.
- Each driver must pass an assessment based on the curriculum.
- The registered instructor must keep evidence of the evaluation on file for three years and is subject to an audit.
