How to Get Licensed for Bus Driving in Missouri
The license you must obtain to drive a bus in the state of Missouri depends on the number of passengers, the weight of the bus and whether it displays a hazardous material plaque. If you drive a shuttle bus, the requirements are less stringent than if you plan to drive a school bus for a public or private school, for instance.
A Class E license empowers you to drive shuttle buses or other vehicles that weigh 26,000 pounds or less and carry 14 or fewer passengers with no hazardous materials plaque. The commercial driver's license authorizes you to drive more than 14 passengers on a bus that weights over 26,000 pounds, and the bus may have a hazardous materials plaque. Driving a school bus, though, requires a Class E or a CDL license with a school bus endorsement called an "S" endorsement.
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Instructions
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Apply for a Class E license, sometimes called the for-hire license, if it meets your purposes. You must be at least 18 years old at the time of your application. If you are under 21 years old, you must meet specific requirements for a full license in the state of Missouri. You also will have to undergo a vision screening, take a road sign test and pass the written exam.
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Obtain your CDL license if that better suits your bus-driving plans. For help in obtaining the license, the Missouri Department of Revenue offers the Missouri Commercial Driver License Manual by free download online, or you can pick up a printed copy in any driver's license office. Look specifically at the requirements for a Class C CDL license to determine the CDL requirements for bus drivers.
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Apply for either the Class E or the CDL licence with a passenger endorsement if you plan to drive a Missouri school bus for public or private school. Once you secure one of these, you must obtain the "S" endorsement. You must be over 21 years old to get an "S" endorsement.
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Tips & Warnings
Apply for any of these licenses at your local driver's license office. Bring proof of identity, proof of training course completion, if required, and money for the applicable driver's license fee.
For the Class E license, if you already hold a valid Missouri driver's license, there is no driving test requirement.
If a school bus driver fails an alcohol, chemical or drug test that was legally administered, the "S" endorsement will be suspended for a year.
