The heart of every school bus is the certified school bus staff, which includes school bus drivers and aides. School districts and charter schools rely on bus contractors, school bus drivers and bus aides for successful pupil transportation.

Applicants must be at least 18 years of age to work on a Delaware school bus.

New School Bus Drivers

Out-of-State Transfers

Out-of-State Drivers

Training

To search the list of applicable forms, please see Pupil Transportation Forms. For a list of Resources as well as Statutes and Regulations, please see School Pupil Transportation.

New School Bus Drivers

To drive a Delaware school bus, applicants must satisfactorily complete the following:

  • School bus driver classroom training (remains valid toward initial qualification for a period of one year)
  • Behind the Wheel Training with certified Delaware school bus driver trainer.
  • Pre-employment drug test
  • Child protection registry check
  • Criminal background affidavit
  • State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) fingerprinting and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) criminal background checks
  • Delaware school bus driver physical with TB screening

Requirements and Procedures for Obtaining a School Bus Driver License

To obtain your school bus driver license you must complete the following steps.

Complete an employment application with either a contractor or a school district.

Have a contractor or district/school submit a Child Protective Registry registration.

Complete DMV’s online Criminal History Record Check Authorization Form. The applicant must provide an email for the signed form to be emailed to. This can be a personal email or their employer’s email.

Once an individual has obtained a signed Criminal History Record Check Authorization Form, they must schedule an appointment with IdentoGO. Schedule an appointment by using their website or by calling (866) 761-8069. School Bus Drivers are to use the following service code to make their appointment 27RX7X.

Complete School Bus Driver/Aide Affidavit and provide to Transportation Office (notary required)

Medical Requirements:

  • Have a doctor complete the DDOE School Bus Driver Physical Form – (DOT Physical not accepted for initial physical must be on DOE
    Physical Form)
  • Have a TB Test completed and provide results or letter from a physician stating you cannot take the test and are clear of TB.
  • Once the DOE School Bus Driver Physical Form and TB Test Results are submitted to the district, a green physical card will be issued to you. A green physical card must be issued in order to work with a Certified Driver Trainer.

Steps 6, 7, and 8 can be completed in any order. All three steps must be completed and all paperwork before receiving a yellow card from the Transportation Office.

Attend the Department of Education (DOE) 12-hour class in basic school bus driver training. These classes are held every month in each county. Please see the training calendar and complete online registration to attend.

Register and complete DDOE Online Theory Instruction. Once completed print or save the certificate for your records. Online Theory instruction must be completed before scheduling a DMV Road Test.

Go to the Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to take the Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) and “S” knowledge exams and obtain a Commercial Learner’s
Permit (CLP) with “P” and “S” endorsements and “P” and “M” or “N” restrictions. You will need to wait at least 14 calendar days from that date before
taking the DMV Skills test, which includes the Pre-trip test, basic maneuvers test, and road test. To avoid unnecessary delay, recommend scheduling the Skills test as soon as possible after CLP issuance. If you already have a CDL, you will need to take the “S” knowledge exam and follow the procedures above.

You will need a Fee Waiver from a Transportation Office, or you will have to pay to get a permit.

If you have held a license in another state in the past 5 years, you will be required to provide a certified 5-year driving record from that state to Delaware DMV at the time of your skills test.

Step 9 and Step 10 can be completed only after Step 8 is completed.

Complete a pre-employment drug test. Your employer will provide the paperwork and directions to complete this step. If working for a contractor, have them submit drug test verification to district/school. BAT not required for pre-employment. The driver must go to one of the approved drug testing locations.

Register in the FMCSA Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse. Employers must then complete a full query after the trainee has registered within the Clearinghouse.

Steps 11 through 17 can begin after Step 5, Step 8, Step 9 and Step 10 are completed.

Contact a Delaware Certified School Bus Trainer to arrange for the required Entry Level Driver Range & Behind the Wheel Training to be completed. The driver applicant must show proficiency in all areas before moving to the next section.

  • Section I – Onboard observation of CDSBT with students
  • Section II- Entry Level Driving Training Range Training
  • Section III – Entry Level Driver Training Behind-the-Wheel Training

Deliver all remaining paperwork, including Certified Driver Training Checklist, and DMV “S” eligible letter to the Transportation Office holding your records.

Upon notification receiving the notification letter in the mail from DMV that you are “S” eligible, you must provide a copy to the Transportation Office.

Upon submittal of all required documents to the Transportation Office holding your record, they will issue a yellow card that will be given to DMV at the time of your skills test at DMV.

Upon submittal of the Yellow card to DMV, they will complete your records check and issue you your CDL with the appropriate endorsements. Be sure to check your license to be sure that all information is correct before you leave DMV*.

*Please note, you must first successfully complete a CDL Road Test with DMV before they can issue the proper endorsements.

Return to your CDSBDT to complete the last section of Behind-the-Wheel Training Section IV. In this section, once you have received your “S” endorsement from DMV, you will operate a School Bus with students on board transporting them to/from school during normal school hours. You must show proficiency in operation before completing the training.

Once Section IV has been completed with a CDSBDT take Section IV paperwork to the Transportation Office holding your records and provide them with a copy of your new driver’s license showing the CDL with “P” and “S” endorsement.

Once Section IV is complete and a copy of driver’s license showing CDL with “P” and “S” endorsement, you are legally authorized to begin your duties as a School Bus Driver with children onboard.

Please note, these steps are for guidance only, and the Department of Education is not providing legal advice. The driver is responsible for completing all requirements of the law regardless of whether they are included in this list of steps. If you would like to download a copy of these steps, please see the Requirements and Procedures for Obtaining a School Bus Driver License checklist.

Out-of-state driver transfers

Moving to Delaware

Out of State School Bus Drivers who are transferring their license and Commercial Driver License with Passenger “P” and School Bus “S” Endorsements to Delaware will be able to transfer their “S” endorsement but will only be able to complete their transfer once the following steps have been completed successfully. Once the steps are completed successfully they will receive a Delaware Department of Education Transfer Letter and an “S” yellow card certifying the Delaware requirements have been satisfied and “S” is eligible to transfer.

Complete an online DMV Criminal History Record Check Authorization Form.

Complete DMV’s online Criminal History Record Check Authorization Form. The applicant must provide an email for the signed form to be emailed to. This can be a personal email or their employer’s email.

Once an individual has obtained a signed Criminal History Record Check Authorization Form, they must schedule an appointment with IdentoGO. Schedule an appointment by using their website or by calling (866) 761-8069. School Bus Drivers are to use the following service code to make their appointment 27RX7X.

Request a 5-year Certified Driving Record from their licensing state(s). This cannot be printed offline; as that is not a certified copy. Certified copies will have a statement authorizing the record as official and include signatures from the DMV and/or state seal. If the applicant has been licensed in multiple states in the last 5-years they must supply a certified driving record from each of those states in which they were licensed.

All applicant must successfully complete the following items before receiving the “S” transfer letter from DDOE and their yellow card to receive “S” endorsement.

  1. Complete the Delaware School Bus Driver Physical with TB screening (if required).
  2. Complete the Child Protection Registry from the state they are transferring from and provide results to their employer/district.
  3. Complete a Pre-Employment Drug Test (Employer will provide directions and paperwork).
  4. Complete the Delaware School Bus Driver/Aide Affidavit.
  5. Complete the two day Delaware School Bus Driver Classroom Instruction, see training calendar.
  6. Complete the Behind the Wheel Theory Instruction Section 3 requirements for Out of State Drivers with a Certified Delaware School Bus Driver Trainer.

Once all the above requirements are met the applicant must supply their local school district with the following paperwork:

  1. “S” eligible letter from DMV stating they are eligible for an “S” endorsement.
    • Please note, first you must complete the S” Endorsement Out-of-State Transfer Request. DDOE will then verify previous state credentials to ensure they meet or exceed Delaware requirements. If they meet or exceed and the applicant has completed all the following requirements successfully DDOE will issue an “S” approval transfer letter to be provided to Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).
  2. Copy of their current out-of-state driver license.
  3. Completed Delaware School Bus Driver Physical & TB test results (if required)
  4. Child Protection Results from the state they are transferring from.
  5. Pre-Employment drug test verification from their employer
  6. Completed Delaware School Bus Driver/Aide Affidavit.
  7. Verification of completing the Delaware School Bus Out-of-State “S” Theory instruction and test.
  8. Section 3 from their certified driver trainer.
  9. 5-year certified driving record from previous state.

Delaware Department of Education will provide the local School District with the “S” approval transfer letter and the district will issue an “S” yellow card once the local School District uploads the required documents into Transportation Record System.

The applicant then will report to Division of Motor Vehicles with the following required documents:

  1. 5-year certified driving record from their previous state
  2. Their DMV “S” background clearance eligible letter
  3. Their DDOE “S” transfer approval letter (must be printed with yellow background)
  4. Their “S” yellow card
  5. Other source documents necessary to transfer his/her out-of-state driver license to Delaware.

Division of Motor Vehicles will issue the transfer of license with “S” endorsement if they have received a 5-year certified driving record which meets all licensing requirements, DDOE “S” transfer approval letter, eligible background letter and their “S” yellow card.

Upon completion and receiving their Delaware Driver’s License and “S” endorsement the applicant will complete Section 4 of behind the Wheel Training with a Delaware Certified School Bus Driver Trainer.

The applicant will then take the completed Section 4 paperwork and their new Delaware Driver’s License with “S” endorsement to their local School District to have uploaded into the Transportation Record System.

Driving in Delaware while living in another state

The following items must be completed if you are going to drive a school bus in Delaware but hold an Out-of-State license and continue to reside in another state.

Complete all requirements in the state in which you hold a license and obtain the “P and S” endorsement on your license in that state. You must maintain the “P and S” endorsements in the state that you are licensed and follow all required certifications at all times.

Complete an employment application with either a contractor or a school district in the State of Delaware that you plan to work for.

Complete a Child Protective Registry within the State that you reside and provide the results to the employer you plan to work for within the State of Delaware.

Complete DMV’s online Criminal History Record Check Authorization Form. The applicant must provide an email for the signed form to be emailed to. This can be a personal email or their employer’s email.

Once an individual has obtained a signed Criminal History Record Check Authorization Form, they must schedule an appointment with IdentoGO. Schedule an appointment by using their website or by calling (866) 761-8069. School Bus Drivers are to use the following service code to make their appointment 27RX7X.

Complete School Bus Driver/Aide Affidavit and provide to Transportation Office (notary required).

Medical Requirements

  • Have a doctor complete the DDOE School Bus Driver Physical Form – (DOT Physical not accepted for initial physical must be on DOE Physical Form)
  • Have a TB Test completed and provide results or letter from a physician stating you cannot take the test and are clear of TB.
  • Once the DOE School Bus Driver Physical Form and TB Test Results are submitted to the district, a green physical card will be issued to you. A green physical card must be issued in order to work with a Certified Driver Trainer.

Attend the Department of Education (DDOE) 12-hour class in basic school bus driver training. These classes are held every month in each county. Please see the training calendar and complete online registration to attend.

Complete a pre-employment drug test. Your employer will provide the paperwork and directions to complete this step. If working for a contractor, have them submit drug test verification to district/school. BAT not required for pre-employment. The driver must go to one of the approved drug testing locations

Register in the FMCSA Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse. Employers must then complete a full query after the trainee has registered within the Clearinghouse.

Contact a Delaware Certified School Bus Trainer (CDSBT) and complete Sections 3 & 4 of the Entry Level Driving Training Program (ELDT).

Provide the district/contractor with a past five (5) years certified driving record from the state where licensed. Driving records must be provided to the district annually to verify eligibility (certified not required).

Please note, these steps are for guidance only, and the Department of Education is not providing legal advice. The driver is responsible for completing all requirements of the law regardless of whether they are included in this list of steps. If you would like to download a copy of these steps, please see the “S” Endorsement Transfer into Delaware checklist.

Training

Bus driver training occurs two consecutive days. All training attendees must complete online registration. Training is available in each county. Please review the schedule below and/or download a copy of the training calendar.

Class times are from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Please do not arrive for training earlier than 8:30 a.m.

New Castle County

New Castle County Vo-Tech Marshallton Center
1703 School Lane, Wilmington, DE 19808

Register for training in New Castle County

Year Month Available Dates
2023 October 2 – 3
2023 November 1 – 2
2023 December 4 – 5
2024 January 8 – 9
2024 February 5 – 6
2024 March 4 – 5
2024 April 8 – 9
2024 May 6 – 7
2024 June 3 – 4

Kent County

Collette Education Resource Center
35 Commerce Way, Suite 1, Dover, DE 19904

Register for training in Kent County

Year Month Available Dates
2023 October 16 – 17
2023 November 20 – 21
2023 December 18 – 19
2024 January 22 – 23
2024 February 12 – 13
2024 March 18 – 19
2024 April 15 – 16
2024 May 13 – 14
2024 June 17 – 18

Sussex County

Indian River School District – G.W. Carver Center
30207 Frankford School Road, Frankford, DE 19945

Register for training in Sussex County

Year Month Available Dates
2023 October 23 – 24
2023 November 27 – 28
2023 December 11 – 12
2024 January 16 – 17
2024 February 26 – 27
2024 March 25 – 26
2024 April 22 – 23
2024 May 28 – 29
2024 June 24 – 25