School Bus Driver states
51
Bottom quartile, lowest
Occupational licensing · Transportation · 51 state boards
School Bus Driver Licensing Requirements by State
School Bus Driver licensing rules differ by state. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) compilation and responsible state boards (current as of May 15, 2026), this registry compares education hours, initial and renewal fees, exams, background checks and reciprocity notes across 51 boards. Use the table to compare differences, then verify the current rule with the responsible board before applying.
School Bus Driver across 51 state boards. Nearest coverage peers (51-state band): Chauffeur / Limousine Driver, Commercial Truck Driver (CDL), Taxi/Ride-Share Driver.
- States regulated
- 51
- Avg initial fee
- $80
- Require an exam
- 100%
- Avg education hours
- 77
Board Pathway Strip
School Bus Driver: 51 boards · ~77 avg pre-licensure hrs · exam on 100% · background check on 100% · avg first fee $80. Same-lane boards: Chauffeur / Limousine Driver, Commercial Truck Driver (CDL), Taxi/Ride-Share Driver.
- Chauffeur / Limousine Driver
- Commercial Truck Driver (CDL)
- Taxi/Ride-Share Driver
- Tow Truck Operator
School Bus Driver vs. every tracked profession
Average confirmed pre-licensure education hours, board-sourced state requirements
77 37th of 47 higher than 10 of 47 professions
professions with confirmed education-hour requirements, bucketed by value
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more professions. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source PlainCredential NCSL and state-board corpus · 2026
Transports students to and from school safely.
School Bus Driver initial fees swing $20 (NH) to $148 (CA), a $128 spread across 51 boards ; Chauffeur / Limousine Driver often lands on a different fee band.
Board thresholds for School Bus Driver drift board-to-board; the same pattern shows up on Chauffeur / Limousine Driver and Commercial Truck Driver (CDL) in transportation. Methodology notes live on our methods page.
School Bus Driver edu hrs
77 hrs
Bottom quartile, lowest
School Bus Driver first fee
$80
Bottom 10% lowest
School Bus Driver renewal
$57
Bottom quartile, lowest
Board gates for School Bus Driver: exam on 51/51 (100%), background check on 51/51 (100%) , most boards skip mandated CE hours . Stack that against Chauffeur / Limousine Driver / Commercial Truck Driver (CDL) before calling this license soft or hard.
School Bus Driver: nationwide coverage neighbours
Coverage band
- Security Alarm Installer · 51 states
- Amusement Ride Operator · 51 states
- Animal Breeder · 51 states
- Arborist / Tree Surgeon · 51 states
Hour load
- Childcare Center Director · 55 avg hrs
- Home Inspector · 99 avg hrs
- Real Estate Agent / Salesperson · 104 avg hrs
- Insurance Agent · 48 avg hrs
Cheapest vs priciest jurisdiction for School Bus Driver
A $128 fee spread for the same credential
Initial licensing fees in New Hampshire ($ 20) and California ($ 148) bracket the field, a 7.4× spread for identical practice rights.
NH
New Hampshire
$20 initial licensing fee
CA
California
$148 initial licensing fee
School Bus Driver boards vs Chauffeur / Limousine Driver / Commercial Truck Driver (CDL) - state table
51 statesWhat to do with this
School Bus Driver is regulated in 51 states -- here's how to use that before you act.
- School Bus Driver ranks #37 of 47 professions by average pre-licensure education hours -- see how it compares to similar roles. Browse all professions
- #81 of 97 professions by number of states requiring a license -- see which states are strictest overall. State burden rankings
- Initial fees for School Bus Driver range from $20 (NH) to $148 (CA) -- check whether your license transfers before assuming you'd need to pay again. Reciprocity guide
Requirements are compiled from NCSL and Institute for Justice research and verified against state board sites where possible; always confirm current rules with the licensing board before relying on any single row.
Every figure on PlainCredential is rendered directly from NCSL and state occupational- licensing board data, no number is typed in by an editor. School Bus Driver requirements from NCSL and state board schedules: 51 rows, no hand-typed figures. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.