Michigan CDL Michigan Passenger, School Bus, and Chauffeur Qualification

P is required for covered vehicles designed for 16 or more people including the driver. S is required for CMVs transporting pre-primary, primary, or secondary students between home, school, and school-sponsored events, and S operates with P. Vehicle weight still determines Group B or C.

P and S each require a 20-question knowledge test, and both require representative passenger-vehicle skills testing. Testing in a smaller bus can restrict the driver to smaller passenger groups. School-bus testing adds the school-bus inspection and operating items in the Michigan manual.

First-time P and S applicants may take the knowledge tests and obtain the CLP before completing ELDT, but the required Training Provider Registry completion must be recorded before scheduling the applicable skills test. N or T training does not substitute for passenger or school-bus curriculum.

A P or S learner may not carry ordinary passengers. Practice and testing use only the narrow group permitted for instruction and examination, with a properly endorsed supervisor. A school employer's permission does not convert a CLP into service authority.

Michigan separately requires a chauffeur license for several paid, passenger-carrier, bus, school-bus, and 10,000-pound operations. School-bus employment can also involve education, employer, medical, and background requirements outside the CDL knowledge manual. The CDL database teaches licensing content but does not represent hiring clearance.

Apply the rule to the exact Michigan vehicle, credential, age, applicant, cargo, passenger use, commerce category, date, test stage, and operating facts. Current Michigan Department of State pages control time-sensitive procedures; the current official manual controls tested safety content unless a newer official notice expressly changes it.