Virginia CDL Virginia Passenger, School Bus, and Small-Bus Qualification

A vehicle designed for 16 or more occupants including the driver requires the appropriate passenger CDL authority even if it is below Class A or B weight. The applicant passes passenger knowledge and tests in the passenger group intended for operation.

A school bus designed for 16 or more occupants requires a CDL of the correct class plus passenger and school-bus endorsements. The applicant completes General Knowledge, P, S, and Air Brakes when equipped, followed by a representative skills test.

For a school bus designed for fewer than 16 occupants including the driver, Virginia does not require a CDL or P endorsement, but it does require the school-bus endorsement on the driver's license and the school-bus knowledge and skills tests. The license is restricted to the smaller bus.

A person required to register with Virginia's Sex Offender and Crimes Against Minors Registry cannot hold S during the registration period. P authority must carry Q when required, prohibiting transportation of children for school or licensed daycare activities.

Virginia requires school-bus drivers to wear safety belts and prohibits handheld and hands-free phone use while operating a school bus except an emergency or lawful parked dispatch purpose. Authorized hands-free two-way communication with school or public-safety officials is treated separately.

Apply each rule to the exact Virginia credential, age, residence, legal-presence status, medical category, test stage, date, vehicle group, brake system, passenger use, cargo, and route. Current Virginia DMV webpages supersede older supplement text when a procedure or transaction changed after May 1, 2023.