Student Transportation Vehicles
Driver shortages are pushing school districts to look beyond the yellow school bus to meet student transportation needs. Student transportation is governed by specific legal requirements to ensure students are transported using the safest means feasible. Federal agencies such as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) establish baseline safety standards, while allowing states to adopt additional requirements to further protect students.
Missouri follows federal law and has also established additional, state-specific safety standards, particularly regarding which vehicles may be used by school districts for student transportation. These Missouri-specific laws differ from those in neighboring states, which can lead to confusion and, in some cases, cause districts to be out of compliance when following practices allowed elsewhere.
It is important for school districts to understand Missouri law and what is permitted within the state.
A specific concern involves vendors promoting 12/15-passenger vans with seats removed as “school ready.” In Missouri, these vehicles are not school ready. Removing seats or self-certifying passenger capacity does not change the vehicle’s legal classification.
Per NHTSA "Post-manufacture modifications such as seat removal do not alter the vehicle’s compliance obligations or safety risks.”
To help districts to provide safe student transportation click the links below for information on authorized vehicles, licensing requirements and more:
Examples of Authorized Vehicles that do not require a CDL to Operate
