Key takeaways
- Class B covers any school purposes bus. Class E is the same job capped at 24 passengers.
- You need to be 21, hold a full Ontario licence, have fewer than 6 demerit points, and have had no suspension in the past 12 months.
- A ministry medical certificate gates the knowledge test, so book that appointment first.
- A government-approved School Bus Driver Improvement Course is mandatory and the certificate is good for five years.
- You also need a Criminal Record and Judicial Matters check, and a Z endorsement if the bus runs air brakes.
A Class B is the school bus licence. Boards and operators around Sarnia-Lambton and Chatham-Kent are short of drivers most years, and it is one of the few licences that pays for itself quickly. It is also the most paperwork-heavy licence we train for, so here is the order things have to happen in.
What a Class B lets you drive
A Class B covers any school purposes bus, at any passenger capacity. It also carries the classes below it, so a Class B holder can drive Class C, D, E, F and G vehicles as well.
Class E is the smaller version. Same job, capped at 24 passengers. If you only plan to drive a small bus or a van route, E is a shorter road. If you want to be useful to an operator on any route they hand you, B is the one to get.
Who qualifies
- 21 or older.
- Holding a valid Ontario licence that is not a G1, G2, M, M1 or M2. A full G is the usual starting point.
- Fewer than 6 demerit points on your record.
- No licence suspension in the past 12 months, for any offence.
That last one catches people. A suspension 13 months ago is fine. Eleven months ago and you wait.
The medical comes first
You need a completed ministry medical certificate before you are allowed to take the knowledge test. Your doctor fills it in. Book that appointment before anything else, because it is usually the slowest step and everything else waits on it.
It repeats for as long as you hold the licence. Every five years under 46, every three years from 46 to 64, and every year at 65 and over.
The criminal record check
You have to pass a Criminal Record and Judicial Matters check. You are going to be alone with other people's children, so this one is not negotiable and it is not fast. Start it the same week you book the medical.
The School Bus Driver Improvement Course
Ontario requires a government-approved School Bus Driver Improvement Course before you can be licensed. It covers loading and unloading, the danger zones around the bus, railway crossings, student management and emergency evacuation. Once you pass, the certificate is good for five years.
Knowledge test and vision test
At the DriveTest centre you take a vision test and a written knowledge test on the operation of school buses and trucks. The ministry's bus handbook is the study material and it is free online. Read it properly. The questions come straight out of it.
Air brakes
A Z endorsement is what lets you operate a vehicle with air brakes. Not every school bus has them, but plenty do, and most operators want the Z on your licence before they will put you on a route. Ask whoever is hiring you what their fleet runs before you decide to skip it.
The road test
The road test is done in an actual school bus that meets the requirements for the class. That is the part almost nobody can arrange on their own, and it is where a school comes in. You perform a pre-trip inspection, then drive: mirrors, wide turns, railway crossings, the loading procedure, backing, and handling a vehicle whose back end is a long way behind you.
Driving a bus is not hard. It is different. Everything happens slower and takes more room, and the pre-trip inspection is a memorized routine you have to be able to perform out loud while the examiner listens.
The order we recommend
- Book the medical. It gates everything.
- Start the criminal record check the same week.
- Book the School Bus Driver Improvement Course.
- Study the bus handbook and take the knowledge test.
- Train in the bus and book the road test.
Training with Journeys
Nicole is P.R.I.D.E. certified for training bus and fleet drivers, and we run Class B training for individuals and for employers putting a group through at once. Most of our commercial work comes from operators who need drivers ready before September.
If you are an employer, tell us how many drivers and by when and we will build the schedule around it. If you are doing this on your own, call (519) 381-4250 and we will work out where you are in the list above.
