19a ncac 03G .0205      ISSUING OF ORIGINAL CERTIFICATE

Any applicant for certification as a school bus driver shall meet the following minimum requirements:

(1)           Legal:

(a)           Shall be at least 18 years of age with at least six months driving experience as a licensed operator of a motor vehicle, and shall possess a valid North Carolina driver license of Class A, B, or C. In the event a prospective driver shall have his place of residence in another state, he may be certified as a school bus driver if he submits a copy of his driving record from the state in which he is licensed before his initial certification. Also, he must notify both his employer and the N.C. School Bus and Traffic Safety Section within 30 days of a conviction of any moving violation no matter what type of vehicle he was driving.

(b)           Shall within a period of one year (12 months) immediately preceding certification have on his driving record:

(i)            No more than one conviction of any moving violation;

(ii)           No conviction whatever of:

(A)          Reckless driving;

(B)          Speeding in excess of 15 mph above the posted limit; or

(C)          Passing a stopped school bus;

(iii)          No conviction of a moving violation which was the proximate cause of an accident.

(c)           Shall within a period of two years (24 months) immediately preceding certification have on his driving record no suspension or revocation of the driving privilege other than for such status offenses as:

(i)            Lapsed liability insurance;

(ii)           Failure to appear in court;

(iii)          Failure to comply with out‑of‑state citation; or

(iv)          A 30-day revocation not accompanied by a subsequent conviction of driving while impaired.

(d)           Shall within a period of five years (60 months) immediately preceding certification have on his driving record:

(i)            No more than three convictions of moving violations of any kind;

(ii)           No more than two convictions of moving violations which were the proximate causes of accidents;

(iii)          No conviction of driving while impaired;

(iv)          No suspension or revocation of the driving privilege other than for:

(A)          Those status offenses enumerated in Paragraph (c) of this Rule,

(B)          Those offenses enumerated in G.S. 20‑16(a), subsections (9) and (10).

(e)           Shall have on his driving record no more than one conviction of driving while impaired.

(f)            Shall have no "STOP" entry appearing on his driving record at the time of certification.

(g)           Shall have no record of any conviction of a violation of the criminal code greater than a misdemeanor for a period of at least five years immediately preceding certification. Further, shall never have had in any jurisdiction a conviction of an offense against the public morals, including but not limited to rape and child molestation.

(h)           Shall have a driving record which in its overall character arouses no serious question about the reliability, judgment, or emotional stability of the applicant.

(i)            Shall successfully complete the training course for school bus drivers.

(2)           Physical Standards for School Bus Drivers. Every school bus driver shall meet the physical standards set forth in The North Carolina Physician's Guide To Driver Medical Evaluation, published in June 1995 by the Division of Epidemiology, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, which is available without charge from the School Bus & Traffic Safety Section of the Division of Motor Vehicles including any subsequent amendments and editions.

History Note:        Authority G.S. 20‑39(b); 20‑218;

Eff. April 1, 1989;

Amended Eff. August 1, 2000; January 1, 1994;

Temporary Amendment Eff. May 18, 2001;

Amended Eff. April 1, 2003; August 1, 2002;

Pursuant to G.S. 150B-21.3A, rule is necessary without substantive public interest Eff. September 22, 2018.