(TRENTON) – The New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) reminds all New Jersey licensed school bus drivers that federal requirements, mandated under the Motor Carrier Safety Improvement Act (MCSIA), state that all school bus drivers must obtain an S endorsement on their Commercial Driver License (CDL), in addition to the P passenger endorsement they currently have, no later than September 30, 2006.

In order for a school bus driver to receive the S endorsement, he or she must take a knowledge and skills test at an MVC Driver Testing Center. The skills test may be waived if the driver meets certain qualifications, in addition to an employment history that the driver’s employer must certify. School bus drivers operating without the proper endorsements after September 30, 2006 are subject to a commercial driver license suspension for 60-120 days for the first offense.

The MVC began informing bus drivers of the federal requirement and providing subsequent testing in 2004. To date, more than 30,000 school bus drivers have been tested with over 20,000 S endorsements issued.

School bus drivers must be properly licensed prior to the deadline. If a driver has passed the required tests but has not applied for the S endorsement, he or she must visit an MVC Agency to complete the process. Drivers who wait until the deadline may encounter service delays. For general CDL questions, please call (609) 292-7500 ext #5077. For driver testing questions, please call one of the following regional numbers:

Northern Region        (973) 628-6591
Central Region          (908) 412-2665
Southern Region       (856) 486-6099