Illinois School Bus Pre-Trip Inspection Checklist to Print

Print the hood and entry sheet blank, or type 1 beside equipment found unsatisfactory.

Illinois School Bus Pre-Trip Inspection Checklist (unofficial)

Hood open, then entering the bus

Sheet

Hood open, then entering the bus: a column for each check. Totals fill in as scores are typed.
	Check 1	Check 2	Check 3	Check 4	Check 5	Check 6
Oil, with the hood open
Coolant, with the hood open
Battery, with the hood open
Transmission fluid, hood open
Master cylinder brake fluid
Power steering fluid
Washer fluid, hood open
All belts, hood open
Wiring, with the hood open
Entry steps of the bus
Cleanliness inside the bus
Seats, on entering the bus
Seat belts, if applicable
Windows, seen from inside
Radio or authorized cell phone
Warning devices on board
Fuses, if applicable
First aid kit on the bus
Fire extinguisher on the bus
Lettering of the bus
Marked U: hood and entry

Type a score and the totals fill in.

Scoring key

Not the Form: A study list, not an approved Form: the Department approves every variation of the Form before use, 458.1030(u).
1 means U: The Form has S for satisfactory and U for unsatisfactory. Here a typed 1 stands for U and an empty box for S.
Each day, before the trip: The driver inspects each day the bus carries students and reports defects before the trip: 458.1030(d), (i).
The nine hood items: Inspected at least once every 24 hours; a person other than the driver may do them and sign: 458.1030(g), (h).

Marks stay in this browser until you press Start a new sheet.

Next step Illinois school bus permit questions

All 89 lines

Hood open: Illustration A and 458.1030(g) 9

All belts, hood open Listed under the heading Open Hood and Check. The rule gives fan, alternator and power steering belts as examples: 458.1030(g)(8). 92 Ill. Adm. Code 458, Illustration A.
Battery, with the hood open Listed under the heading Open Hood and Check. Also (g)(3) of the 24-hour list. 92 Ill. Adm. Code 458, Illustration A.
Coolant, with the hood open Listed under the heading Open Hood and Check. Also (g)(2) of the 24-hour list. 92 Ill. Adm. Code 458, Illustration A.
Master cylinder brake fluid Listed under the heading Open Hood and Check. Also (g)(5) of the 24-hour list. 92 Ill. Adm. Code 458, Illustration A.
Oil, with the hood open Listed under the heading Open Hood and Check. Also (g)(1) of the 24-hour list in 458.1030. 92 Ill. Adm. Code 458, Illustration A.
Power steering fluid Listed under the heading Open Hood and Check. Also (g)(6) of the 24-hour list. 92 Ill. Adm. Code 458, Illustration A.
Transmission fluid, hood open Listed under the heading Open Hood and Check. Also (g)(4) of the 24-hour list. 92 Ill. Adm. Code 458, Illustration A.
Washer fluid, hood open Listed under the heading Open Hood and Check. Also (g)(7) of the 24-hour list. 92 Ill. Adm. Code 458, Illustration A.
Wiring, with the hood open Listed under the heading Open Hood and Check. Also (g)(9), the last of the 24-hour list. 92 Ill. Adm. Code 458, Illustration A.

Show all 89 lines (80 more)

Driver enters the bus: Illustration A 12

Cleanliness inside the bus Listed under the heading Driver Enters Bus and Checks. 92 Ill. Adm. Code 458, Illustration A.
Entry steps of the bus Listed under the heading Driver Enters Bus and Checks. The form says Steps. 92 Ill. Adm. Code 458, Illustration A.
Fire extinguisher on the bus Listed under the heading Driver Enters Bus and Checks. 92 Ill. Adm. Code 458, Illustration A.
First aid kit on the bus Listed under the heading Driver Enters Bus and Checks. 92 Ill. Adm. Code 458, Illustration A.
Fuses, if applicable Listed under the heading Driver Enters Bus and Checks. The form adds the words if applicable. 92 Ill. Adm. Code 458, Illustration A.
Lettering of the bus Listed under the heading Driver Enters Bus and Checks. One word on the form. 92 Ill. Adm. Code 458, Illustration A.
Marked U: hood and entry Count of the twenty hood and entry lines with a 1 in this column.
Radio or authorized cell phone Listed under the heading Driver Enters Bus and Checks. The form says two-way radio or authorized cell phone. 92 Ill. Adm. Code 458, Illustration A.
Seat belts, if applicable Listed under the heading Driver Enters Bus and Checks. The form adds the words if applicable. 92 Ill. Adm. Code 458, Illustration A.
Seats, on entering the bus Listed under the heading Driver Enters Bus and Checks. 92 Ill. Adm. Code 458, Illustration A.
Warning devices on board Listed under the heading Driver Enters Bus and Checks. 92 Ill. Adm. Code 458, Illustration A.
Windows, seen from inside Listed under the heading Driver Enters Bus and Checks. 92 Ill. Adm. Code 458, Illustration A.

Engine started, interior lights on: Illustration A 25

All interior lights Listed under the heading Driver Starts Engine, Activates All Interior Lights and Checks. 92 Ill. Adm. Code 458, Illustration A.
All mirrors, adjustments Listed under the heading Driver Starts Engine, Activates All Interior Lights and Checks. 92 Ill. Adm. Code 458, Illustration A.
Ammeter (voltmeter) Listed under the heading Driver Starts Engine, Activates All Interior Lights and Checks. The form gives both names. 92 Ill. Adm. Code 458, Illustration A.
Braking warning alarm Listed under the heading Driver Starts Engine, Activates All Interior Lights and Checks. 92 Ill. Adm. Code 458, Illustration A.
Certificate of Safety valid Listed under the heading Driver Starts Engine, Activates All Interior Lights and Checks. The form has the driver record the month and year shown on the certificate's front and the odometer reading; a later month and year today, or a reading greater than the miles on the certificate's back, means it has expired or is not valid. 92 Ill. Adm. Code 458, Illustration A.
Child check system Listed under the heading Driver Starts Engine, Activates All Interior Lights and Checks. Electronic or manual, in the form's words. 92 Ill. Adm. Code 458, Illustration A.
Clutch, if applicable Listed under the heading Driver Starts Engine, Activates All Interior Lights and Checks. 458.1030(s) gives the clutch as its example of equipment marked N/A when the bus was built without it. 92 Ill. Adm. Code 458, Illustration A.
Controls and indicators Listed under the heading Driver Starts Engine, Activates All Interior Lights and Checks. 92 Ill. Adm. Code 458, Illustration A.
Driver's seat belt, engine on Listed under the heading Driver Starts Engine, Activates All Interior Lights and Checks. 92 Ill. Adm. Code 458, Illustration A.
Emergency exit alarms Listed under the heading Driver Starts Engine, Activates All Interior Lights and Checks. 92 Ill. Adm. Code 458, Illustration A.
Emergency exit windows, doors Listed under the heading Driver Starts Engine, Activates All Interior Lights and Checks. The form says emergency exits and, in brackets, windows and doors. 92 Ill. Adm. Code 458, Illustration A.
Fuel gauge, engine on Listed under the heading Driver Starts Engine, Activates All Interior Lights and Checks. 92 Ill. Adm. Code 458, Illustration A.
Gear shift lever Listed under the heading Driver Starts Engine, Activates All Interior Lights and Checks. 92 Ill. Adm. Code 458, Illustration A.
Heater, defroster, engine on Listed under the heading Driver Starts Engine, Activates All Interior Lights and Checks. The form says heater and defroster. 92 Ill. Adm. Code 458, Illustration A.
Horn, with the engine on Listed under the heading Driver Starts Engine, Activates All Interior Lights and Checks. 92 Ill. Adm. Code 458, Illustration A.
Marked U: engine started Count of the 24 engine-started lines with a 1 in this column.
Neutral safety switch Listed under the heading Driver Starts Engine, Activates All Interior Lights and Checks. 92 Ill. Adm. Code 458, Illustration A.
Odometer, engine on Listed under the heading Driver Starts Engine, Activates All Interior Lights and Checks. 92 Ill. Adm. Code 458, Illustration A.
Service door, open and close Listed under the heading Driver Starts Engine, Activates All Interior Lights and Checks. 92 Ill. Adm. Code 458, Illustration A.
Steering wheel, engine on Listed under the heading Driver Starts Engine, Activates All Interior Lights and Checks. 92 Ill. Adm. Code 458, Illustration A.
Sun visor Listed under the heading Driver Starts Engine, Activates All Interior Lights and Checks. 92 Ill. Adm. Code 458, Illustration A.
Switches, engine on Listed under the heading Driver Starts Engine, Activates All Interior Lights and Checks. One word on the form. 92 Ill. Adm. Code 458, Illustration A.
Vacuum or air pressure gauge Listed under the heading Driver Starts Engine, Activates All Interior Lights and Checks. 92 Ill. Adm. Code 458, Illustration A.
Water temperature gauge Listed under the heading Driver Starts Engine, Activates All Interior Lights and Checks. 92 Ill. Adm. Code 458, Illustration A.
Wipers and washers, engine on Listed under the heading Driver Starts Engine, Activates All Interior Lights and Checks. The form says windshield wipers and washers. 92 Ill. Adm. Code 458, Illustration A.

Walk-around, exterior lights on; bus driven forward: Illustration A 36

Crossing control arm Listed under the walk-around heading: With Engine Running, Driver Activates All Exterior Lights, Walks Around the Bus and Checks. 92 Ill. Adm. Code 458, Illustration A.
Crossover mirror or mirrors Listed under the walk-around heading: With Engine Running, Driver Activates All Exterior Lights, Walks Around the Bus and Checks. 92 Ill. Adm. Code 458, Illustration A.
Driver's side window Listed under the walk-around heading: With Engine Running, Driver Activates All Exterior Lights, Walks Around the Bus and Checks. 92 Ill. Adm. Code 458, Illustration A.
Eight light system, front Listed under the walk-around heading: With Engine Running, Driver Activates All Exterior Lights, Walks Around the Bus and Checks. The form says front eight light flashing system. 92 Ill. Adm. Code 458, Illustration A.
Eight light system, rear Listed under the walk-around heading: With Engine Running, Driver Activates All Exterior Lights, Walks Around the Bus and Checks. The form says rear eight light flashing system. 92 Ill. Adm. Code 458, Illustration A.
Exhaust system and tail pipe Listed under the walk-around heading: With Engine Running, Driver Activates All Exterior Lights, Walks Around the Bus and Checks. The form asks: tail pipe clear? 92 Ill. Adm. Code 458, Illustration A.
Front clearance lights Listed under the walk-around heading: With Engine Running, Driver Activates All Exterior Lights, Walks Around the Bus and Checks. 92 Ill. Adm. Code 458, Illustration A.
Front identification lights Listed under the walk-around heading: With Engine Running, Driver Activates All Exterior Lights, Walks Around the Bus and Checks. The form says identification/cluster lights. 92 Ill. Adm. Code 458, Illustration A.
Front reflectors Listed under the walk-around heading: With Engine Running, Driver Activates All Exterior Lights, Walks Around the Bus and Checks. 92 Ill. Adm. Code 458, Illustration A.
Front turn signal lights Listed under the walk-around heading: With Engine Running, Driver Activates All Exterior Lights, Walks Around the Bus and Checks. 92 Ill. Adm. Code 458, Illustration A.
Fuel tank filler caps Listed under the walk-around heading: With Engine Running, Driver Activates All Exterior Lights, Walks Around the Bus and Checks. 92 Ill. Adm. Code 458, Illustration A.
Headlights: high, low beams Listed under the walk-around heading: With Engine Running, Driver Activates All Exterior Lights, Walks Around the Bus and Checks. 92 Ill. Adm. Code 458, Illustration A.
Left front wheel and tire Listed under the walk-around heading: With Engine Running, Driver Activates All Exterior Lights, Walks Around the Bus and Checks. 92 Ill. Adm. Code 458, Illustration A.
Left rear view/safety mirrors Listed under the walk-around heading: With Engine Running, Driver Activates All Exterior Lights, Walks Around the Bus and Checks. The form says left side rear view and safety mirrors. 92 Ill. Adm. Code 458, Illustration A.
Left rear wheels and tires Listed under the walk-around heading: With Engine Running, Driver Activates All Exterior Lights, Walks Around the Bus and Checks. 92 Ill. Adm. Code 458, Illustration A.
Left side marker, turn signal Listed under the walk-around heading: With Engine Running, Driver Activates All Exterior Lights, Walks Around the Bus and Checks. The form says left side marker and turn signal lights. 92 Ill. Adm. Code 458, Illustration A.
Left side reflectors Listed under the walk-around heading: With Engine Running, Driver Activates All Exterior Lights, Walks Around the Bus and Checks. 92 Ill. Adm. Code 458, Illustration A.
Marked U: left, rear, brakes Count of the twenty left side, rear and brake lines with a 1 in this column.
Marked U: right and front Count of the fourteen right side and front lines with a 1 in this column.
Rear clearance lights Listed under the walk-around heading: With Engine Running, Driver Activates All Exterior Lights, Walks Around the Bus and Checks. 92 Ill. Adm. Code 458, Illustration A.
Rear emergency door Listed under the walk-around heading: With Engine Running, Driver Activates All Exterior Lights, Walks Around the Bus and Checks. Open and close, if applicable, in the form's words. 92 Ill. Adm. Code 458, Illustration A.
Rear identification lights Listed under the walk-around heading: With Engine Running, Driver Activates All Exterior Lights, Walks Around the Bus and Checks. The form says identification/cluster lights. 92 Ill. Adm. Code 458, Illustration A.
Rear reflectors Listed under the walk-around heading: With Engine Running, Driver Activates All Exterior Lights, Walks Around the Bus and Checks. 92 Ill. Adm. Code 458, Illustration A.
Rear tail and brake lights Listed under the walk-around heading: With Engine Running, Driver Activates All Exterior Lights, Walks Around the Bus and Checks. 92 Ill. Adm. Code 458, Illustration A.
Rear turn signal lights Listed under the walk-around heading: With Engine Running, Driver Activates All Exterior Lights, Walks Around the Bus and Checks. 92 Ill. Adm. Code 458, Illustration A.
Right front wheel and tire Listed under the walk-around heading: With Engine Running, Driver Activates All Exterior Lights, Walks Around the Bus and Checks. 92 Ill. Adm. Code 458, Illustration A.
Right rear view/safety mirrors Listed under the walk-around heading: With Engine Running, Driver Activates All Exterior Lights, Walks Around the Bus and Checks. The form says right side rear view and safety mirrors. 92 Ill. Adm. Code 458, Illustration A.
Right rear wheels and tires Listed under the walk-around heading: With Engine Running, Driver Activates All Exterior Lights, Walks Around the Bus and Checks. 92 Ill. Adm. Code 458, Illustration A.
Right side marker, turn signal Listed under the walk-around heading: With Engine Running, Driver Activates All Exterior Lights, Walks Around the Bus and Checks. 92 Ill. Adm. Code 458, Illustration A.
Right side reflectors Listed under the walk-around heading: With Engine Running, Driver Activates All Exterior Lights, Walks Around the Bus and Checks. 92 Ill. Adm. Code 458, Illustration A.
Service and emergency brakes The one entry under the heading Drive Bus Forward and Apply Brakes: service and emergency brake operation. 92 Ill. Adm. Code 458, Illustration A.
Side emergency door Listed under the walk-around heading: With Engine Running, Driver Activates All Exterior Lights, Walks Around the Bus and Checks. Open and close, if applicable, in the form's words. 92 Ill. Adm. Code 458, Illustration A.
Stop arm panel Listed under the walk-around heading: With Engine Running, Driver Activates All Exterior Lights, Walks Around the Bus and Checks. 92 Ill. Adm. Code 458, Illustration A.
Strobe lamp, if applicable Listed under the walk-around heading: With Engine Running, Driver Activates All Exterior Lights, Walks Around the Bus and Checks. The form adds the words if applicable. 92 Ill. Adm. Code 458, Illustration A.
Underside of chassis Listed under the walk-around heading: With Engine Running, Driver Activates All Exterior Lights, Walks Around the Bus and Checks. 92 Ill. Adm. Code 458, Illustration A.
Windshield, from outside Listed under the walk-around heading: With Engine Running, Driver Activates All Exterior Lights, Walks Around the Bus and Checks. One word on the form. 92 Ill. Adm. Code 458, Illustration A.

Key 7

1 means U The Form has S for satisfactory and U for unsatisfactory. Here a typed 1 stands for U and an empty box for S.
Each day, before the trip The driver inspects each day the bus carries students and reports defects before the trip: 458.1030(d), (i).
Equipment the bus never had Marked out on the Form with Not Applicable or N/A written beside it: 458.1030(s).
The nine hood items Inspected at least once every 24 hours; a person other than the driver may do them and sign: 458.1030(g), (h).
Not the Form A study list, not an approved Form: the Department approves every variation of the Form before use, 458.1030(u).
Same driver, same bus A later trip that day needs no new inspection; a different driver or a replacement bus does: 458.1030(d), (e).
What happens to the Form The original is kept by the owner or operator for 180 days; the duplicate stays in the bus for 30: 458.1030(n), (o).

How this list was compiled: From two Illinois texts read on 2026-10-05 on the General Assembly's site. (1) 625 ILCS 5/13-115, School buses-pretrip inspections (https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/fulltext.asp?DocName=062500050K13-115; source note P.A. 89-658, eff. 1-1-97). (2) 92 Ill. Adm. Code Part 458, School Bus Driver's Pretrip Inspection Requirements, sections 458.1000 to 458.1030 and Illustration A, School Bus Driver's Pretrip Inspection Form (https://www.ilga.gov/agencies/JCAR/EntirePart?titlepart=09200458). The Part's source note: adopted at 21 Ill. Reg. 13664, effective October 1, 1997; amended at 36 Ill. Reg. 14428, effective September 6, 2012; amended at 40 Ill. Reg. 2076, effective January 8, 2016. Illustration A is printed inside the Part and carries (rev 4/12). The 78 part rows are the 78 pieces of equipment the Illustration lists, under its five headings; under a heading with two columns the rows run down the left column and then the right: 9 with the hood open (the same nine as 458.1030(g)), 11 as the driver enters the bus, 24 with the engine started and the interior lights on, 33 on the walk-around with the exterior lights on, and 1 with the bus driven forward. Each row names the equipment; where a label adds a place word of ours, the row's line gives the Form's own words. The Illustration's layout, its S and U columns, its Certificate of Safety entry lines, remarks and signature lines are not reproduced. Nothing comes from an agency handbook, a web page of a state office, a district's or contractor's form, or a bus maker's manual. Licence: own work

How it works

These unofficial Illinois school bus pre-trip inspection sheets list the equipment that 92 Ill. Adm. Code Part 458 names in its Illustration A, in its order: hood open, entering the bus, engine started, the walk-around and a brake check with the bus moving.

Read the full guide

Four sheets, in the rule's order

1. Start on Hood open, then entering the bus. Press Print blank sheet for paper, or mark it on screen.

2. Type 1 beside equipment found unsatisfactory; leave the box empty when it is satisfactory.

3. Pick the next sheet from the Sheet list: engine started, then the two walk-around sheets.

4. Add a column for the next day, up to six. The last row counts each column.

These sheets are for study and practice. The rule has the Department approve any variation of its Form before it is used.
The nine hood items repeat the 24-hour list of section 458.1030(g).

Questions and answers

What is the Illinois law governing school bus pre trip inspection?

625 ILCS 5/13-115: each day that a school bus is operated the driver shall conduct a pretrip inspection of the mechanical and safety equipment on the bus as prescribed by rule. The rule is 92 Ill. Adm. Code Part 458, with Illustration A.

What is on the school bus pre trip inspection list in Illinois?

Illustration A lists equipment under five headings: nine items with the hood open, eleven as the driver enters the bus, 24 with the engine started, 33 on a walk-around with the exterior lights on, and service and emergency brake operation with the bus driven forward.

Who may inspect the under-hood items?

Section 458.1030(h) lets someone other than the driver, such as a school bus mechanic or bus attendant, inspect the nine items of subsection (g). That person signs the Form with the date and time, and the signature is valid for 24 hours.

How long is the Illinois pretrip form kept?

The original is maintained by the owner or operator for 180 days from the date of inspection. The duplicate copy stays in the bus for 30 days, and copies more than 30 days old must be removed: 458.1030(n) and (o).

Can this page be used as the pretrip Form?

No. Section 458.1030(t) allows a copy of Illustration A or a form holding all its information, and (u) has the Department approve every variation before use. These sheets leave out the remarks and signature lines and have not been submitted.

Notes

Not a government website. Not legal advice. Forms, fees, appointments and official study materials come only from the agency itself, and its website is linked from the facts on this page.

More notes about this page

This site is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by any government agency, licensing board, exam owner or test center named on it. Agency and exam names are used only to describe what each practice test covers, in plain text and without logos or seals.

Everything here is for study and general information. Rules change, and the statute, the regulation and the agency that runs your exam are the final word. Check the official source before you rely on an answer.

Practice questions do not replace required training, a course, supervised hours or hands-on instruction. Follow the law, the label and your trainer, not a quiz score.

Every question names the statute, regulation or official publication it was written from, and the page shows the date the bank was last checked. If you spot a mistake, please tell us through the contact page.

This sheet is for practice and study, and it is not an official inspection report or a substitute for the inspection that the law or your employer requires.