Stop arm: extends by itselfExtends automatically, at a minimum whenever the red signal lamps are activated. A device that prevents this gives a signal the driver can hear while it is in use: 49 CFR 571.131, S5.5.
Stop arm: left side, squaredInstalled on the left side of the bus and, when extended, perpendicular to that side within five degrees: 49 CFR 571.131, S5.4 and S5.4.1(a).
Stop arm: red octagon, STOPA regular octagon at least 450 mm (17.72 inches) across, red on both sides, with a white border and STOP in white capital letters at least 150 mm (5.9 inches) high: 49 CFR 571.131, S5.1 to S5.2.2. The standard does not cover a multifunction school activity bus (S3).
Stop arm: reflective or litBoth sides reflectorized, or at least two red lamps on each side, one at the extreme top of the arm and one at its extreme bottom: 49 CFR 571.131, S5.3.
Show all 42 lines (38 more)
Signal warning lamps 4
Amber lamps and entrance doorAmber lamps are optional and sit just inboard of the red ones. Where fitted, opening the bus entrance door turns them off and turns the red lamps on: 49 CFR 571.108, Table I-a.
Red signal lamps, frontTwo red lamps as far apart as practicable and at least above the windshield, on every school bus but a multifunction school activity bus: 49 CFR 571.108, Table I-a.
Red signal lamps, rearA second red pair on the back, set higher than the top of any side window opening: 49 CFR 571.108, Table I-a, signal warning lamps.
Signal lamps flash in turnSwitched on by hand, the lamps flash alternately at 60 to 120 cycles a minute: 49 CFR 571.108, Table I-a.
Mirror systems 3
Cross view mirror labelWhere the average radius of curvature of such a mirror is under 889 mm: a label in the driver's sight that says to use cross view mirrors to view pedestrians while the bus is stopped: 49 CFR 571.111, S9.3(c).
Cross view mirrorsSystem B: each mirror on a stable support, showing the seated driver every test cylinder, A through P in the figure of the standard, that cannot be seen directly: 49 CFR 571.111, S9.3.
Driving mirrors, each sideSystem A: on the left and on the right, on stable supports, at least one mirror of unit magnification, with a view of the ground rearward to a point not less than 61 meters away: 49 CFR 571.111, S9.2.
Emergency exits 10
DO NOT BLOCK labelOn a bus with wheelchair anchorage positions: DO NOT BLOCK in letters at least 25 mm (one inch) high, directly beneath or above each inside designation of an exit door or window: 49 CFR 571.217, S5.5.3(d).
Door holds itself openA positive door opening device bears the weight of an emergency exit door, keeps it from closing past the point where it stands perpendicular to the side of the body, and can be released: 49 CFR 571.217, S5.4.2.1(a)(3).
Emergency door releaseA single person can release the door by hand from inside and from outside, with no tools and no remote controls: 49 CFR 571.217, S5.3.3.1.
Emergency door warning soundWith the ignition on and the release mechanism not in its closed position, a continuous warning sounds at the driver's seat and near that door: 49 CFR 571.217, S5.3.3.1.
Emergency door, rear or leftOne rear emergency door that opens outward, or one on the left side hinged at its forward edge together with a push-out rear window: 49 CFR 571.217, S5.2.3.1.
Emergency windows, roof exitsOne person can open each by hand: a window from within the bus, a roof exit from both sides of it, with at most two mechanisms to work: 49 CFR 571.217, S5.3.3.2 and S5.3.3.3.
Exit name in 5 cm lettersEmergency Door or Emergency Exit in letters at least 5 centimeters high and of a contrasting color; on a door, at its top or directly above it, inside and outside: 49 CFR 571.217, S5.5.3(a).
Exit opening instructionsConcise instructions for unlatching and opening, inside the bus within 15 centimeters of the release, in letters at least 1 centimeter high: 49 CFR 571.217, S5.5.3(b).
Reflective tape around exitsRetroreflective tape at least 2.5 centimeters wide, in red, white or yellow, outlines the outside perimeter of each required emergency exit opening: 49 CFR 571.217, S5.5.3(c).
Starter and a locked exitThe engine starting system does not operate while any emergency exit is locked from either inside or outside the bus: 49 CFR 571.217, S5.2.3.3.
Passenger seats 4
Equipment missesHow many boxes in the column hold a 1.
Restraining barrierOn a school bus rated over 10,000 pounds GVWR, a restraining barrier stands ahead of any designated seating position that lacks the back of another seat within 610 mm in front of it: 49 CFR 571.222, S5(a) and S5.2.
Seat cushions latchA cushion that comes out without tools or that flips up has a self-latching mechanism: 49 CFR 571.222, S5.1.5(a).
Seats point to the frontEvery passenger seat is a forward-facing one. A small school bus (S5(b): 10,000 pounds GVWR or less) is not held to this line: 49 CFR 571.222, S5.1.
Under the hood (engine compartment) 2
Hood: exhaust near wiring or fuelNo part of the exhaust system located where it would likely burn, char or damage the electrical wiring, the fuel supply or any combustible part of the bus: 49 CFR 393.83(a); Appendix A to Part 396, item 3.c.
Hood: power steeringEvery component of the power system in operating condition, the system not leaking, and enough fluid in the reservoir: 49 CFR 393.209(e).
Under the bus 4
Axle alignmentEvery axle in proper alignment, with no axle positioning part cracked, broken, loose or missing: 49 CFR 393.207(a).
Driveshaft guard or bracketA driveshaft that runs lengthwise under the passenger floor has at least one guard or bracket at its sliding (spline) end, unless it turns inside a torque tube: 49 CFR 393.89.
Frame and its fastenersA fastener loose or missing, among them the ones that attach the engine, transmission, steering gear, suspension and body parts: Appendix A to Part 396, item 9.a(2).
Fuel leaksFuel visibly leaking from the tank, a line or any other point of the system: Appendix A to Part 396, item 4.a.
Wheels, tires and lamps 5
Front axle tiresBias and radial tires mixed on the axle, a tire flap that sticks out through the valve slot and touches the stem, or a tire that touches any part of the bus: Appendix A to Part 396, item 10.a(7), (8) and (14).
Hood and underside missesCounts the 1s typed in this second sheet.
Outside lamps burn steadilyEvery exterior lamp is steady-burning; turn signals, hazard warning lamps and school bus warning lamps are among the exceptions the paragraph lists: 49 CFR 393.25(e).
Rear axle tiresWeight carried over the tire load limit, low air pressure included, or a marking such as Not for highway use: Appendix A to Part 396, item 10.b(1) and (7).
Wheel nuts and boltsNo wheel nut or bolt missing or loose: 49 CFR 393.205(c).
Scoring key 6
An unofficial sheetThis site's own sheet, for practice runs. It is nobody's official form: not a state's, a school district's, an examiner's or an employer's.
Home-to-school trips49 CFR 390.3T(f)(1) excepts school bus operations, the home-to-school trips defined in 390.5T, from most rules of its subchapter, Parts 393 and 396 among them. Rows citing those parts are here as a practice list.
Meaning of a 1Type it where the trainee skipped the row or could not say what is inspected. A box left empty is a row done.
No score to reachThe sections read print no passing number for the inspection, so this sheet draws no line.
Rows that cite Part 571Federal motor vehicle safety standards for how a school bus is built. Each line gives what the standard asks of the bus.
State and district formsA state or a school district may require a daily check recorded on a form of its own. This sheet does not replace one.
How this list was compiled: From Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations, read on ecfr.gov on 2026-10-05 in the text current as of 2026-10-01 (https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49). The first sheet is the equipment that federal motor vehicle safety standards set for a school bus, each row citing its paragraph: Standard No. 131, school bus pedestrian safety devices (https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-571.131), S3 and S5.1 to S5.5; Standard No. 108, Table I-a, signal warning lamps (https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-571.108); Standard No. 111, S9, school bus mirror systems (https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-571.111); Standard No. 217, bus emergency exits (https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-571.217), S5.2.3, S5.3.3, S5.4.2.1(a)(3) and S5.5.3; and Standard No. 222, school bus passenger seating (https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-571.222), S5(a) and (b), S5.1, S5.1.5 and S5.2. These standards say how a school bus is built; each line says in our own words what the paragraph asks of the bus. The second sheet takes its rows from sections 393.25, 393.83, 393.89, 393.205, 393.207 and 393.209 of Part 393 (https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/part-393) and from Appendix A to Part 396, Minimum Periodic Inspection Standards (https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/part-396/appendix-Appendix%20A%20to%20Part%20396), items 3.c, 4.a, 9.a, 10.a and 10.b. Section 390.3T(f)(1) with the definition in 390.5T (the text in force while sections 390.3 and 390.5 are suspended) was read for the key line on home-to-school trips, and sections 383.75, 383.113, 383.123 and 383.131 (https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/part-383) for the page's answers about the skills test. The entrance door, the first aid kit and the crossing control arm have no row, because the sections read name no requirement for them. Section 383.135(b) was read for scoring: it sends the pass scores to the examiner manual and prints none, so the sheets show no pass mark, no point value and no time limit. Nothing is taken from a state CDL manual, a walk-around script, a memory aid or an examiner's score form, so a part that the sections read do not name has no row. Our own work: the wording of every line, which named parts were chosen for a one-page sheet, and what a 1 in a box means (a part the driver did not name or check on that practice run). These are unofficial practice sheets, not a state's, an examiner's or an employer's form and not an inspection record. RELEASE CHECK 2026-10-05: each of the 34 part rows was read a second time against the paragraph it cites in the eCFR text; none was cut. Licence: own work
How it works
This unofficial school bus pre trip inspection checklist covers what 49 CFR Part 571 sets for a school bus: stop signal arm, signal lamps, mirrors, emergency exits and seats. Directions for the test are in your state's CDL manual.
Read the full guide
Run the school bus list with a partner
1. Press Print blank sheet for a paper copy, or work from a phone.
2. The driver names each part and says what is inspected, from the stop arm to the seats, while a partner follows the rows.
3. Type 1 where the driver skipped a part. Leave the box empty for a part covered.
4. Choose Under the hood and under the bus for the second sheet.
5. Equipment misses counts each run.
A school bus pre trip inspection under the bus has four rows on the second sheet: driveshaft, frame fasteners, axle alignment and fuel leaks.
School bus pre trip inspection under the hood: two rows, power steering and the exhaust near wiring or fuel.
Driver's area and brake rows are on the second sheet of the bus checklist.
Questions and answers
How to pass school bus pre trip inspection?
49 CFR 383.135(b) ties passing to scores listed in the examiner manual and prints none. Under 383.113(a)(1) a driver identifies each safety-related part and explains what is inspected. The sheet shows which rows were skipped on each run.
Is this a DMV or DOT school bus pre trip inspection form?
No. It is our own unofficial list, not a government form or inspection record. A state or school district may require a daily check on its own form; this sheet does not replace one. The state, or a tester it authorizes, gives the skills test.
Can I save a pre-trip inspection school bus PDF?
Yes, free. Print blank sheet opens the print window, and Save as PDF there keeps a file of whichever sheet is open. There is no separate file to download.
Which sheet fits a small or mini school bus driven on a Class C license?
This page's first sheet cites standards for a school bus of any size; only the seat direction and barrier rows are limited to a bus over 10,000 pounds GVWR. 49 CFR 383.123 puts the skills test in a school bus of the driver's vehicle group.
Can one sheet serve as a weekly school bus pre trip inspection checklist?
A sheet holds up to six columns, so a week of practice runs fits on one print. It stays a practice sheet and is not an inspection record.