Washington State School Bus Pre Trip Inspection Checklist to Print

Print the state rule's seven requirements blank, or type 1 beside one not met.

Washington School Bus Pretrip and Posttrip Checklist (unofficial)

Pretrip and posttrip: WAC 392-145-041

Pretrip and posttrip: WAC 392-145-041: a column for each check. Totals fill in as scores are typed.
	Check 1	Check 2	Check 3	Check 4	Check 5	Check 6
Fuel enough for the trip
Fueling: engine off, bus empty
Mirrors clean
Windshield clean
Rear window or windows clean
Entrance step well clear
Whole main aisle clear
Ways to emergency doors clear
Rear window shelf clear
Tools and loose items stowed
All brakes working properly
Lights working properly
Stop signs working properly
Warning signal lamps working
Other safety devices working
First-aid kit, fully stocked
Three reflective triangles
Body fluid clean-up kit
Certified fire extinguisher
Latch of each emergency exit
Safety lock of each exit
Warning system of each exit
No student left on the bus
Articles students left behind
Requirements not met

Type a score and the totals fill in.

Scoring key

Not the state's or a district's form: Made for this site from one code section. No state office, district, examiner or contractor issued it.
When to type 1: A 1 goes beside a requirement that was not met on that check. A blank box means it was met.
A short sheet: It holds what the one section names. That section has no line for the engine compartment, tires or gauges.
The rule's history: WSR 16-10-114, filed 5/4/16, effective 9/1/16. Statutory authority: RCW 46.61.380.

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

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All 29 lines

Before any trip: WAC 392-145-041(1) to (4) 10

Entrance step well clear No article in the service entrance step well that could impede normal movement, visibility or emergency egress, before and during a trip with passengers: WAC 392-145-041(3).
Fuel enough for the trip Before any trip the driver assures the bus has sufficient fuel so that it does not run out: WAC 392-145-041(1).
Fueling: engine off, bus empty Motor fuel is not put into the tank while the engine is running or while passengers are on the bus: WAC 392-145-041(1).
Mirrors clean The first of three things the driver assures are clean before a trip begins: WAC 392-145-041(2).
Rear window or windows clean The rule writes rear window(s), allowing for more than one: WAC 392-145-041(2).
Rear window shelf clear The whole shelf area between the rearmost passenger seats and the rear emergency window, on a bus so equipped: WAC 392-145-041(3).
Tools and loose items stowed Carried in appropriate compartments, never loose on the floor or the dashboard area: WAC 392-145-041(4).
Ways to emergency doors clear The aisles or passage ways leading to any emergency door: WAC 392-145-041(3).
Whole main aisle clear The entire main aisle, in the rule's words, kept free of articles: WAC 392-145-041(3).
Windshield clean Named between the mirrors and the rear window in the same sentence: WAC 392-145-041(2).

Show all 29 lines (19 more)

Working and on board: WAC 392-145-041(5) and (6) 12

All brakes working properly First of five things the driver is to be certain work properly before starting on any trip: WAC 392-145-041(5).
Body fluid clean-up kit Carried on the bus along with the first-aid kit and the triangles: WAC 392-145-041(5).
Certified fire extinguisher Certified to be in good working order: WAC 392-145-041(5).
First-aid kit, fully stocked On the bus and fully stocked, the first of four pieces of equipment: WAC 392-145-041(5).
Latch of each emergency exit Checked before each trip, for all emergency exits: WAC 392-145-041(6).
Lights working properly One word in the rule, lights, with no list of which: WAC 392-145-041(5).
Other safety devices working The sentence closes its list with and other safety devices: WAC 392-145-041(5).
Safety lock of each exit The second of three things checked on every emergency exit: WAC 392-145-041(6).
Stop signs working properly Written in the plural, stop signs: WAC 392-145-041(5).
Three reflective triangles The rule gives the number, three: WAC 392-145-041(5).
Warning signal lamps working Named after the stop signs: WAC 392-145-041(5).
Warning system of each exit The third; no bus runs with passengers aboard unless all the emergency exits are functioning properly: WAC 392-145-041(6).

End of each trip or route segment: WAC 392-145-041(7) 3

Articles students left behind Reasonable action so that they are safe, secure and dealt with according to district policy: WAC 392-145-041(7).
No student left on the bus A thorough check of the bus at the end of each trip or route segment: WAC 392-145-041(7).
Requirements not met Counts the marked boxes of a column, fuel through left articles.

Key 4

A short sheet It holds what the one section names. That section has no line for the engine compartment, tires or gauges.
Not the state's or a district's form Made for this site from one code section. No state office, district, examiner or contractor issued it.
The rule's history WSR 16-10-114, filed 5/4/16, effective 9/1/16. Statutory authority: RCW 46.61.380.
When to type 1 A 1 goes beside a requirement that was not met on that check. A blank box means it was met.

How this list was compiled: From Washington Administrative Code 392-145-041, Pretrip and posttrip requirements, read on 2026-10-05 on the Washington State Legislature's own site (https://app.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=392-145-041). The 24 part rows take the section's seven subsections in order: two rows from (1), three from (2), four from (3), one from (4), nine from (5), three from (6) and two from (7). A subsection that names several things is several rows. Each line restates the rule in our own words and ends with its subsection. The section's history note reads: Statutory Authority: RCW 46.61.380. WSR 16-10-114, § 392-145-041, filed 5/4/16, effective 9/1/16; WSR 07-05-058, § 392-145-041, filed 2/20/07, effective 11/1/07. Nothing comes from an agency handbook, a district's form, an examiner's sheet or a bus maker's manual. Licence: own work

How it works

This unofficial Washington State school bus pre trip inspection sheet restates one rule, WAC 392-145-041, in its own order: seven pretrip and posttrip requirements, from fuel and clean mirrors to the check that no student is left aboard. Read October 5, 2026.

Read the full guide

A column for each trip or day

1. Press Print blank sheet, or mark the sheet on screen.

2. Go down the rule's order: before any trip, working and on board, then the end of the trip.

3. Type 1 beside a requirement that was not met. Leave the box empty when it was.

4. Add a column for the next trip or day, up to six.

5. Requirements not met totals each column.

The last two lines belong to the end of a trip or route segment, so they are marked after the others.
The triangles line carries the only number in the rule: three.

Questions and answers

What does Washington require before a school bus trip?

WAC 392-145-041 lists enough fuel; clean mirrors, windshield and rear windows; clear step well, aisles and rear shelf; stowed tools; working brakes, lights, stop signs, warning signal lamps and safety devices; four pieces of equipment; and working emergency exits.

Is there a post-trip check in the Washington rule?

Yes. Subsection (7) has the driver thoroughly check the bus at the end of each trip or route segment so that no students are left on it, and take reasonable action about articles students left behind, according to district policy.

Does the rule change with the size of the school bus?

The section says school bus throughout and names no bus size, body type or license class. The same 24 lines print for every bus.

Why is this sheet shorter than a district's form?

It holds only what the one section names. That section has no line for the engine compartment, tires or gauges. A district's or contractor's own form is a separate document, and this sheet does not replace it.

Notes

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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.

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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.