What type of license is required to operate a 22 passenger school bus with a gross vehicle weight rating of 14,500 lbs.?

To operate a 22-passenger school bus with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 14,500 lbs., a Class C license with the appropriate endorsements is required. This is because a Class C license is specifically designed for operating vehicles that transport 16 or more passengers, which includes the driver, or have hazardous materials.

The endorsements would typically include a school bus endorsement, allowing the driver to operate a school bus. This endorsement ensures that the driver has received specialized training pertinent to safely transporting school children.

In this scenario, although a Class B license is suitable for larger buses and vehicles over a certain weight, the vehicle in question falls under the Class C category since its weight is below the threshold that mandates a Class B license. A Class D license, meanwhile, typically allows for the operation of standard passenger vehicles and does not cover larger passenger transport vehicles like a school bus. A Class A license is intended for operating combination vehicles with a gross combination weight rating of 26,001 lbs or more, which is not applicable here due to the specific nature of the vehicle being a school bus with a GVWR below that threshold.