Bus licence classes

By the end of this topic you can

• You can say which class covers a bus with more than 24 passenger seats and which covers a smaller bus.
• You can match Ontario's Classes B, C, E and F to the type of bus.
• You can explain why school bus driving needs extra steps.
• You can list the usual tests and medical checks for a bus licence.
• You can explain when an ordinary car licence is not enough to drive a passenger van or bus.

What you need to know and understand

• In Saskatchewan, Class 2 covers buses seating more than 24 passengers and Class 4 covers buses seating 24 or fewer.
• In Alberta, Class 4 covers taxis, ambulances and buses seating up to 24 people, not counting the driver; larger buses need Class 2.
• In Ontario, Class C is for regular buses with more than 24 passenger seats, and Class F is for regular buses with 10 to 24 seats and ambulances.
• Ontario's school bus classes are Class B (more than 24 seats) and Class E (24 or fewer); applicants must be at least 21 and complete a school bus driver improvement course.
• Ontario's Class C and F minimum age is 18.
• In Quebec, Class 2 covers buses designed for more than 24 passengers and Class 4B covers minibuses and buses for 24 or fewer.
• Bus licence holders need regular medical reports; in Ontario this is every 5 years under age 46, every 3 years from 46 to 64, and every year from 65.

Big bus, small bus, school bus

Your car licence has limits too. In Saskatchewan, a Class 5 driver may drive a van with 15 seats or fewer, and needs to be 18 and not a novice to carry more than 12 passengers.

• More than 24 passengers: Class 2 (most provinces, including Quebec), Class C in Ontario, or Class B in Ontario for a school bus.
• 24 passengers or fewer: Class 4 (most provinces), Class 4B in Quebec, Class F in Ontario (10 to 24 seats), or Class E in Ontario for a school bus.
• School transport: extra training is usual. Ontario requires a school bus driver improvement course and Quebec requires a certificate of competence for carrying school children.

Steps to a bus licence in Ontario

1. Meet the minimum age: 18 for Classes C and F, 21 for Classes B and E.
2. Submit a medical report and pass a vision screening.
3. Pass the knowledge test for your class.
4. For school bus classes, complete the ministry-approved school bus driver improvement course.
5. Pass a road test that starts with a daily inspection, naming each item checked and its condition.
6. Add an air brake endorsement if your bus has air brakes.

Differences to watch for

Training rules vary. Alberta required entry-level training for Class 2 from 2019 but removed that requirement in 2023. Quebec's Class 4B needs a Class 5 licence held for at least 12 months and a knowledge test, with no road test. Other provinces set their own steps, so check with your licensing office.

Common mistakes

• Counting the driver as a passenger seat. Classes are based on passenger seating capacity.
• Assuming a regular bus class lets you drive a school bus. School buses have their own classes or certificates in many provinces.
• Letting a medical report lapse, which can lead to the licence being downgraded.
• Forgetting that many large buses have air brakes, which need a separate endorsement.

Test yourself: Bus licence classes

Answer each question, then read the explanation. Questions come in a random order each time.

Go deeper

• Canadian driving licence glossary
• Driver’s Licence Classes in Ontario and Across Canada
• How to Get a Driver’s Licence in the NWT