A school bus permit is required to transport school children through 12th grade for a public, private or religious school in a school bus or any other approved vehicle owned by or operated for a school or religious institution over a regularly scheduled route. School bus permit holders are subject to strict rules and regulations, especially when it comes to traffic tickets.
School Bus Permit Requirements
Permit holders must be at least 21 years of age, have held a valid license for the previous three years prior to application for a school bus permit, complete a classroom training course, pass a written test, road test, physical examination, and an FBI criminal background check.
A school bus permit will not be issued to a driver that has been sentenced to court supervision or convicted of reckless driving, DUI or reckless homicide (while operating a motor vehicle) within three years of the date of application or to a driver who has ever caused a fatal accident as a result of the unlawful operation of a motor vehicle. The Secretary of State will refuse to issue a school bus permit if the applicant has been sentenced to court supervision or received a conviction for two or more serious traffic violations in the 12-month period prior to application.
School Bus Permit Cancellation for Traffic Violations
School bus drivers are understandably held to a higher standard by the Illinois Secretary of State and their driving record is closely monitored after the permit is issued. A school bus permit will be cancelled if the permit holder receives court supervision or a conviction for two or more serious traffic violations within a 12-month period after the permit is issued. This rule applies regardless of whether driving a private or personal vehicle and is not limited to receiving the traffic ticket while operating a school bus.
If the permit holder pleads guilty to a serious moving violation, they will receive a letter from the Office of the Secretary of State indicating that any additional serious violations within one year of the date of the first violation will result in a cancellation of their school bus driving privileges. However, as a practical matter, even a single violation may impact your employment and livelihood.
What is a serious violation?
Under Illinois law, serious violations include, but are not limited, to the following:
- Excessive Speeding (15 mph or more over the posted limit)
- Speeding in a school zone
- Speeding in a construction zone
- Reckless driving
- Improper lane usage
- Disregarding lane control signal
- Improper passing
- Following too closely
- Driving too fast for conditions
- Failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident
- Passing a school bus loading/unloading
Can I request traffic school?
Paying the traffic ticket or requesting traffic school (or court supervision) will not prevent these offenses from affecting your permit. A request for traffic school, whether by mail or online or by appearing in court, is the same as a request for court supervision. If you receive a traffic ticket, it should be addressed in court using qualified legal representation. Our traffic ticket attorneys can attempt to negotiate an amendment to the charge or defend you at trial when appropriate.
What else will cause a school bus permit suspension?
The Secretary of State will suspend a school bus driver permit for 3 years if it is reported that the driver:
- Submitted to required drug testing resulting in a positive result.
- Refused or failed testing as the result of a reasonable suspicion of alcohol or drug use.
- Failed to perform the required pre-trip and/or post-trip inspection procedure.
Contact our traffic ticket attorneys
The traffic ticket attorneys at The Davis Law Group, P.C. have extensive experience representing school bus drivers and CDL holders throughout the Chicago area. Our Illinois traffic ticket defense attorneys routinely appear in courtrooms throughout Cook County, Lake County and DuPage County.
You worked hard to obtain your school bus permit and deserve professional and knowledgeable legal representation to ensure the best possible result. We will use the most effective strategies to avoid damage to your reputation and livelihood. Contact the Chicago traffic lawyers at The Davis Law Group, P.C. today to discuss your case.