Bus Driver, City/Transit
License required by 51 states
61st most burdensome licensing requirements.
8th most widely and onerously licensed occupation.
Bus drivers, also known as motor coach operators, drive a bus or motor coach on regular route operations, charters and private carriages. They may assist passengers with baggage and collect fares or tickets.
All 50 states and D.C. require a license to work as a city or transit bus driver. On average, these laws require $106 in fees, 100 days of education and experience, and five exams. Altogether, these requirements are the 61st most burdensome of the 102 occupations studied. However, because bus drivers are licensed by all states and D.C., the occupation ranks as the eighth most widely and onerously licensed.
Each state requires five exams, fees ranging from $18 (New Mexico) to $335 (Washington), and a minimum age of between 16 and 21. Ten states require prior driving experience of one (Alaska, Arizona, Delaware, Idaho, Indiana, Oregon and Utah), two (Rhode Island and West Virginia) or three years (New Jersey). Instead of driving experience, Washington requires completion of an eight-day (36-hour) training course. The other 40 states have no experience or training requirements.
States With Licenses
| Burden Rank | State | States Licensed | Fees | Estimated Calendar Days Lost | Education | Experience | Exams | Minimum Grade | Minimum Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Jersey | 51 | $169 | 1095 | 3 years | 5 | 0 | 21 | |
| 2 | Rhode Island | 51 | $170 | 730 | 2 years | 5 | 0 | 18 | |
| 3 | West Virginia | 51 | $151 | 730 | 2 years | 5 | 0 | 18 | |
| 4 | Indiana | 51 | $153 | 365 | 1 years | 5 | 0 | 21 | |
| 5 | Utah | 51 | $107 | 365 | 1 years | 5 | 0 | 21 | |
| 6 | Oregon | 51 | $229 | 365 | 1 years | 5 | 0 | 18 | |
| 7 | Alaska | 51 | $140 | 365 | 1 years | 5 | 0 | 19 | |
| 8 | Idaho | 51 | $135 | 365 | 1 years | 5 | 0 | 18 | |
| 9 | Arizona | 51 | $35 | 365 | 1 years | 5 | 0 | 18 | |
| 9 | Delaware | 51 | $35 | 365 | 1 years | 5 | 0 | 18 | |
| 11 | Nevada | 51 | $216 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 21 | ||
| 12 | Washington | 51 | $335 | 8 | 36 clock hours | 5 | 0 | 18 | |
| 13 | D C | 51 | $206 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 21 | ||
| 14 | Hawaii | 51 | $160 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 21 | ||
| 15 | Connecticut | 51 | $136 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 21 | ||
| 16 | Colorado | 51 | $257 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 17 | Maine | 51 | $79 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 21 | ||
| 18 | Tennessee | 51 | $57 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 21 | ||
| 19 | Vermont | 51 | $185 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 20 | North Carolina | 51 | $175 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 21 | Ohio | 51 | $162 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 22 | Massachusetts | 51 | $150 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 23 | Kentucky | 51 | $130 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 24 | Wisconsin | 51 | $124 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 25 | Louisiana | 51 | $121 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 26 | Georgia | 51 | $120 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 27 | Arkansas | 51 | $92 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 28 | Maryland | 51 | $90 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 28 | Mississippi | 51 | $90 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 28 | New Hampshire | 51 | $90 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 31 | Wyoming | 51 | $85 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 32 | Texas | 51 | $84 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 33 | Florida | 51 | $82 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 34 | Alabama | 51 | $81 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 35 | Missouri | 51 | $80 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 36 | Michigan | 51 | $65 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 37 | Oklahoma | 51 | $57 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 38 | Illinois | 51 | $50 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 38 | New York | 51 | $50 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 40 | Kansas | 51 | $49 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 41 | California | 51 | $42 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 42 | Pennsylvania | 51 | $35 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 43 | South Carolina | 51 | $34 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 44 | North Dakota | 51 | $33 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 45 | Minnesota | 51 | $33 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 46 | Virginia | 51 | $30 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 47 | Iowa | 51 | $26 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 47 | Montana | 51 | $26 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 47 | Nebraska | 51 | $26 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 50 | New Mexico | 51 | $18 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 51 | South Dakota | 51 | $125 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 16 |
