(1) An applicant for a school bus endorsement must satisfy the following requirements:

(a) the applicant must pass the knowledge and skills test for obtaining a passenger endorsement;

(b) the applicant must pass a knowledge test concerning the loading and unloading of children, including the safe operation of stop signal devices, external mirror systems, flashing light and other warning and passenger safety devices required for school buses by state or federal law or regulation; emergency exits and procedures for safely evacuating passengers in an emergency; and state and federal laws and regulations related to safely traversing highway rail grade crossings; and

(c) except as provided in (2) , the applicant must take a driving skills test in a school bus of the same vehicle group as the school bus that the applicant will drive.

(2) On or before September 30, 2005, the driving skills test required under (1) (c) may be waived by the department for an applicant who currently holds a valid commercial driver's license (CDL) with a passenger endorsement if:

(a) the applicant certifies, and the department confirms, that during the two-year period immediately prior to applying for the school bus endorsement, the applicant meets the requirements set forth in (3) ; and

(b) the applicant provides evidence from an employer of the applicant's regular employment as a school bus driver and operation of a school bus representative of the group the applicant seeks to drive for the two-year period immediately preceding application for the school bus endorsement.

(3) Before the driving skills test may be waived under (2) , the applicant must be able to certify to the following:

(a) the applicant has held a valid CDL with a passenger vehicle endorsement to operate a school bus representative of the group the applicant will be driving;

(b) the applicant has been regularly employed as a school bus driver, driver's license or commercial driver's license has not been suspended, revoked or cancelled and the applicant has not been disqualified from operating a commercial motor vehicle;

(c) the applicant has not been convicted of any of the disqualifying offenses in 49 CFR 383.51(b) while operating a commercial motor vehicle or of any offense in a noncommercial motor vehicle that would be disqualifying under 49 CFR 383.51(b) if committed in a commercial motor vehicle;

(d) the applicant has not had more than one conviction of any of the serious traffic violations defined in 49 CFR 383.5 while operating a commercial or noncommercial motor vehicle;

(e) the applicant has not had any conviction for a violation of state or local law relating to motor vehicle traffic control (other than a parking violation) arising in connection with any traffic accident; and

(f) the applicant has not been convicted of any motor vehicle traffic violation that resulted in an accident.

(4) Effective October 1, 2005, a commercial driver's license with a passenger endorsement is not valid for the operation of a school bus and a separate school bus endorsement must be held.