How many questions are on the passenger endorsem*nt test in California?

The passenger endorsem*nt applies to drivers who want to drive a bus in any Class A, B, or C CDL. Applicants must pass a special knowledge test, and must pass skills tests in a passenger vehicle. The California CDL passenger test consists of 20 questions .

How do I add a passenger endorsem*nt to my CDL in California?

To get the endorsem*nt, you must pass a knowledge test on Sections 2 and 4 of this handbook . If your bus has air brakes, you must also pass a knowledge test on Section 5. You must also pass the skills tests required for the class of vehicle you drive.

How much does it cost to get a passenger endorsem*nt in California?

Driver's License (DL) Fees Application Fee Info update $33 Removing an air brake or automatic transmission restriction (requires a driving test) $89 Adding a passenger endorsem*nt $89 Adding the following endorsem*nts: – Tank – Doubles/triples – Hazmat $53 20 more rows

How many questions is a CA Class C written test?

In order to get your learner's permit, you'll need to take the California DMV written test, which will have 46 questions and you'll be required to answer 38 correctly to pass. To get a permit, you'll pay a $33 fee and must take a standard vision test at your local DMV, in addition to the written knowledge test.

How many questions is on the passenger?

The PASSENGER test is one of the hardest test out of all of the endorsem*nt tests you can take. There are 120 questions that can be asked. There will be only 20 chosen out of 120. You must pass with getting a minimum of 16 right, 80% or higher in the score.

How many questions can you fail on the CA DMV test?

Unlike most other states, the number of questions on your California DMV written test will depend on your age. Those under 18 will receive a test with 46 questions and must answer 38 of them correctly to pass. If you are over 18, your test will only have 36 questions, and you must answer 30 of them correctly .

Passenger Endorsem*nt in California - A Guide to the Process (2024)

Apassenger endorsem*ntis acertification that you are required to obtain in order to drive a passenger transportation vehicle(such as a bus) in California. You get the endorsem*nt by

securing the necessary permits and
passing DMV tests.

There are two main types of endorsem*nts in California – P and S.

A “P certification” lets a driver operate any vehicle that holds 16 passengers or more.
An “S certification” allows a person to drive a school bus.

In addition, somecommercial drivers will need to obtain an endorsem*nt if they want to transport passengers in a Class B or Class C vehicle. These endorsem*nts are generally referred to as:

a Class B with passenger endorsem*nt, and
a Class C with passenger endorsem*nt.

Note that drivers qualified to operate a passenger transportation vehicle are subject to:

Vehicle Code 23152d VC, the commercial vehicle DUI law, and
Vehicle Code 21702 VC, the law regulating driving hours for bus drivers.

OurDMV hearing attorneyswillexplain the following in this article:

1. What is a passenger endorsem*nt?
2. What is a Passenger P certification?
3. What is a Passenger S certification?
4. Do endorsem*nts apply to other commercial vehicles?
5. What are the exams a driver must pass?
6. What is the process to apply for these endorsem*nts?
7. What are some laws that impact drivers of passenger transportation vehicles?
- 7.1. Vehicle Code 23152d
- 7.2. Vehicle Code 21702

A passenger endorsem*nt is a certification that a person must get to drive a passenger transportation vehicle.

1. What is a passenger endorsem*nt?

A passenger endorsem*nt is a certification that a person must get in order to operate a passenger transportation vehiclein California.¹

TheCalifornia DMVissues the endorsem*nts after a motorist:

passes certainexams, and
obtains requisitepermits.²

Examples of a “passenger transportation vehicle” are:

a bus,
a farm labor vehicle,
an airport shuttle, and
a general public paratransit vehicle.

Once a person earns a passenger endorsem*nt, he/she can enter suchoccupationsas:

school bus driver,
airport shuttle chauffeur,
tour bus driver, and
city bus operator.

Note that California requires drivers to earn passenger endorsem*nts in order to:

safeguard drivers and the general public, and
promote fewer traffic and vehicle accidents.³

2. What is a Passenger P certification?

APassenger P endorsem*ntallows a person to operate:

any vehicle,
that transports 16 people or more.

A driver must demonstrate some of the following to earn this certification:

proper loading and unloading techniques involving passengers,
ability to respond to emergencies, and
proper techniques to respond to an unruly passenger.

Drivers must all show that they can transport passengers of:

all ages, and
all physical abilities.

Note that California does have a15-passenger van law. This law states that a driver must have a special permit to drive a van that is:

designed,
used, or
maintained to carry 15 persons or less.⁴

Even if drivers have this permit, they must still acquire a Passenger P certification to transport 16 people or more.

3. What is a Passenger S certification?

A Passenger S endorsem*nt allows a driver to operate aschool bus.

A motorist is eligible for this endorsem*ntonlyif he/she hasfirst receiveda C certification. This is because a school bus driver must perform all of the same procedures that a C certificate holder can.

In addition, a person has to show that he or she understands the essentials of transporting children alongspecific bus routes.

An endorsem*nt is required to drive a school bus.

4. Do endorsem*nts apply to other commercial vehicles?

The vehicles discussed above are all commercial vehicles. This means that to operate them, a driver must have both:

a commercial driver’s license, and
the applicable endorsem*nt.

In general, there are three main classes ofcommercial driver’s licenses in California– A, B, and C.⁵

A driver needs one of these to operate that corresponding class of vehicle.

Note, however, that a driver may want to transport passengers with a given commercial vehicle (that is not mentioned above). In these cases, a driver will have to get a passenger endorsem*nt for the class of vehicle he/she drives.

For example, if a driver operates a Class B vehicle and wants to transport passengers, then:

the driver will be required to obtain,
a class B with passenger endorsem*nt.

Similarly, if a driver operates a Class C vehicle and wants to transport passengers, then:

the driver will be required to obtain,
a class C passenger endorsem*nt.

The process of doing this is sometimes referred to as “adding an endorsem*nt to a California CDL.”

5. What are the exams a driver must pass?

A person can only earn a passenger endorsem*nt if he/she first passes specificDMV tests. These include both:

a knowledge test, and
a skills test.⁶

Theknowledge testincludes questions on:

the procedures and tasks drivers are expected to know when driving/working, and
the systems and safety features specific to passenger transportation vehicles.⁷

Theskills testis taken “in the field” A driver must:

drive a vehicle like the one he/she intends to operate, and
demonstrate to a DMV employee that he/she has the proper skills to handle the vehicle.

Drivers interested in obtaining a passenger endorsem*nt are encouraged to study theCalifornia Commercial Driver Handbook.

Drivers are also encouraged to take aCalifornia passenger endorsem*nt practice test.

This is sometimes referred to as a “California CDL passenger endorsem*nt practice test.”

6. What is the process to apply for these endorsem*nts?

To obtain a full certification, a person must complete several steps after passing the exams. Some of these are to:

complete anassessmentto earn aCommercial Learner’s Permit, and
obtain amedical evaluation.

The evaluation is necessary for the driver to show that:

he or she is physically capable of driving a passenger transportation vehicle, and
can do so with commuters onboard.

7. What are some laws that impact drivers of passenger transportation vehicles?

Drivers qualified to operate a passenger transportation vehicle are subject to:

Vehicle Code 23152d VC, the commercial vehicle DUI law, and
Vehicle Code 21702 VC, the law regulating driving hours for bus drivers.

7.1. Vehicle Code 23152d

Vehicle Code 23152dis California’s “commercial DUI” law. It makes it a crime for a person to drive a commercial vehicle with aBACof .04% or higher.⁸

When a driver is driving a non-commercial vehicle (such as a regular car), then:

California’s standard legal limit of .08% applies, and
a driver must attend anadmin per se hearingif he/she violates it.

Violations of VC 23152d are punishable by:

informal (summary) probation,
up to one year incounty jail,
between $390 and $1,000 in fines, and/or
a three to 36-month court-ordered CaliforniaDUI school.⁹

7.2. Vehicle Code 21702

Vehicle Code 21702 VCis the California statute that limits driving hours for:

bus drivers, and
truck drivers.¹⁰

Under this section, no bus driver may drive:

for more than 10 consecutive hours in a day,
for more than 10 hours in a 15-hour period, and
for more than 10 hours in a day, unless 8 hours of off-duty time.¹¹

A driver that violates VC 21702 is guilty of amisdemeanor.¹²

The driver will receive a fine. The fine amount is between $100 and $1,000.¹³

Legal References:

DMV Website – Transporting Passengers Safely.
See same.
See same.
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California DMV Website – California Driver License Classes.
See same.
See same.
California Vehicle Code 23152d VC.
These are examples of the penalties and sentencing conditions for California Vehicle Code 23152, including VC 23152d. They are a summary of the possible punishments for a defendant’s first, second or third California DUI offense, as set forth in Vehicle Code sections 23538, 23540 and 23546.
California Vehicle Code 21702 VC.
California Vehicle Code 21702a VC.
California Vehicle Code 21702e VC.
See same.