West Virginia

School bus in-service

REQUIRED 18 hours annual (July 1 - June 30)

Citation: W. Va. Code R. § 126-92-20.4 (WVBE Policy 4336)

WVDE certifies school bus operators under State Board Policy 4336 (126CSR92). All operators, including substitutes, must receive at least 18 hours of transportation-related professional development annually (§20.4); failure to complete it is grounds for decertification (§21.1.c). The certification test is re-administered annually for substitutes and probationary operators and triennially for continuing-contract operators (§20.5); counties request certification renewal annually, showing passage of the annual physical exam and an annual DMV record report (§20.6).

Official source ›

CDL & endorsements

CDL renewal cycle: every 5 years.

No general recurring continuing-education requirement for CDL holders beyond the 5-year renewal (WV CDLs expire on the birthday in a year divisible by five).

Hazmat: Standard federal cycle: TSA security threat assessment every 5 years for the hazmat endorsement; no WV-specific quirk identified in this research.

• Operators of buses for students with special healthcare needs: 6 hours initial training plus a minimum 1 hour refresher annually (Policy 4336 §5.5)
• Bus aides: 6 hours initial training plus 1 hour annual refresher by a WVDE-certified trainer (§5.6)
• Operators who drive fewer than 5 times in a school year: minimum 6 hours behind-the-wheel refresher before recertification (§20.8)
• Annual physical examination required (§19.1)
• Bus maintenance personnel: 18 hours professional development annually (§25.4, §26.2.c)