Before anyone drives children, they're checked more thoroughly than almost any other driver. For a school bus contractor that means several separate checks, each from a different agency, each with its own wait, and some that must be redone every few years. Miss one and a good hire sits at home for weeks, or worse, an audit finds a driver on a route without it.
Here's what a school bus driver background check usually covers, how often each part is redone, and how to keep track.
What's checked
| Check | What it covers | Redone |
|---|---|---|
| Fingerprint check (state and FBI) | Criminal history across the state and the country | Set by the state; often every few years, or ongoing through "rap back" |
| Child abuse registry | Whether the person is on the state's child abuse list | Often every few years |
| Sex offender registry | State and national registries | At hire, and often yearly |
| Driving record (MVR) | Licenses, violations, suspensions | At hire, and at least yearly in many states |
| Drug and alcohol tests | Pre-employment test, then random tests | Pre-employment, random, after an accident |
| Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse | FMCSA's list of CDL drivers' violations | A full query at hire, a query every year |
Tip: Start the fingerprints on the first day an applicant looks right. They often take the longest to come back, and everything else can run while you wait.
Who keeps the records
The contractor usually runs the checks and keeps the results in each driver's file. Many districts also ask for proof for every driver on their routes, and some states say the district must keep a copy too, not just rely on the contractor. Keep the dates and copies where you can show them in minutes when an auditor asks.
A hiring routine
- Get written consent from the applicant for each check.
- Start the fingerprints and registry checks as soon as you decide to go ahead.
- Pull the driving record and run the Clearinghouse query.
- Send them for a drug test before they drive.
- Don't let them drive children until every result is back and clear.
- Write down when each one runs out, and check ahead every month.
Good to know: Which checks are required, what disqualifies someone and how often checks are redone are set by your state, your district contract and federal rules for CDL drivers. Follow the Fair Credit Reporting Act when you use a background screening company. Check with your state's school bus agency.
Doing it in FleetCommander
While hiring. Under HR, Hiring starts with a Background check stage between Road test and Offer. Move an applicant there, use Add note for what's been sent and when, and Add file for the results. See the HR guide.
Once they're hired. Certification types starts with Background check and Child abuse clearance, each set to Renew every (months) 60 and Who must hold it Drivers and Aides; change them to match your state, and add others such as a sex offender check. On a person's page, Add certification with the dates and a copy. The Certifications list puts Expired, Missing and Expiring soon first, and people with HR access get a reminder before one runs out. Drug tests have their own type too.
Ava (Beta), the assistant in the app, answers Any certifications expiring soon? or Who's missing a background check?. More on her page.
Related reading
Questions people ask
- What is included in a school bus driver background check?
- Usually a fingerprint-based state and FBI criminal check, the state's child abuse registry, sex offender registries, the driving record, a drug test and, for CDL drivers, a Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse query.
- How long does a school bus driver background check take?
- Often one to several weeks, mostly waiting for fingerprint results. Start them as early as you can.
- How often are school bus driver background checks redone?
- It depends on the state. Many redo the criminal and child abuse checks every few years, the driving record every year, and some states use ongoing fingerprint alerts.
- Can a driver start before the background check comes back?
- Not driving children. Most states require every check to be back and clear before a driver takes a route.