P Passenger (P) Endorsement

Requirements verified July 20, 2026

The passenger (P) endorsement lets you drive buses and other passenger-carrying commercial vehicles. It's a knowledge test plus a skills test in a passenger vehicle, and first-timers need ELDT training.

The passenger (P) endorsement is required to drive buses and other passenger-carrying commercial vehicles. Unlike hazmat or tanker, it takes both a knowledge test and a skills test — and the skills test must be done in a passenger vehicle of the same group you'll operate. Test in a smaller vehicle than you plan to drive and you may end up with a restriction (M or N) that limits which passenger vehicles you're allowed behind the wheel of.

First-time passenger applicants (on or after February 7, 2022) must complete ELDT — both theory and behind-the-wheel training — from a provider on the FMCSA Training Provider Registry before taking the skills test. There is no federal TSA background check for the passenger endorsement, though individual employers and transit agencies run their own checks.

If you want to drive a school bus specifically, you'll need the school bus (S) endorsement, which requires the passenger endorsement first plus its own knowledge and skills tests.

Who needs the P endorsement?

Any driver of a bus or other CMV designed to carry the number of passengers that puts it in a commercial class — for example transit buses, motorcoaches, and larger shuttle vehicles.

What it takes

Test: Knowledge + skills test.

Federal requirements: Pass the passenger knowledge test AND a skills test in a passenger vehicle of the same class you'll drive. No TSA background check applies at the federal level.

ELDT: First-time applicants must complete Entry-Level Driver Training from a provider on the FMCSA Training Provider Registry before testing. How ELDT works →

First-time passenger applicants must complete ELDT theory and behind-the-wheel training from a registered provider before the skills test. Because the skills test is taken in a specific vehicle group, testing in a smaller group can leave you with an M or N restriction limiting the passenger vehicles you may drive.

Passenger (P) Endorsement FAQ

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