Does a church bus require annual or semi-annual inspection?

Post date: Mar 10, 2018 1:4:39 AM

According to the PA inspection regulations Subchapter A, there are three basic types of vehicles that require semi-annual inspection:

• • School buses, vehicles which are under contract with or owned by a school district or a private or parochial school,including vehicles having chartered group and party rights under the Public Utility Commission and used to transport school students;

  • Passenger vans used to transport persons for hire or owned by a commercial enterprise and used for the transportation of employees to or from their place of employment;

  • Mass transit vehicles.

Most buses and vans owned or leased by a church entity do not fall into any of these categories and therefore require annual inspection. In most cases these vehicles would be registered as an "Omnibus."

The only case where a church bus would require semi-annual inspection would be if the church also operates a parochial school and the bus is used to transport the students to and from the school and for school events. In these cases the vehicles would likely be registered as a "School Bus" or "School Vehicle".

PennDOT offers a fact sheet that provides more information about buses and school vehicles and their appropriate registration and use.