Passenger endorsement (P)
P is triggered by a headcount, not a weight. Sixteen people including the driver is the line, which is why a van that any license covers becomes a CDL vehicle with one more seat installed.
- Code
- P
- Test
- Knowledge test and skills test
- Background check
- None federally
- Typical state fee
- Usually under $25
- Note
- Prerequisite for the school bus (S) endorsement
Ready to check yourself? Take the free Passenger (P) practice test — no sign-up.
The 16-passenger line
The passenger endorsement is required for vehicles designed to carry 16 or more people including the driver. The word doing the work is *designed* — it is about seating capacity as built, not how many people happen to be aboard.
This is why the classic 15-passenger van sits just under the line and a 16-seat shuttle does not. It also means removing seats does not automatically remove the requirement; the vehicle specification is what a trooper reads.
You must test in the right vehicle
P is one of only two endorsements with a skills test, and the rule that catches people is that you must take it in a vehicle representative of the class you intend to drive. Test in a small bus and you can be restricted to that size.
States mark those limits as restrictions on the license — codes that cap you to vehicles without air brakes, or to a particular passenger class. Testing in the largest vehicle you realistically expect to drive avoids a second trip later.
What the knowledge test covers
The passenger test is about people rather than freight: loading and unloading, standee lines, what you do with hazardous or prohibited items brought aboard, and emergency evacuation.
Railroad crossings get their own attention, because buses stop at crossings that a truck would roll through, and the procedure is a reliable test question.
- Standee line and passenger positioning
- Prohibited hazardous materials aboard a passenger vehicle
- Railroad crossing procedure for buses
- Emergency exits, evacuation and post-trip checks
- Bus-specific pre-trip inspection items
Frequently asked
- When do I need a passenger endorsement?
- When the vehicle is designed to carry 16 or more people including the driver. Design capacity is the test, not the number of passengers actually on board.
- Is there a skills test for the passenger endorsement?
- Yes. P requires both a knowledge test and a skills test, and the skills test has to be taken in a passenger vehicle representative of what you plan to drive.
- Do I need a passenger endorsement for a 15-passenger van?
- No. Fifteen passengers plus the driver is 16 people, but the rule counts design capacity including the driver — a standard 15-passenger van is built to seat 15 including the driver in most configurations. Check the vehicle specification rather than assuming.
- Does the passenger endorsement cover school buses?
- No. School buses need the S endorsement as well, and P is the prerequisite for it.