Passenger Endorsement (P): Knowledge Test, Skills Test, and ELDT

The P endorsement path, step by step

Federal rules require a knowledge test and a skills test for P (49 CFR 383.93(c)(2)). For a first-time applicant, the steps run in this order:

1. Pass the knowledge tests. That means General Knowledge if you are new to CDLs, the P test, and Air Brakes if the bus has air brakes. Skipping or failing Air Brakes leaves an air brake restriction on the license. Washington's guide, for example, bases its P test on its driving-safety and passenger chapters, and adds its Air Brakes test if your bus has air brakes.
2. Get a learner's permit with P. P is one of three endorsements allowed on a CLP, and it must be class specific. With it you may not carry passengers other than federal or state auditors and inspectors, test examiners, other trainees, and your supervising CDL holder (383.25(a)(5)(i)). In a passenger vehicle, that supervisor sits directly behind you or in the first row behind you (383.25(a)(1)).
3. Hold the CLP for 14 days. You may not take the skills test in the first 14 days after the CLP is first issued (383.25(e)). A CLP is also required before any CDL upgrade that needs a skills test (383.25(d)), and California, for example, applies the 14-day wait to endorsement changes that require a skills test, such as adding P to an existing CDL (as checked on October 28, 2026, per California DMV).
4. Finish entry-level driver training. First-time P applicants complete the passenger curriculum with a provider on FMCSA's Training Provider Registry (383.71(a)(10) and (e)(5)). Drivers who held P before February 7, 2022, are exempt for that endorsement (380.603(b)).
5. Take the P skills test in the right bus. It must be a passenger vehicle of the group you plan to drive (383.117(b)). The state confirms your training before testing you (383.73(b)(11) and (e)(9)). The test follows the usual three segments, in English, described in the CDL skills test guide.

Why P depends on the bus class you test in

The P endorsement is only as broad as the bus you test in. Two federal restriction codes enforce that (383.95(e) and (f)):

Watch the letter N: as a restriction it means no Class A or B passenger vehicle, while on the endorsement list N means tank vehicle.

Which class a bus needs depends on its weight rating and seating. Federal rules put a vehicle that meets neither the Group A nor the Group B weight ratings in Group C if it is designed to carry 16 or more people, including the driver (383.91(a)(3)). States can reach further: California's definition of a commercial motor vehicle includes any vehicle designed, used, or maintained to carry more than ten passengers, including the driver (as checked on October 28, 2026, per California DMV). Check your state's manual before you choose a test bus, and see the CDL classes guide for the weight ratings. At launch, full CDL prep will let you practice the Passenger test on its own or mixed with the others.

What the P knowledge test covers

Federal rules list the topics in 383.117(a): loading and unloading passengers, emergency exits including push-out windows, responding to fires and unruly passengers, procedures at railroad crossings and drawbridges, braking, and other operating practices. State passenger chapters, which follow the AAMVA model, turn those into specific rules. Examples from Washington's guide, in plain words:

• Inspection. Close any open emergency exits and access panels before driving. Check that handholds, seats, and signaling devices work, and that the bus carries its required fire extinguisher and warning devices.
• Loading. Keep carry-on baggage out of the aisle and doorways. Most hazardous materials may not be carried on a bus at all. Riders may not stand forward of the rear of the driver's seat, and buses built for standees mark that limit with a standee line.
• On the road. Stop at least 50 feet before the draw of a drawbridge that has no signal light or attendant. Slow for curves, since a posted speed that is safe for cars can be too fast for a bus.
• Prohibited practices. Avoid fueling with riders aboard, and never refuel in a closed building with riders aboard. Do not tow or push a disabled bus with riders aboard unless getting off would be unsafe. A transit bus's brake-door interlock is not a substitute for the parking brake.

The number of questions is a state choice. As checked on October 28, 2026, Washington's passenger test has 20 questions with 16 needed to pass. Full CDL prep planned for launch includes 206 Passenger questions, with every answer explained.

Railroad crossings with passengers: the rule and a scenario

The federal rule is specific. A bus transporting passengers must stop within 50 feet of the tracks and no closer than 15 feet, then listen and look both ways for a train. Once it is safe, the driver crosses in a gear that will not need changing, and does not shift while crossing (49 CFR 392.10(a)). The stop is not required at a few listed crossings, such as one where a police officer or flagger directs traffic to proceed, one with a green traffic signal that local law lets you treat as a go, or a crossing marked abandoned or exempt (392.10(b)). Washington's guide adds a practical step: open the forward door if it helps you see or hear a train.

Here is an original scenario with a fictional driver. Dana is driving a charter coach with 30 riders on a two-lane rural road. Ahead is a crossing with crossbuck signs only, no lights or gates, and a long clear view in both directions with no train in sight.

• The tempting answer: slow down, look both ways while rolling, and cross, since the view is clear.
• The answer the rule requires: a full stop no closer than 15 feet and no farther than 50 feet from the tracks, four-way flashers on as the manual recommends, and a look and listen in both directions, with the door open if that helps. Then cross in a gear that will not need a shift, and do not change gears on the tracks.

Two details catch people. The stop rule in 392.10(a)(1) covers a bus transporting passengers, so it does not reach an empty bus. Federal rules still require every other commercial vehicle, an empty bus included, to approach slowly enough to stop before the nearest rail and to cross only after making sure the way is clear (392.11). Your state law or employer may require a full stop. And after one train passes, check for a second train on another track before you cross.

For a 2027 test date, the stop rule above is still the one to learn. FMCSA has an open proceeding on a possible exception for crossings whose active warning devices are not activated (docket FMCSA-2021-0050, with a notice of data availability on March 27, 2026), but no final rule had been published as of October 28, 2026.

ELDT for the passenger endorsement

The federal passenger curriculum (49 CFR Part 380, Appendix C) has no minimum number of hours, but the provider must cover every topic. You need an overall score of at least 80% on the theory assessment (380.715). Theory units include post-crash and other emergency procedures with passenger evacuation, inspecting emergency exits and passenger areas, fueling, baggage, passenger safety briefings, passenger management including standing passengers, the Americans with Disabilities Act, railroad crossings and drawbridges, and roadside inspections. The behind-the-wheel training takes place in a passenger vehicle of the same group you intend to drive, and the instructor records your clock hours.

If you plan to drive a school bus, P is only the first half. The school bus endorsement guide covers what S adds, and the CDL endorsements overview compares P with the other codes. Passy's free CDL practice questions do not include passenger endorsement items, so for quick review once you have read your state's passenger chapter, look at the 70 Passenger flashcards planned for launch.