Maine

School bus in-service

REQUIRED 16 hours annual

Citation: 05-071 C.M.R. ch. 81, § 4

Maine DOE rule Chapter 81 (School Transportation Safety), § 4 'Minimum Training Requirements for Transportation Employee In-Service Safety Practices': school bus drivers shall complete a minimum of 16 hours of in-service training annually, including both behind-the-wheel and classroom training, with documentation provided annually to the employer. New candidates must complete a minimum of 40 hours of initial school bus driver training, certified to the Secretary of State; regional training programs are administered by the DOE under 29-A M.R.S. § 2303(4).

Official source ›

CDL & endorsements

CDL renewal cycle: every 5 years.

No general CDL continuing education beyond renewal. Maine CDLs expire on the holder's 5th birthday following issuance for drivers under 65 (29-A M.R.S. § 1406-A), a shorter cycle than the 6-year non-commercial license.

Hazmat: Standard federal TSA Security Threat Assessment on the 5-year cycle for the H endorsement; no notable Maine-specific quirk surfaced in research.

• Chapter 81 in-service requirements apply to 'transportation employees' broadly, with annual safety-training documentation to the employer
• Supervised school bus emergency evacuation drills for students twice per year (once per semester)