School-Vehicle-Inspection

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School Bus Portal Type A Inspection Form Type B Inspection Form

Before a vehicle can be registered with a school vehicle classification, an acceptance inspection must be completed through the MVA’s School Bus Inspection and Compliance Division. After the school vehicle is registered, three inspections are required per year regulated by the MVA; one Type A inspection and two Type B inspections.

Acceptance Inspection

School Vehicle Registration

Yearly Inspections (Type A and B)

Acceptance Inspection	Type A Inspection	Type B Inspection
Before a vehicle can be registered as a school vehicle, it must complete an acceptance inspection. Ensures all school vehicles are built to Maryland specifications (“MD” letters in body identification serial number) Public School Vehicles – inspection completed by county public school transportation representative Private School/Entity Vehicles – inspection completed by MVA representative A “Type A” inspection is required for a used vehicle (greater than 500 miles), when completing an acceptance inspection.	Thisschool vehicle inspection includes the inspecting of items set forth in the Code of Maryland for Type I and Type II school vehicles. Completed yearly within a 12-month period. School buses over 12 years old must complete this inspection at a state certified inspection station. Includes the brake readings of all four wheels. Must be completed on an MVA School Vehicle Inspection Certification - Type A form (EP-213). An original copy must be kept on file for as long as the owner owns the school vehicle or contracted to the Board of Education. Submit formto the MVA through the MVA School Bus Portal. If you are a private bus owner and unable to submit electronically, please email us. If you are a Board of Education contractor, please submit according to their procedure.	This school vehicle inspectionincludes the inspecting of items set forth in the Code of Maryland for Type I and Type II school vehicles. Two Type B inspections are required per year. The inspections must be scheduled at least 60 days apart. Inspections must be submitted using the MVA School Bus Portal. A representative from the MVA will be present to observe and record one “Type B” inspection, while the other representative may be there to observe. Except forschool vehicles over 12 years old, the MVA representative will conduct instead of observing and recording. School vehicles that are public-owned or contracted to a public school must contact the Maryland Department of Education on their requirement for additional “Type "B" inspections. Typically, buses that are contracted to a public school complete three (3) Type B inspections per year.

Repair Orders

During an inspection, any defect(s) found is recorded and printed on a sheet (repair order), for the vehicle owner to address. Defects are recorded in two categories: major and minor defects.

Major Defects

Minor Defects

If any major defects are recorded during an inspection, the vehicle becomes suspended, and the tags will be confiscated.
The owner of the school vehicle will then need to complete repairs to correct the recorded major defect(s) before a re-inspection can be completed by the MVA representative.
For Major defects, the bus owner must contact the MVA School Bus Inspection Division to schedule a re-inspection.
The MVA will return tags once the vehicle passes re-inspection.

If minor defect(s) are recorded during an inspection, the bus owner has 30-days to complete repairs.
Bus owners can self-certify repair orders for minor defects after repairs are completed. Bus owners can log into the MVA School Bus Portal and change the status from open to closed, then return the signed copy of the repair order to the MVA within 30-days.
If minor defect(s) are not addressed in 30-days, the vehicle registration is suspended and tags will be confiscated.

School vehicles that fail to complete their inspection(s) or do not complete their repairs within the designated timeframe (30 days), will be suspended and tags removed from the vehicle. If you are unable to complete repairs, pleasecontactthe MVA School Bus Division.

School vehicle owners unable to utilize the MVA School Bus Portal should email the MVA School Bus Division a copy of the signed repair orderwithin 30-days.

Maryland School Vehicle Regulatory References

School-Vehicle-Inspection - Pages (2024)

Acceptance Inspection

​School Vehicle Registration

References

School Vehicle Registration