(a) An applicant for a school pupil activity bus (SPAB), transit bus, schoolbus, or farm labor vehicle driver instructor certificate shall successfully complete the appropriate instructor course given or approved by the department.

(b) An applicant for the course shall possess:

(1) A valid driver’s license and endorsement valid for driving the vehicles for which the driver instructor rating is sought.

(2) A certificate or endorsement valid for driving the vehicles for which the driver instructor rating is sought.

(3) Five years of experience as a driver in the appropriate vehicle category, or two years experience of that driving experience and three years equivalent experience driving vehicles that require a class A or B driver’s license.

(4) A high school diploma or General Education Development (GED) equivalent.

(5) A driving record without chargeable accidents within the past three years preceding the date of application for the instructor certificate.

The department may waive any or all of the requirements of this subdivision as it determines is necessary to ensure that there are an adequate number of state-certified instructors in the state.

(c) (1) A state-certified schoolbus driver instructor of the appropriate class may instruct all applicants for a schoolbus, school pupil activity bus (SPAB), transit bus, or farm labor vehicle driver’s certificate.

(2) A state-certified school pupil activity bus (SPAB) driver instructor of the appropriate class may instruct all applicants for a school pupil activity bus (SPAB), transit bus, or farm labor vehicle driver’s certificate, but not a schoolbus certificate.

(3) A state-certified transit bus instructor of the appropriate class may instruct all applicants for a transit bus or farm labor driver’s certificate, but not a school pupil activity bus (SPAB) or a schoolbus certificate.

(4) A state-certified farm labor vehicle driver instructor may instruct applicants only for a certificate to drive a farm labor vehicle.

(d) A school pupil activity bus (SPAB), transit bus, schoolbus, or farm labor vehicle driver instructor certificate shall be valid until suspended, revoked, or canceled if it is accompanied by a valid driver’s license and a special driver’s certificate or valid driver’s license and endorsement of the appropriate class or is limited to classroom or in-service training only.

(e) The department may suspend or revoke a school pupil activity bus (SPAB), transit bus, schoolbus, or farm labor vehicle driver instructor certificate for any of the following causes:

(1) The certificate holder failed to comply with Section 40087.

(2) The certificate holder failed to comply with Section 40084.5.

(3) The certificate holder has committed an act listed in Section 13369 of the Vehicle Code or Section 13370 of that code.

(f) The department shall revoke a schoolbus, school pupil activity bus (SPAB), transit bus, or farm labor vehicle driver instructor certificate if the certificate holder falsified a State Department of Education Training Certificate T-01, T-02, or T-03.

(g) The department may cancel the driver instructor certificate for any of the following causes:

(1) The certificate holder has voluntarily requested cancellation.

(2) The certificate holder has his or her driving privilege suspended or revoked.

(3) The certificate holder has failed to meet the provisions required for retention of the driver instructor certificate. This includes failure to meet the instructor training requirements prescribed by Section 40084.5.

(4) The certificate holder does not possess a valid driver’s license, endorsement, or special driver’s certificate of the appropriate class.

(h) The department shall by regulation adopt an instructor certificate appeals procedure for subdivisions (e), (f), and (g).

(i) The Department of Motor Vehicles or the Department of the California Highway Patrol may disallow the driver training documentation provided pursuant to Section 40087 signed by any driver instructor certified pursuant to Section 40081 if either of those departments finds that the instructor’s certificate would have been suspended, revoked, or canceled for any of the reasons designated in subdivision (e), (f), or (g).

(Added by Stats. 1999, Ch. 646, Sec. 14. Effective January 1, 2000.)