Sec. 33.

(1) A school bus shall be painted as follows:

(a) The body, cowl, hood, and fenders shall be national school bus chrome yellow.

(b) The bumper, body trim, wheels, and lettering shall be black. The wheel rims shall be gray, black, white, or natural, as provided by the manufacturer.

(c) The wheel covers, if painted, shall be black.

(d) The grill, if not chrome, shall be national school bus chrome yellow.

(e) The mirrors, if painted, shall be black or yellow.

(f) The name of the school district or contractor shall be permanently affixed in black letters that are at least 6 inches high on the sides of the bus. The name of the school district or contractor shall be permanently affixed on the front and back of the bus in black letters.

(g) The words "school bus" shall be permanently affixed on the front and back of the bus between the overhead flashers in black letters that are at least 8 inches in height.

(h) The outside of a school bus shall not have any other lettering, symbol, marking, or advertising, except that animal pictures, cartoon figures, and similar insignia may be affixed to the bus in a temporary manner near the entrance door, but not closer than the second window, to assist in identifying the bus route. A unique identification number may be permanently affixed on the upper corners of the back, front, or sides of the bus. A contractor shall display a USDOT number when required and in the manner required by 49 CFR parts 390 to 399.

(i) Wording for school bus roof and door emergency exits, for inside and outside the bus, shall comply with the motor vehicle safety standards found in 49 CFR 571.217.

(j) The roof of a school bus may be white or yellow. However, no part of a school bus may be white below the drip rail above the side windows.

(2) A bus, other than a school bus, shall not be painted, in whole or in part, in the colors and design specified in subsection (1). This subsection does not apply to either of the following:

(a) A bus leased seasonally to transport agricultural workers to and from a field for agricultural operations.

(b) A bus certified by the state transportation department that is owned and operated by a private carrier primarily under contract with a school system that is also used for occasional charter service to the public or for school-related event transportation.

(3) Subsection (1) does not apply to multifunction school activity buses.

History: 1990, Act 187, Eff. Aug. 15, 1990 ;-- Am. 2001, Act 130, Imd. Eff. Oct. 15, 2001 ;-- Am. 2006, Act 107, Eff. Aug. 15, 2006 ;-- Am. 2018, Act 422, Eff. Mar. 20, 2019