The New York passenger endorsement, known as the P endorsement, is an add-on to a commercial driver license that lets you drive vehicles designed to carry 16 or more people, counting yourself. To get it, you need a valid Class A, B, or C CDL, a current DOT medical certificate, federally approved entry-level training (if this is your first time), a passing score on a written knowledge test, and a passing score on a skills test taken in a passenger-carrying vehicle.
Who Needs the P Endorsement
New York defines a commercial motor vehicle, in part, as one designed or used to transport 15 or more passengers in addition to the driver.1New York State Senate. New York Vehicle and Traffic Law 501-A – Definitions So any vehicle with 16 or more total seats triggers the CDL requirement, and the P endorsement is what authorizes passenger transport in it. Transit buses, charter coaches, airport shuttles, and large church or hotel vans all fall in this group.
The CDL class controls vehicle size. Class A covers heavy combination vehicles, Class B covers heavy single vehicles like most full-size buses, and Class C covers smaller commercial vehicles.2New York State Senate. New York Vehicle and Traffic Law 501 – Drivers Licenses and Learners Permits Any of the three can carry a P endorsement.
Smaller for-hire work follows different rules. Carrying up to 14 passengers for hire may only require New York’s Class E license rather than a CDL with a P endorsement. Federal rules set a lower threshold when compensation is involved, so if you’re driving for pay near these cutoffs, confirm your specific obligations with the DMV before you take a job.
Entry-Level Driver Training
Since February 7, 2022, first-time P endorsement applicants must complete Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) through a provider listed on the FMCSA’s Training Provider Registry.3FMCSA. Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) The DMV will not let you schedule the knowledge test until your provider has uploaded your completion record to the federal registry. Drivers who already held a P endorsement before that date are grandfathered.
ELDT has two parts. Theory instruction covers post-crash procedures, pre-trip and en-route inspections, passenger management, ADA compliance, hours-of-service rules, railroad crossings, and security awareness, among other topics. You must score at least 80 percent on the theory assessment.4Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. ELDT Curricula Summary There is no federally set minimum number of hours for either component; the provider decides when you’ve reached proficiency.
Behind-the-wheel training must happen in a passenger vehicle matching the class you plan to drive. It covers vehicle orientation, inspections, baggage handling, passenger safety briefings, passenger management, and railroad crossing exercises. Your provider has until midnight of the second business day after you finish to send your certification to the registry. You can confirm the upload yourself using the “Check Your Record” tool on the TPR site.5Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Training Provider Registry
Prerequisites and Documents
You need a valid New York CDL (Class A, B, or C) before adding the P endorsement. If you don’t have one, you’ll go through the full CDL process first.
A current Medical Examiner’s Certificate (Form MCSA-5876) is required. You get it by passing a physical with a provider listed on the FMCSA’s National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners.6Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Medical Examiners Certificate (MEC), Form MCSA-5876 A standard certificate is valid for up to 24 months, though the examiner can issue a shorter one if they want to monitor something like high blood pressure.7Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. DOT Medical Exam and Commercial Motor Vehicle Certification A copy of each new certificate must be on file with the DMV before the current one expires.
Every CDL holder also has to self-certify what type of driving they do. New York uses four categories: Non-Excepted Interstate (NI), Excepted Interstate (EI), Non-Excepted Intrastate (NA), and Excepted Intrastate (EA).8New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. CDL Medical Certification The non-excepted categories require you to keep the medical certificate on file. Pick the category that actually matches your work.
At the DMV, you’ll fill out Form MV-44, the standard application for permits, licenses, and endorsement changes. Bring the identification needed to prove your name, date of birth, and New York residency. REAL ID or Enhanced credentials call for additional documents, including two proofs of New York residency such as a bank statement or pay stub.9New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. Enhanced or REAL ID
The Knowledge Test
The written test draws from the New York State Commercial Driver’s Manual and focuses on passenger-specific topics: pre-trip inspection, safe loading and unloading, emergency exits, passenger management, and bus safety equipment.10New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. New York State Commercial Driver License (CDL) Manual When you pass, the P endorsement is added to your commercial learner permit (CLP) so you can start preparing for the road test.
One rule trips people up: a CLP with a P endorsement does not let you carry regular passengers. Federal regulations limit who can be aboard a passenger vehicle driven by a CLP holder to the supervising CDL holder, test examiners, and other trainees.11eCFR. 49 CFR 383.25 – Commercial Learner’s Permit (CLP) No practice runs with the real crowd.
The Skills Test
After you receive the CLP with the P notation, you have to wait at least 14 days before you can schedule your road test.12New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. Get a Commercial Driver License (CDL) Scheduling is handled through the DMV’s online system.
The test has two components. First, you walk the examiner through a detailed pre-trip inspection, identifying safety-critical items and explaining what you’re checking.13New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. New York State Commercial Drivers Manual Then comes the on-road portion in traffic, where you demonstrate controlled braking, smooth turns, lane changes, and hazard awareness. You supply the vehicle, and it must be a passenger-carrying vehicle matching your CDL class. A cargo van won’t substitute for a Class B bus.
Restriction Codes That Can Trap You
The vehicle you choose for the skills test can permanently limit which passenger vehicles you’re allowed to drive. A Class A CDL holder who tests in a Class B vehicle receives an “M” restriction, which caps them at Class B and C passenger vehicles.14FMCSA. Drivers A Class B CDL holder who tests in a Class C vehicle gets an “N” restriction, limiting them to Class C passenger vehicles.
Air brakes create another common trap. If you don’t pass the air brake knowledge test, or don’t test in a vehicle with a full air brake system, you get an “L” restriction barring you from any vehicle with full air brakes. Since nearly all buses over 26,000 pounds run air brakes, that restriction effectively closes the door on most full-size bus work even with the P endorsement in hand. A “Z” restriction applies when you test in a vehicle with air-over-hydraulic brakes rather than full air. An “E” restriction follows an automatic-transmission test, preventing you from driving a passenger vehicle with a manual gearbox.14FMCSA. Drivers Test in the largest, most complex vehicle you’re qualified for. Upgrading later means retaking the skills test.
Fees and Timeline
The DMV charges $5.00 for the endorsement written test.15New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. CDL Endorsements Additional fees can apply if your license needs to be amended or reissued. ELDT costs are separate and vary by provider.
After you pass both components of the road test, you get a temporary paper document that serves as legal proof of the endorsement while the permanent card is produced. The DMV says to allow about three weeks for the permanent license to arrive by mail.16New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. Check License, Permit or Non-Driver ID Mailing Status Carry the interim document whenever you’re driving a passenger vehicle until the new card shows up.
Keeping the Endorsement Active
The P endorsement rises and falls with your CDL. The item that quietly catches working drivers is the medical certificate: if your MCSA-5876 lapses, your CDL downgrades and the P endorsement becomes invalid until you recertify. A calendar reminder 60 days before expiration is the simplest way to avoid finding out during a roadside inspection.
Serious offenses behind the wheel can disqualify you from holding a CDL at all. A first DUI conviction in a commercial vehicle results in at least a one-year CDL disqualification, a second can mean a lifetime disqualification, and refusing a chemical test carries the same penalties as a conviction. Failing or refusing a required drug test puts you in the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse and keeps you out of any commercial vehicle until you complete the return-to-duty process. Medical conditions that cost you your certification, from uncontrolled diabetes to seizure disorders, will suspend the CDL and every endorsement on it.
P Endorsement vs. School Bus (S) Endorsement
If you’re transporting students to or from school or to school-sponsored events in a school bus, the P endorsement isn’t enough on its own. You need both the P and S endorsements, and the S endorsement has its own knowledge test covering loading zones, student crossings, and other school-bus-specific rules.17FMCSA. Are Drivers Required to Have Both the P Passenger and S School Bus Endorsements
P alone is enough when you’re driving an empty school bus (delivering it from a manufacturer, for example), transporting students to events that aren’t school-sponsored, carrying adults in a bus that happens to be yellow, or road-testing a school bus after repair work.17FMCSA. Are Drivers Required to Have Both the P Passenger and S School Bus Endorsements The S endorsement generally brings extra background check requirements, so if your work calls for it, build in extra time.