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Old 08-20-2019, 10:55 PM   #1
Bus Nut
 
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I got pulled over and my bus is still registered as a bus

Long story short, my shorty Skoolie (E-350, 4 windows) is painted white and I've owned it for over a year. When I bought it, I went to one of those private DMV offices and was very clear with what was happening: I purchased this school bus from a dealership, and I am turning it into an RV, but for the time being it'll just be registered as a normal automobile/van.



Then, when I went to renew it this year, I went to the same place, and they were having some issues renewing it. Turns out, it's still registered as a school bus, and thus my registration fees were $20. Sweet.



Then I got pulled over for having a tail light out, and the cops obviously ran my plates, and guess what? They did nothing. I told them I was redoing the wiring, and turning it into a camper, but they said nothing about it being registered a school bus, and they didn't even write me a warning or anything.


Kinda interesting if you ask me. I might try to ride that cheap registration fee as long as I can.

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Old 08-20-2019, 10:58 PM   #2
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Nice story, sounds like a great jurisdiction; please name your state and county if that's relevant.

Never heard of privatized DMV.
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Old 08-20-2019, 11:01 PM   #3
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I'm in California. There's a "private" DMV across the street from the real DMV, and they can do pretty much everything (minus inspections) for a $45 fee--which, given what I consider to be my hourly rate, is totally worth my time. The DMV line here was already around the block.
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Old 08-21-2019, 12:13 AM   #4
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Turns out, it's still registered as a school bus, and thus my registration fees were $20. Sweet.
$20! In PA the registration fee is based on the factory-designated passenger capacity and it's huge - my 65-kid bus would have been about $850 a year.
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Old 08-21-2019, 12:34 AM   #5
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Does it say “school bus” on the registration or is it “SB” on the title. Mine still says SB on the title.
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Old 08-21-2019, 06:17 AM   #6
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several of my friends that are enthusiasts like me and their busses are still all original. as in say "school bus" have lights, stop signs, etc.. have been pulled over.. the most that was ever done was "cover up the school bus when driving on a public street".. never once was anyone cited for not havign a CDL, or not having proper registration..



their busses are registered as busses in most cases.. but since they arent used as commercial vehicles, they are never asked about why no DOT numbers...
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Old 08-21-2019, 08:28 AM   #7
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Old 08-21-2019, 12:03 PM   #8
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No idea what that means.

And everything discussed here is A Good Thing for our purposes.

Very rare to hear about CA regulatory issues I must say I'm surprised.
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Old 08-21-2019, 04:29 PM   #9
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I second the California comment.

I got cited for owning a non repainted “privately owned” school bus.

The Cal Vehicle code is that the bus can not be a color designated by the CHP for use only on school buses.

In the cops defense, he said (thought) that the citation was for the “SCHOOL BUS” signage but (telling me i needed to just paint over the sign) but I discovered i needed to paint the entire bus after looking up what the ticket was actually for.
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Old 09-07-2019, 03:31 PM   #10
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Thomas buses are made here in NC. My local PBS station did a short story on them. Thomas said that "school bus yellow" was not required by any state. It was simply preferred. Seems to me, schools couldn't claim ownership of the color if that's the case.
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Old 09-07-2019, 03:40 PM   #11
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Thomas buses are made here in NC. My local PBS station did a short story on them. Thomas said that "school bus yellow" was not required by any state. It was simply preferred. Seems to me, schools couldn't claim ownership of the color if that's the case.
The color of buses is called National School Bus Yellow, often referred to as Chrome Yellow It's a national requirement, not a state standard.

According to a short search:
The school bus' signature yellow color isn't just for looks. It's also a matter of safety. Federal law in the United States requires that, in addition to flashing lights and safety devices, school buses must be painted “school bus yellow."
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Old 09-07-2019, 03:45 PM   #12
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I understand what you are saying. I am just relating that according to Thomas busses, it is not the required color. School systems can paint their busses any color they want. They just ask for the yellow.

I've seen Jeeps and others painted that color. Use of that color is not owned by anyone. My point being ... Anyone can use National School Bus Yellow. So why not a skoolie
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Old 09-07-2019, 03:58 PM   #13
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I understand what you are saying. I am just relating that according to Thomas busses, it is not the required color. School systems can paint their busses any color they want. They just ask for the yellow.

I've seen Jeeps and others painted that color. Use of that color is not owned by anyone. My point being ... Anyone can use National School Bus Yellow. So why not a skoolie
Anyone can use NSBY, just not on a bus. I don't care what any Thomas employee says, he obviously doesn't know Federal law. Some states not only make you change the color from NSBY, but say it can not be any shade of yellow.

They can have any color they want, as long as it's NSBY, they chose NSBY.
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Old 09-07-2019, 04:16 PM   #14
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I don't know if NSBY is required or just de facto standard but I can understand why jurisdictions would proclaim private owned retired buses need to be something other than yellow. I know some schools designate a bus or two for events/sports and its not yellow so I am inclined to believe the 'requirement' has conditions and exemptions.
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Old 09-07-2019, 04:26 PM   #15
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The owners manual on for my Bluebird Microbird called the color Wheatland Yellow. I painted over the school bus signs with black paint and have not been pulled over yet, knock on wood. In Washington state. I do plan on painting.
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Old 09-07-2019, 04:38 PM   #16
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https://one.nhtsa.gov/nhtsa/whatsup/...sportation.htm
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Old 09-07-2019, 04:50 PM   #17
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In case anyone's wondering, this is really only applicable when you buy a school bus and use it for purposes other than transporting pupils to and from school. Quoted from here:


Quote:
27603.

When a motor vehicle formerly used as a schoolbus is sold to any person and is used exclusively for purposes other than the transportation of pupils pursuant to Article 3 (commencing with Section 39830) of Chapter 5 of Part 23 of the Education Code, it shall be painted by the purchaser a color different than that prescribed by the Department of the California Highway Patrol for schoolbuses before it is operated on any street or highway other than to have the vehicle painted or moved to a place of storage.

The provisions of this section shall not apply where the ownership of a schoolbus is transferred to a nonprofit organization under a contractual arrangement under which the ownership is required to be retransferred to the original owner within 90 days of the date of the original transfer.
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Old 09-07-2019, 05:22 PM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rebapuck View Post
Thomas buses are made here in NC. My local PBS station did a short story on them. Thomas said that "school bus yellow" was not required by any state. It was simply preferred. Seems to me, schools couldn't claim ownership of the color if that's the case.
My Thomas built bus was made in Canada...
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Old 09-07-2019, 06:03 PM   #19
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I try to NOT give the police any reason to pull me over. Which means, no shade of yellow paint and frequent visual inspections of my lights and such.
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Old 09-07-2019, 07:35 PM   #20
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In Illinois do you have to pay $100 and have a State Trooper come out and inspect your vehicle and change it to an RV title not a van not a truck not a camper, you have to have it changed to an RV title. I don't know what the laws are in your state but you should get it changed to an RV
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