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Old 03-03-2016, 04:55 PM   #1
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Feb 2016
Posts: 21
Question New York registration and licence questions

Hello All
I am a new member to the site. My wife and I of 30 years are very interested in doing this. But before I dive in and buy a bus I was wondering if any one from the very depressing state of New York could help us?

So far I have got many different answers to the question of registration and type of license needed to drive a privately owned X-school bus in New York. Including the help of a officer friend of mine. He asked the question to some DOT law enforcement co-workers and was told no matter what I did to it, in the eyes of the law it was built as a passenger bus, and will always be seen as a passenger bus. Hence I need to have a class B CDL license to drive it.

Any help from a New Yorker that has done this already.

Thanks everyone, great site and hope to see you on the road in a year or so.

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Old 03-07-2016, 11:54 AM   #2
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I was asking the same question for Washington State . Funny how there are no responses ?
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Old 03-07-2016, 12:00 PM   #3
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Talk to your respective DMVs. You'll find out a *lot* of information just talking to them. NJ has a "Special Vehicles Unit" which gave me all the information I needed on how to flip the title.

DJ give Title Services a call, their number is here
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Old 03-07-2016, 12:07 PM   #4
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thank you for the quick response . good sound advise you have given , I will give it a try .
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Old 03-09-2016, 02:19 PM   #5
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Thank you I will but I thought this would be faster. And does anyone "really" like going to the DMV ? LOL
Thanks again
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Old 03-12-2016, 09:22 AM   #6
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Location: Fingerlakes Region, NY
Posts: 30
Year: 2001
Coachwork: Amtran
Chassis: 3800
Engine: T444e
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Hey there,
I'm from the Fingerlakes Region of Western NY.

My situation may be a little different than yours because my GVWR was just under 26K, but I'll give you my experience.

First off, NY is a state where any vehicle with a registered weight over 26K needs a CDL with the exception of a RV. (House Coach is the term NY uses) Now, I said registered weight rather than GVWR because you get to define what your maximum weight is, so long as it is at or below the manufacturers GVWR and greater than actual curb weight. Meaning, if your bus has a GVWR of 33,000lbs, but a curb weight of 22,000lbs, you can register it as 22,000lbs and drive it legally with a class D licence.

Now, your officer friend is mistaken, on page 2 of NY MV-82 (Vehicle title and registration application) Section 4, line 3, is a field to note any changes made to convert vehicle class. This is how you do a title change in NY. You will fill out the first page with the desired vehicle class, and note the changes you made in this box.

That being said, there are changes which must be made to a school bus to make it no longer a school bus. NY VAT 375.21
Quote:
Every motor vehicle having a seating capacity of more than seven
passengers, and used primarily to transport pupils or pupils and
teachers to and from school, shall be painted the color known as
"national school bus chrome."
In the event, however, such a motor vehicle so painted shall cease to
be used to transport pupils or pupils and teachers, the color of paint
herein provided for, shall be changed to another color, within fifteen
days of relicense.
It also stands tor reason that the special equipment required on school buses must also be removed, including flashing lights, stop signs and swing arms.

As far as what you want to register it as, and what you need in order to change it is up to you.
You have 3 real options:

1. Leave it as a bus (vehicle code BUS), wouldn't have to make any additonal equipment changes, but would require a CDL and a passenger endorsement. Probably not something you want to do.

2. Register it as a van (vehicle code VAN). In NY a van is a vehicle seating less than 16 people but more than 2, and able to carry both passengers and cargo. To register it as a van, all you have to do is remove most of the seats. One major benefit of this is that you only need regular private-commerical insurance, rather than School bus-RV conversion insurance, which can be hard to find. You also are exempt from parkway restrictions in NY as a van.

3. Register it as a house coach (vehicle code HOU). This is the most complicated one. According to VAT § 462.14
Quote:
the term "house coach" shall
mean any vehicle motivated by a power connected therewith or propelled
by a power within itself, which is designed to provide temporary living
quarters, and which is built onto, as an integral part of, or is
permanently attached to a motor vehicle chassis, and contains at least
four of the following independent life support systems if each is
permanently installed and designed to be removed only for purposes of
repair or replacement and meets the standards of the American National
Standards Institute for recreation vehicles:
(a) a cooking facility with an on-board fuel source;
(b) a gas or electric refrigerator;
(c) a toilet with exterior evacuation;
(d) a heating or air conditioning system with an on-board power or
fuel source separate from the vehicle engine;
(e) a potable water supply system that includes at least a sink, a
faucet and a water tank with an exterior service supply connection; and
(f) a 110-125 volt electric power supply.
This is what you have to follow to be an RV. Up to you as to if its worthwhile to do. One benefit of being an RV legally is you become a residence, meaning a police officer now needs an actual search warrant to search the vehicle.

The vehicle code is what you would put in the "other" blank in section two of MV-82 under body type.

Personally, my vehicle is a 22,000lbs International Van, and will probably stay that way for the foreseeable future.

Let me know if you have any more questions!
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Old 03-14-2016, 06:18 PM   #7
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Thanks for all the information, should be a great help. Now I have to just decide what model and type to get.
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Old 03-27-2016, 04:05 PM   #8
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Location: New Yirk
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Chassis: 66 passenger
Engine: International diesel
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Thanks for the question & the reply...just purchased an International & started my project...
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Old 03-31-2016, 10:39 AM   #9
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Fishing Fanatic , you from NY? And do yo have any pictures of your ride?
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Old 03-31-2016, 10:58 AM   #10
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Location: New Yirk
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Year: 2002
Coachwork: International
Chassis: 66 passenger
Engine: International diesel
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Yes..long island ..
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Old 05-05-2016, 09:52 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Fishing Fanatic View Post
Yes..long island ..

What Part. I live around the babylon area. Never thought i would see a skoolie on longisland.
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Old 05-06-2016, 02:58 AM   #12
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Location: New Yirk
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Year: 2002
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Chassis: 66 passenger
Engine: International diesel
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It's at my friend's in Hauppauge right now till I have outside of bus done...I'm looking for a place near me to park it after outside finished (about 2 weeks)
Putting graphics on & some detailing. Had it painted a week ago.
Bill.....can't figure out how to get pic on this
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Old 05-06-2016, 09:38 AM   #13
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I'm not Bill, but if you load your pics to photobucket first they will slip right in here.

If you don't mind my asking, how much do those graphic wraps cost?
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Old 05-06-2016, 11:59 AM   #14
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Location: New Yirk
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Chassis: 66 passenger
Engine: International diesel
Rated Cap: 66
Painted bus..just doing partial graphics ..to do whole bus was 6k
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Old 06-16-2017, 08:58 AM   #15
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Location: Westchester, NY
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Chassis: Chevy Express 3500
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Doing your homework pays off

Summary of my story for those searching the archives:
  • Bought my bus (2005 MidBus built on a Chevy Express 3500) in Michigan in April.
  • Got insurance through a Progressive agent after at least a half a dozen calls to various agencies (commercial policy for private use).
  • Drove to NY without plates. Michigan said I had three days to travel without registering and NY said do whatever the state you bring the vehicle from tells you to do.
  • Spent 2 months tearing out the seats, painting, remove the stop sign, etc. Had insurance, but no registration.
  • Go to the NY DMV and attempt to register the bus as a van. In NY it's imperative to get passenger plates as commercial vehicles are not allowed on the parkways.
  • DMV took forever because the situation was so unique they had to repeatedly call people higher up for clarification. It was ultimately registered as a "House on Wheels" (code: HWH, not House Couch - HOU). No idea what is special about HWH as I can't any info online about it, but I know I can drive anywhere the bus will fit.

I made a point to take pictures of the bus to the DMV which helped, but I didn't have a picture showing that a couple of seats remained (critical for the van designation).

Message me if you have any questions about the NY experience.
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Old 06-09-2018, 01:45 PM   #16
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Location: NY USA
Posts: 14
So glad I stumbled upon this thread! Helped answer a lot of my "before I even buy a bus" questions. Thanks everyone! Glad to see a few New York State dwellers!
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