Minnesota Statutes Transportation (Ch. 160-174A) § 169.451. Inspecting school and Head Start buses; rules; misdemeanor

Subd. 3. Inspection criteria. (a) The commissioner of public safety must inspect school buses in accordance with the School Bus Inspection Manual as prescribed insection 169.4501, subdivision 3. Upon completion of an inspection, the commissioner must provide a printed or electronic vehicle examination report to the carrier or school district.

(b) A school bus displaying a defect as defined in the “School Bus Recommended Out-of-Service Criteria” in the most recent edition of the “National School Transportation Specification and Procedures” adopted by the National Congress on School Transportation is deemed unsafe for student transportation. A member of the State Patrol must affix a rejection sticker to the lower left corner of the windshield. A person may remove the rejection sticker only upon authorization from a member of the State Patrol who has determined that all defects have been corrected. Pending reinspection and certification of the vehicle by a member of the State Patrol, a bus bearing a rejection sticker may be used to transport students for up to 30 days provided the defects have been corrected and the vehicle examination report is signed by the owner or a designee certifying that all defects have been corrected. The signed report must be carried in the first aid kit on the bus.

(c) A school bus that has had an inspection completed in which no out-of-service defects were identified has passed the inspection and a member of the State Patrol must affix an inspection certificate to the lower left corner of the windshield. All defects identified must be repaired within 14 days of the inspection. The person completing the repairs must sign and date the inspection report indicating the repairs were made. The inspection report must be retained at the principal place of business of the carrier or school district for 12 months following the inspection and must be available for review by a representative of the commissioner of public safety.

(d) A defect discovered during an inspection that was identified by a member of the State Patrol during a previous inspection but has not been corrected results in a failed inspection. A member of the State Patrol must affix a rejection sticker to the lower left corner of the windshield.

Subd. 4. Violations; penalties. (a) The State Patrol must enforce subdivisions 2 to 3.

(b) A person who operates a school bus without a valid inspection certificate issued pursuant to subdivision 2 or an interim inspection certificate issued pursuant to subdivision 2a is guilty of a misdemeanor.

(c) A person who operates, or an owner who knowingly permits the operation of, a school bus displaying a rejection sticker issued in accordance with subdivision 3, paragraph (b), and has not fulfilled all the requirements specified in subdivision 3, paragraph (b), is guilty of a gross misdemeanor.