Frequently asked questions
Bus and limousine

Public Act 345 – The Limousine, Taxicab and Transportation Network Company Act regulates commercial for-hire passenger transportation vehicles with a seating capacity of 8 passengers or less, including the driver. The act and other important information can be found on Michigan's Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Transportation Company website. 

Public Act 432 – The Motor Bus Transportation Act regulates commercial for-hire passenger transportation vehicles with a seating capacity of 9 passengers or more, including the driver. The act can be found on the Michigan Legislature website.

MDOT uses the standard of 14 inches per seating position as defined in 49 CFR § 571.10 - Designation of seating positions. More detail and an example can be found on MDOT’s seating determination guidance document.

No, if the vehicle can hold 9 passengers, including the driver then it is regulated by PA 432. To be regulated under PA 345 the seating capacity of the vehicle must be physically reduced to be 8 passengers or less, including the driver.

474.110 Liability insurance coverage

Sec. 10. (1) An applicant shall acquire the following liability insurance coverage:

1. For buses with a seating capacity of between 9 and 15 passengers, including the driver, bodily injury and property damage liability insurance with a minimum combined single limit of $1,500,000.00 for all persons injured or for property damage.
2. For buses with a seating capacity of 16 or more passengers, including the driver, bodily injury and property damage liability insurance with a minimum combined single limit of $5,000,000.00 for all persons injured or for property damage.

Complete and submit Application for Authority (Form 3184).

Processing of a completed application usually takes two weeks.

No, annual vehicle safety inspections are performed by MDOT vehicle safety inspectors.

Locate MDOT's vehicle inspectors by county.

Contact your inspector two weeks prior to the month in which your inspection is due.

Yes, a non-emergency-equipped vehicle carrying nine or more passengers, including the driver, is regulated under PA 432 – The Motor Bus Transportation Act.

474.115 Display of motor carrier's legal or assumed name:

Sec. 15. Except as otherwise provided in this section, each bus on a motor carrier's roster shall display the motor carrier's legal name or assumed name as listed on its application for authority or official request for name change as submitted to the department on both sides of the bus in a color that is in sharp contrast to the background color and in a size that is visible from a distance of at least 50 feet. The display required under this section shall meet the vehicle identification requirements of 49 CFR parts 390 to 399.

All vehicles regulated under PA 432 – The Motor Bus Transportation Act, require a USDOT number. Learn how to obtain a USDOT number.

Intrastate means picking up someone in this state and transporting them to somewhere else in this state.

Interstate means picking up someone in this state and transporting them to another state or country or transporting someone from another state or country and dropping them in this state. 

Public Act 432 of 1982, Section 474.104 (L) does not apply to an interstate motor carrier that is providing a multistate regular route service listed in the North American Bus Timetables that passes through this states. Carriers providing a multistate regular route service must have a valid federal interstate operating authority while performing interstate movement in Michigan. To provide intrastate transportation or providing transportation for Michigan residents that is not “multistate regular route service”, all carriers must have an MDOT authority.

Yes. As detailed in the Motor Bus Transportation Administrative Rules:

R 474.2 Applicability.

Rule 2. Carriers operating intrastate regular route or charter service offering trip origins within this state shall comply with the requirements of the act.

Yes. MCL 257.1833 subsection 1 details the paint requirements for school buses.

Sec 33 (2) states:

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:

1. A bus leased seasonally to transport agricultural workers to and from a field for agricultural operations.
2. 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.

257.624a of the Michigan Vehicle Code Act 300 of 1949, describes the transportation or possession of alcoholic liquor. Section (4) states “This section does not apply to a passenger in a chartered vehicle authorized to operate by the state transportation department.” If your vehicle is authorized under Public Act 432 of 1982, as amended – The Motor Bus Transportation Act it is legal for passengers to have open alcoholic liquor in the vehicle.

It is a two-step process.

1. Visit MiLogin for Business and follow the steps to create a profile for State of Michigan Login for Third Parties.
2. Select the request access button and scroll down to the Michigan Department of Transportation and select Bus and Limousine Regulatory Information System (BLRIS).

BLRIS guidance documents can be found on the MDOT Bus and Limo webpage.