Florida requires school bus operators to meet the same medical standards as federally regulated commercial drivers: under State Board of Education Rule 6A-3.0141 the exam is documented on the FMCSA Medical Examination Report (MCSA-5875) and Medical Examiner’s Certificate (MCSA-5876), completed by a certified medical examiner. UrgentMed’s examiners are listed on the FMCSA National Registry, and the exam is a walk-in visit at Davie or Plantation, seven days a week.
What the school bus operator exam includes
- Health history and medication review, using the driver questionnaire you complete on arrival.
- Vision (at least 20/40 in each eye with correction, 70-degree peripheral) and hearing (forced whisper at five feet).
- Blood pressure and pulse, urinalysis for protein, blood and sugar, and a physical examination.
- The Medical Examiner’s Certificate issued at the visit when you meet the standards — valid up to 24 months, or shorter if a condition needs monitoring.
- Any drug and alcohol testing the district requires, collected at the same visit.
The dexterity test (Form ESE 480) is administered by the school district, not the clinic; the medical exam is what qualifies you to take it. The same exam is accepted for the CDL with passenger and school bus endorsements — see DOT physicals for how the certificate is transmitted to the National Registry.
Who needs it
- New school bus operator applicants for Broward County Public Schools and neighboring districts, charter and private schools.
- Current operators renewing their medical certificate — annually for many districts, or when the examiner issued a short card.
- Bus attendants and transportation staff whose district requires a physical.
- Private and contracted school-transportation companies, which can set up an employer account.
What to bring
- Driver’s license, glasses or contacts, hearing aids if you use them, and a list of medications with doses.
- Letters from your treating clinician for any condition FMCSA rules require — for example the MCSA-5870 for insulin-treated diabetes or a CPAP compliance report.
- The district’s employment paperwork if it must accompany the certificate.
Walk in at either Broward clinic
Both clinics are open seven days a week — Davie at 5149 S University Drive (Renaissance Plaza, just off I-595) and Plantation at 10199 Cleary Boulevard, Suite 10 — serving Davie, Plantation, Cooper City, Weston, Sunrise, Southwest Ranches, Pembroke Pines and the surrounding Broward County communities. Hours, maps and parking.
Insurance and self-pay
School bus operator exams are usually self-pay or billed to the district or contractor’s employer account; the price is quoted before you are seen.