2025 Utah Code
Title 53 - Public Safety Code
Chapter 8 - Utah Highway Patrol Act
Part 2 - Motor Vehicle Safety Inspection Act
Section 211 - Safety inspection of school buses and other vehicles.

Universal Citation:
UT Code § 53-8-211 (2025)
Learn more This media-neutral citation is based on the American Association of Law Libraries Universal Citation Guide and is not necessarily the official citation.
Effective 1/1/2021
53-8-211. Safety inspection of school buses and other vehicles.
  • (1) For purposes of this section and Section 53-8-211.5, "education entity" means:
    • (a) a school district;
    • (b) a charter school;
    • (c) a private school; and
    • (d) the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind.
  • (2)
    • (a) A school bus operated by an education entity in this state is required to pass a safety inspection annually.
    • (b)
      • (i) An education entity shall perform the safety inspections of a school bus that it operates in accordance with rules made by the division under Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act.
      • (ii) The rules under Subsection (2)(b)(i) shall include provisions for:
        • (A) maintaining school bus drivers' hours of service records;
        • (B) requiring school bus drivers to maintain vehicle condition reports;
        • (C) maintaining school bus maintenance and repair records; and
        • (D) validating that defects discovered during the inspection process have been corrected prior to returning a school bus to service.
      • (iii)
        • (A) The division shall audit school bus safety operations of each education entity performing inspections under Subsection (2)(b)(i) to ensure compliance with the rules made under Subsection (2)(b)(i).
        • (B) The audit may include both a formal examination of the education entity's inspection records and a random physical inspection of buses that have been safety inspected by the education entity.
      • (iv) An education entity must have a comprehensive school bus maintenance plan approved by the division in order to participate in the safety inspection program.
      • (v) An education entity may not operate any vehicle found to have mechanical or other defects that would endanger the safety of passengers and the public until the defects have been corrected.
  • (3) In addition to a safety inspection required under Subsection (2)(b), the Highway Patrol shall:
    • (a) perform random safety inspections:
      • (i) annually on a minimum of 20% of the school buses operated by an education entity; and
      • (ii) on 100% of school buses operated by an education entity when inspections conducted pursuant to Subsection (3)(a)(i) result in an out-of-service failure rate as determined by the division;
    • (b) verify that defects discovered during an inspection under Subsection (3)(a) have been corrected; and
    • (c) make publicly available the results of inspections performed under Subsection (3)(a).
  • (4) Motor vehicles operated by an education entity, and not used for the transportation of students, are subject to Section 53-8-205.


Amended by Chapter 71, 2020 General Session
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