School bus contractors must assure their drivers obtain clearances, including that their employees have Pennsylvania State Police (“PSP”) Background Checks performed. Multiple laws dictate when and how often a driver must complete a PSP background check and it can get confusing. However, contractors should know that drivers only need to obtain a pre-employment background and renew it every two (2) years if they are performing Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (“PUC”) runs in vehicles that are in a vehicle with a designed seating capacity of 15 passengers or less. Pre-employment and renewals every five (5) years are required when a driver is performing (1) school related transportation and/or (2) transportation in a vehicle, with a designed seating capacity of 16 passengers or greater. Continue reading for more information on the laws requiring PSP background checks.