Modes of Transportation – In a Fifteen-Passenger Van

Fifteen-Passenger Vans: What the Law Says

To drive a 15-passenger van, you must hold a Class 4B driver's licence. Transporting students in this type of vehicle is prohibited.

In brief

A 15-passenger van is:

  • a large light-duty vehicle with some characteristics of a heavy duty vehicle. It usually has 5 rows of seats and can transport up to 15 or 16 people, including the driver.

Fifteen-passenger vans cannot be used to transport students!

Unlike some other Canadian jurisdictions, Québec prohibits 15-passenger vans from being used to transport students between school and home or during extracurricular activities because this type of vehicle does not meet the requirements of the Regulation respecting student transportation.

For more information, refer to the website of the Ministère des Transports.

Driver's licence – Class 4B (small bus seating 24 or fewer passengers, and minibus)

To drive a 15-passenger van, you must hold a Class 4B driver's licence, which allows you to drive small buses seating 24 or fewer passengers, as well as minibuses.

Registration – “A” licence plate (small bus seating 24 or fewer passengers, and minibus)

Like buses and minibuses, 15-passenger vans must have an “A” licence plate.

Seat belts mandatory for all passengers

Wearing your seat belt is mandatory in a 15-passenger van. There are as many seat belts as there are seats.

If small children are on board, child safety seats must be used.

Using 15-passenger vans for commercial purposes

Fifteen-passenger vans used for commercial purposes are subject, among other things, to the regulations governing driving and off-duty time, mechanical inspections and pre-trip inspections.

For more information, see the Buses and Minibuses section.

Last update: November  8, 2020