You have bought your bus and starting planning for the Skoolie of your dreams - congrats! But...there isn't an option for "Skoolie" at the DMV. What now?
Many Skoolie owners choose to register their bus as an RV, or Recreational Vehicle. Most states require drivers to carry commercial driver's license (CDL) to drive passenger buses/ commercial vehicles - so one of the first things we did (before even driving our bus home!) was to change the registration to RV. Once registered for personal use, you won't need a CDL. However, depending on what state you're in, there may be requirements for an air brake certification or weights-based special license. Or method doesn't deal with that, but do your research if you plan to register in your home state!
So now you need to register your vehicle as an RV. Great! Different states have different requirements for a vehicle to qualify as an "RV." For example, the state of Illinois requires a built-out RV or bus/van conversion to meet four of the following six requirements:
110v Power Supply
Heating or AC from a power source that is NOT the vehicle engine
Cooking appliance with an on-board fuel supply
A propane fueled or electrical refrigerator
Potable water
Disposable septic
(Learn more about Illinois requirements and get a list of links for motor vehicle departments by state from whereyoumakeit.com!)
"But Hannah, how can I drive my Skoolie home to convert it if I can't register it as an RV BEFORE it's converted?" Bingo. The problem with exhaustive lists like the above, is that you have to FINISH the build (or make a temporary set up) before you can drive it! It creates a bit of a paradox for those who don't already have a bus in the backyard. Some people get provisional registration or take the risk driving it illegally (gasp!) but we chose to get our plates before driving BRBB the 2 hours home.
Tim and I live in Virginia with the Blue Ridge Blue Bird, so we originally researched how to register an RV construction in VA. Turns out, it is very complicated. You have to register it as "reconstructed or modified vehicle" and submit all sorts of proof, like ownership document and bills of sale for the frame, body, engine, and more. There may be loopholes here, but we decided to go for the biggest loophole of all - registering BRBB in Vermont.
Vermont is one of the few states that doesn't make you jump through hoops to designate your Skoolie as an RV. The best part is that you don't even have to be a Vermont resident! There is no inspection or proof of conversion, so it is as easy as mailing some forms. Note: others have reported being asked to remove the school insignia and repaint the bus (BRBB already had these done by her previous owners, but we were never asked for proof).
It is also worth mentioning that Vermont will offer you a transferable registration for any vehicles over 15 years old (like ours). They won't give you a title - but if needed, you can use the registration to title your bus in your own state. We have the original title and so far haven't had any issues with our out-of-state plates. If your bus is newer than 15 years old you will receive a new Vermont title.
What you'll need:
Copy of your title (if bus is older than 15 years) or ORIGINAL title (newer than 15 years). If you don't have a title, you will need the bill of sale and a vin verification (so they know it's not stolen!). Heads up - we did include the bill of sale, which was just a signature on the back of the title with odometer disclosures.
Vermont application form VD119
Be sure to write in "Motor Home (19)" when it asks for registration/plate type. For exhaustive instructions on filling out the form with an example, I've found this thread at Skoolie.net to be helpful.
Check with registration fee and VT sales tax
The registration fee should be $76 for one year, or $140 for two, and tax that you can calculate as 6% of what you paid for the bus (or the listed NADA value, but we didn't deal with that). For us, we paid ($5,000 x .06) = $300 + $140 = $440 total. Oh, and if you have a newer vehicle (>15), you'll need to add an extra $35 for the title fee. We also paid more for our custom plate ("Longboi") so keep that in mind if you are interested! We recommend including a handwritten page itemizing the fees with the check, issued to "Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles." Compile all the paperwork and check and mail to:
Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles
120 State Street
Montpelier, VT 05603-0001
The website advertises a 2 week turnaround, or up to 4 weeks if they are busy. With the current pandemic situation, we would extend that timeline even more. We ended up having to wait close to 3 months before we were able to pick up BRBB with her new registration. Our first application was denied due to a clerical error that we never really got an answer about (different reps will be more or less lenient!) but our second shot at mailing it worked, and we got our plates in the mail last spring! We spoke to our friends @wanderingweinmeisters and they got the paperwork delivered to VT on 12.21.20, were approved on 2.16.21, and the plates arrived 2.24.21. Bottom line - allow for plenty of time!
I hope this walkthrough was helpful. Feel free to drop a comment or reach out if you have any questions! We can't wait for you to join the green license plate club.