The 2025 National School Transportation Specifications and Procedures Manual (NSTSP) is now available and can be accessed on the NCST website here.

Copies of the physical book are being distributed soon. If you want to request one and have not ordered it, the printer has made a few extra copies available, which can be ordered online here. Otherwise, view the entire digital document (and past NSTSPs) on the NASDPTS website here. 

This manual is the result of the 2025 National Congress on School Transportation (NCST), which happened last May. There, delegates from 48 states gathered to discuss and decide new minimum standards for the pupil transportation industry. With recommendations spanning 11 sections, all industry professionals can find the final guidance on these topics:

• General Operations

• School Bus Specifications

• Specially Equipped School Buse

• School Bus Inspections

• Activity Bus Operations

• Alternative Transportation

• School Transportation Security & Emergency Preparedness

• Students with Disabilities and Special Health Care Needs

• Infants, Toddlers & Pre-School Children

• Emerging Technologies

• Alternative Fuels

Several states adopt the NSTSP manual in full, while others adopt portions of it. It is intended to be a trusted resource for industry professionals across multiple sectors to reference.

“The NSTSP manual is like the Bible,” said Sue Shutrump, a retired PT/OT supervisor and consultant. “As an expert witness, I refer to it all the time. It’s the industry-standard, our guiding light.”

Because the 2020 NCST was cancelled due to COVID, this new guide is the first one in 10 years.

Catch up on key themes from the NCST from delegates who were there on the ground in this episode of The Route:

Mike LaRocco, Indiana's state director and NCST chair, said that information on the next NCST will be released in the spring of 2026.