Church Buses
Keep Your Congregation Moving
From Sunday worship to weekly programs and events, dependable transportation helps keep your church community connected. The Bus Center helps churches and religious organizations choose the right transportation options, built around your needs and priced to fit your budget.
About This Guide
Church Bus Buyer’s Guide
Your church bus is about more than transportation. It supports ministry, builds connection, and helps you serve your community. It is an important purchase, and many churches have not had to make this decision before.
The Bus Center is here to help. The guide below explains the steps involved in choosing your new church bus. Think about all the ways your bus will be used. Events, longer trips, picking up nearby residents for services, and transporting children or members with accessibility needs all place different demands on a vehicle.
With these needs in mind, use the sections below to get started.
Size & CDL
The size of your bus will determine whether the driver needs a commercial driver’s license (CDL). In most cases, a CDL is not required for a bus that seats up to 15 people, including the driver, or weighs less than 26,000 pounds.
If your church needs a larger bus with more seats or higher weight, anyone who drives it will need a CDL.
Popular Features & Options
Buses come with many options, but the goal is choosing the features that best support your church and the people you serve.
- High back seating with recliners, seat sliders, armrests, and retractable seat belts
- Non-slip flooring and a backup camera for added safety
- Rear luggage space and overhead racks with reading lights
- 12V and USB charging ports for personal devices
- Rear A/C systems suited to your climate
- A range of chassis and engine choices, plus audio and video packages
Some options can be added after purchase through upfitting as well, though this option may be more expensive. Your rep at The Bus Center can help you review the available options and upgrades, and find the ones that fit your congregation. Some features can also be added after purchase through upfitting.
ADA & Mobility Access
Does your church bus need wheelchair access? It is important to decide this before you place your order, since adding these features after the bus is built is very difficult and often costly.
Most wheelchair-accessible buses use a rear lift, along with proper tie-downs. At The Bus Center, we use BraunAbility lifts and Sure-Lok or Q’Straint tie-down kits. These systems are built to last for the full life of the bus. There are also low-entry buses with ramps instead of lifts, but this option is usually more expensive.
If you need guidance on wheelchair access or other mobility features, your Bus Center sales rep can walk you through the choices.
New vs. Pre-Owned
New buses include factory warranties on the chassis, powertrain, body structure, A/C, and other components, plus an extra 5-year / 100,000-mile warranty from The Bus Center. If anything goes wrong, our parts, service, and repair team will work to get your church back on the road quickly.
Pre-owned buses can be a budget-friendly option as well. Many are sold as is, though some may still have factory warranty coverage depending on age and mileage. For buses ten years old or newer, extended warranty plans may also be available.
Our pre-owned inventory changes often, so your rep at The Bus Center can help you watch for the right bus at the right time.
Flexible Financing Options
Depending on what fits your church’s budget, we offer several leasing and financing options. Ask your The Bus Center rep for details on the plans available to your congregation.
Trade-Ins
Upgrading to a new bus for your church? We can review your current vehicle for a possible trade-in. Start with our trade-in evaluation guide.
Warranty Support
We will walk you through every step needed to keep your vehicle under warranty, and we will coordinate with our parts and service team on your behalf.
Church Partnerships
Lifeway
Is your church a member of Lifeway? You may qualify for special pricing or priority support when you work with The Bus Center. Be sure to mention Lifeway when you speak with your rep, so you receive all available benefits during vehicle selection and budget planning.
We are proud to be endorsed by Lifeway One Source. As Lifeway’s exclusively endorsed bus dealer, we look forward to helping you find the right church bus for your ministry.
Get Started Today
Need Help Choosing the Right Vehicle?
Let us help. Submit your passenger care needs, scheduling requirements, and anything else we might need to know, and one of our church bus specialists will get in contact to help with your selection.