School Bus Passes
A driver checks each bus pass in a second or two, often in the dark on a winter morning. The pass has to show the route and the school year in a colour and a type size that can be read at a glance through the door.
CP Cards prints bus passes for schools, academy trusts and the coach operators who run home to school transport. Manufactured in England since 1992. For the other cards a school uses, see plastic cards for schools.
What a driver needs to see
- The route number, large, on the front
- The pupil’s name
- The academic year, backed by a colour that changes every September
- The school name and logo
- A photo, if your transport policy asks for one
Everything else, including conditions of travel and a number to ring if the pass is found, goes on the reverse.
Photos on passes
For photo passes we supply photoseals, which fix a passport-sized photo to the card under a clear seal. They are quick to apply in the school office, and we can attach them for you if you send the photos.
Names and routes from a spreadsheet
Send a spreadsheet of pupils with their route and stop, and each pass is printed with its own details. For pupils who join mid-year, our bureau personalisation service keeps printed passes in stock and personalises them as you send new names. Please allow 3 working days for each call-off.
How to Order
- Tell us how many passes you need per route and whether you want photoseals
- Send your pupil list, logo and this year’s colour
- Approve a free digital proof
- Passes printed and dispatched in 7 working days from proof approval and payment
Minimum order 25 passes. Standard turnaround 7 working days from proof approval and payment — order in July if passes need to be in pupils’ hands on the first day of term.
Planning around the start of term
Councils set their own deadlines for home to school transport applications, and route lists are often not final until late August. One way round it is to print the year’s passes without names, in this year’s colour and with the route number, then personalise them as places are confirmed. That is what the bureau service does: your printed stock stays with us and each batch of names is added when you send it.
Why plastic passes last the school year
A paper pass spends the school year in a blazer pocket or the bottom of a bag, and it usually goes through the wash at least once. A PVC pass does not tear or go soft, and because the print sits under the card surface, the route number is still clear in July.
Content reviewed by the CP Cards team, September 2026.
Printed for schools and transport operators
Bus passes are printed alongside the library cards, ID cards and membership cards we produce for schools across the UK. Every order starts with a free photorealistic proof by email, and our design team can set up the layout if you send the details a driver needs to see.
School Bus Pass FAQs
Can each bus pass show the pupil name and route?
Yes. Send a spreadsheet of pupils, routes and stops, and each pass is printed with its own details.
Can photos be added to the passes?
Yes. We supply photoseals, which fix a passport-sized photo to the card. We can attach them for you if you send the photos.
Can we order passes for pupils who join during the year?
Yes. Our bureau personalisation service holds your printed passes in stock and personalises them as you send new names. Please allow 3 working days.
Can each year have a different colour?
Yes. Changing the background colour every academic year lets drivers spot an out of date pass straight away.