Field Trips

Schools can arrange to have yellow bus service, take public transportation, use a combination of yellow bus service and public transportation or charter a coach-style or yellow bus for their field trips based on the requirements outlined below and in the Field Trip Application Guide.


Yellow Bus Service
Yellow bus service for field trips is provided to students in kindergarten through 12th grade. Service for pre-kindergarten students is available from January to the second week of June of each school year. Students must be 4 years of age or older at the time of the trip. Car seats are required for any student under 40 pounds and must be provided by the school. 

School personnel log in to the online field trip system to request, cancel, edit, or view transportation services. The following guidelines apply:
  • Trips must be within the five boroughs of New York City.
  • Trips must leave the school after 9:30 and buses must return to the school by 1:30.
  • Requests must be received by OPT at least two weeks before the trip date.
  • Trips cannot service multiple destinations.
  • October 8 is the first day for field trips for the 2012-13 school year.
  • Trips cannot be scheduled on any of the following days:

No Field Trip Days 2012-13
October 25, 26
November 7, 13, 14, 19, 20
February 27, 28
March 12, 13, 14, 15, 19
June 6, 10

In addition to the above dates, trips will not be scheduled
on any days that NYC public schools are closed.

  • June 14 is the last day for field trips for the 2012-13 school year.
  • Trips requiring more than five (5) vehicles may not be scheduled on Fridays due to limited vehicle availability.
  • Schools are responsible for fees associated with tolls and parking.
  • Schools must confirm all assigned trips with the bus company dispatcher two days before the scheduled trip.
  • Neither OPT nor the bus companies can be responsible for routing field trips. To ensure proper travel, schools must provide bus drivers with directions to and from the field trip site.

When planning trips, please remember all buses must return to the school no later than 1:30 p.m.  OPT will not provide round-trip yellow bus service for activities likely to delay return to school past 1:30 p.m. (including sporting events, Madison Square Garden, the Circus, the Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island, Radio City Music Hall, World Marina, Marco Polo/Spirit Cruises, Staten Island Ferry and Circle Line Tours). Schools may choose one-way OPT yellow bus service with other arrangements for the return trip. 

For those students who use buses only for field trips, classroom instruction covering the content of bus safety drills may be provided as an alternative to formal school bus drills in compliance with Section 3623 of the State Education Department and Revised Section 156.3(h) of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education.


Public Transportation
Schools can use Certificates For Free Transportation provided by New York City Transit to travel by subway to and from their field trip site between 9:30 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. or for return travel from a trip scheduled to arrive back at school later than 1:30 p.m. The certificates are valid only on the subway and can be obtained directly from OPT. E-mail MRock@schools.nyc.gov to request certificates.

Charter Bus Service

How to charter a coach-style or yellow bus.