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Charter Bus Service

Overview & Policies

Buses are available to support the University of Georgia student community for trips that serve the university’s mission.

The Campus Transit System has a limited number of buses available for charter service. Requests for standard charter service to transport students to scheduled university-sponsored events within Athens-Clarke County are scheduled on a first-come, first-serve basis. Non-standard requests are those requiring transportation of persons other than UGA students, trips requiring travel outside of Athens-Clarke County, or trips that do not have a clear connection to the university’s educational mission. Non-standard charters will have higher fees due to unrelated business income and associated additional overhead and taxes. Non-standard requests require the approval of Campus Transit’s Director.

  • Due to service requirements on campus on Fridays preceding home football games, we cannot provide additional charter service on those dates or the dates of home football games. The dates for the 2022 Football Season areas follows:
    • September 9, 2022 - September 10, 2022
    • September 23, 2022 - September 24, 2022
    • October 7, 2022 - October 8, 2022
    • October 14, 2022 - October 15, 2022
    • November 4, 2022 - November 5, 2022
    • November 25, 2022 - November 26, 2022
  • UGA buses must remain within a 70-mile radius of Athens. Buses cannot leave the state nor can they remain at a destination overnight.
  • Per Department of Transportation regulations, there is a 10-hour maximum limit for driving. Any out-of-town charter will need to be less than 10 hours total, or will incur extra costs to pay for additional drivers to provide the service.
  • We do not offer charter buses during the first two weeks of each semester or during finals.
  • One University faculty or staff member must accompany and supervise riders on each bus requested.
  • No open containers of food or beverage are allowed on the buses. Alcoholic beverages and smoking are prohibited on buses.
  • Charter Requests cannot be approved and processed more than 2 months in advance of the service date.
  • Out-of-town charters may transport no more than 35 people per bus. Each passenger must occupy a seat as standing for out-of-town charter is prohibited. 
  • A supervisor must be on duty while charters are in progress.
  • Non-UGA Departments that cannot provide a "Sales Tax Certificate of Exemption" will be charged 8% sales tax for provided service.

Rates & Charges

The charter service rate for internal UGA Departments is $90 per hour per bus which covers the use of the bus, a driver, and fuel.

The rate for non-UGA departments is $100 per hour plus 8% sales tax, if they cannot provide an ST-5 "Sales Tax Certificate of Exemption." The tax can be removed when the ST-5 "Sales Tax Certificate of Exemption" is submitted and verified.

The time accounted for includes:

  • Pre-trip preparation time, generally 45 minutes prior to the scheduled departure time for campus pick-up points.
  • The total trip time the bus is in use including layover time at the destination. The minimum trip time charged is two hours.
  • Post-trip time (generally one-half hour) to return the bus to the Campus Transit Facility for cleaning and refueling.

Same day charters can be split if there are more than 5 hours between scheduled pick up times. For example, if you request a charter to shuttle from 8 AM to 11 AM and again from 5:15 PM to 6:15 PM, you will only be billed from 7:15AM to 11:30 AM and 4:30 PM to 6:45 PM.

In the event of a out-of-town charter that will go over 10 hours, the requesting department will be charged any overlap for additional drivers to provide the requested service.

Additional charges will be applied for any expenses such as parking fees or tolls.

A cleaning fee will be added for any buses returned that require additional cleaning.

UGA departments are considered tax exempt and must provide their OneSource billing information upon request.

Upon completion of the trip, the group leader must verify his or her release time with a signature on the Charter Order.

Late Booking Surcharge: charter requests made less than 10 business days (Monday-Friday)  prior to the desired departure date will incur a surcharge of $100.

Canceling Buses: Buses may be canceled during normal office hours (8 to 5 Monday – Friday) up to 2 business days before the scheduled charter to avoid cancellation charges. A cancellation charge of $180 per bus may be assessed for buses that are canceled late. To cancel a scheduled charter bus, call the Transit Office at 706-542-0036 or if you do not get an answer call 706-369-6221.

Supervisor Fee: A supervisor fee will be charged when a charter takes place while Campus Transit is scheduled to be closed/not running service. The fee is $50/hour for a supervisor to be on duty during the entirety of the charter. See the Operating Calendar for dates of no service.

Campus Transit offers professional drivers to operate University-owned cars or vans for special purposes. Charged a minimum of 2 hours per driver. Use the Bus Request form linked below to make a request, in the field for "This is a request for a" select the "Driver Only" option.

  • UGA departments OR non-UGA departments with a verified ST-5 "Sales Tax Certificate of Exemption" are charged $50 per hour.
  • Any non-UGA department without the verified ST-5 will be charged $50 per hour plus 8% tax.

Request a Charter

Charter Bus Request Form

  • Charter service requests may be made by using our online form.
  • A completed request must be received at least 10 Business days (Monday- Friday) prior to the desired departure date.
  • Charters are confirmed via email upon receipt of your final bus count and completed itinerary.