From the Legal Hotline

By Teri Henning, General Counsel; Melissa Melewsky, Media Law Counsel
Pennsylvania Newspaper Association

Q: Do bus companies have to include their license number in ads?

A: Bus companies must display their “Certificate of Public Convenience” number in advertisements.

Common carriers that transport passengers and household goods in use within Pennsylvania are required to obtain a “Certificate of Public Convenience” from the Pennsylvania Public Utilities Commission (PUC). Common carriers of passengers and household goods in use include most trucking, air, rail and passenger transportation companies. The “Certificate of Public Convenience” is not a license; however, each certificate includes a unique identification number for each carrier.

PUC regulations require common carriers to include their certificate number in all advertisements or face penalties.

The PUC regulation can be found at 52 Pa.Code § 21.2.

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