Florida Requires All Driver’s License Exams To Be Taken in English

Florida is making English the exclusive language for all driver’s license exams, a major policy change that state officials say is aimed at improving road safety and ensuring consistent understanding of traffic laws across the board.

The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) announced that beginning Friday, February 6, all driver’s license knowledge and skills examinations — including commercial and non-commercial tests — will be administered only in English. The new rule will also apply to oral examinations and eliminates the use of interpreters or translation services during testing.

“Beginning Friday, February 6th, all driver license knowledge and skills examinations will be administered exclusively in English,” the department said in a statement. “This change applies to all driver license classifications, including exams administered orally.”

Previously, knowledge exams for most non-commercial licenses were available in multiple languages, while commercial driver’s license (CDL) and learner’s permit exams were limited to English and Spanish. Under the new policy, all tests — including written, oral, and skills-based exams — will be conducted entirely in English.

The department said its testing systems have been updated statewide to remove non-English materials and prohibit translation services. “Language translation services will no longer be permitted for knowledge or skills examinations, and any printed exams in languages other than English will be removed for use,” the release continued.

In explaining the rationale for the shift, FLHSMV emphasized that clear communication and a consistent understanding of traffic laws are critical to ensuring safe roadways.

“FLHSMV remains committed to ensuring safe roadways for all Floridians and visitors by promoting clear communication, understanding of traffic laws, and responsible driving behavior,” the statement read.

Governor Ron DeSantis praised the decision on X, calling it a matter of “common sense.” “Good reform by @FLHSMV to require driver exams be conducted only in English,” DeSantis wrote. “Need to be able to read the road signs!”

The policy has also drawn strong support from national transportation safety advocates who have long argued that proficiency in English is essential for all licensed drivers, particularly for commercial truck operators.

James Lamb, executive director of the Small Business in Transportation Coalition (SBTC), described Florida’s reform as a long-overdue step toward enforcing existing federal safety regulations. “For four years, the SBTC has zealously pursued public policies across the nation that would result in states testing for English language proficiency in furtherance of Federal Regulations that have been in place since 1937 under 49 CFR 391.11(b)(2),” Lamb said. “We have repeatedly pointed to the 2002 DOT Inspector General’s CDL Standards Audit report as the compelling incentive to do so.”

Lamb also credited the Trump administration for reinstating enforcement measures tied to English proficiency requirements for truckers. “We have also called for truckers found not in compliance with the ELP regulation to be placed out of service, a policy that has returned as of June 26, 2025, by order of President Trump,” he said.

Lamb noted that the new state-level action dovetails with broader federal initiatives to strengthen licensing standards. “Our efforts culminated in the introduction of Connor’s Law, introduced last year in both the House by Rep. Taylor and the Senate by Senator Lummis, and additional bills that would effect legislation to guard who is qualified to be licensed to drive a truck and who must be removed from the road when they are not,” he said. “And now, the essence of Connor’s Law is about to pass in the Consolidated Appropriations Act’s Transportation bill, one of six bills in that package.”

He added that the move represents “common sense” policy that other states should emulate. “There is no better way for a state to test for trucker English proficiency than to administer the CDL knowledge and skills tests in, well, English,” Lamb said. “In the state of Florida, at least, common sense will now prevail effective February 6th. We hope other states will follow.”

The Sunshine State becomes the first in years to formally eliminate multilingual testing for all classes of driver’s licenses — a move that advocates say could spur a broader national trend toward uniform English-only standards.