February 2, 2026
The Sunshine State is leading the way with change while thousands of truckers are being removed from American roadways after failing mandatory roadside English tests.
Florida follows President Donald Trump’s way of thinking by issuing all driver’s license exams in English only, the Tallahassee Democrat reports.
A Jan. 30 announcement from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) stated that all driver’s license exams will be issued in English only beginning Feb. 6, requiring all exams to be taken without an interpreter. Prior to the change, most non-commercial driver license exams were offered in several languages, but not anymore. “Florida takes a leading role in highway safety by requiring all driver’s license exams be taken in English and without an interpreter,” the agency said.
The rule change follows Trump’s March 2025 declaration that English is the official language of the United States, amid the administration’s crackdown on commercial drivers nationwide. However, the Sunshine State is leading the way with the change, while thousands of truckers are being removed from American roadways after failing mandatory roadside English tests.
In August 2025, three people were killed when California-licensed trucker Harjinder Singh made an illegal U-turn in St. Lucie County. He reportedly failed a roadside English proficiency test.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy called the change a “commonsense standard” that should never have been “abandoned,” touching on the Obama administration’s suspension of the English proficiency rule in 2016. “Federal law is clear, a driver who cannot sufficiently read or speak English — our national language — and understand road signs is unqualified to drive a commercial motor vehicle in America,” Duffy said.
The Trump administration reversed the Obama rule in June 2025, making it a requirement for truckers to speak and read English during traffic stops and weigh-station checks once on the open road. They are also required to talk to inspectors without smartphone translator apps or a physical translator. “A nationally designated language is at the core of a unified and cohesive society, and the United States is strengthened by a citizenry that can freely exchange ideas in one shared language,” Trump’s order read.
“Government operations, and create a pathway to civic engagement, it is in America’s best interest for the Federal Government to designate one — and only one — official language.”
The new mandate changes Florida’s “Class E Knowledge Exam,” a learner’s permit test consisting of 50 multiple-choice questions covering the state’s traffic laws, road signs, and safe driving practices. According to CBS News, test takers must score at least 80% to pass.
Once drivers pass the permit test, the next step is the skills test, where they drive an actual vehicle and perform common road tasks like a three-point turn, parking, stopping quickly, and putting the car in reverse.
RELATED CONTENT: Self-Driving Cars Are Here And Tech Giants Are Willing to Pay The Price
