(The Epoch Times)—Florida announced on Jan. 30 that exams for all driver’s licenses will be conducted in English only.
The policy will take effect from Feb. 6 and will abolish driving tests that Florida previously offered in other languages, such as Arabic, Chinese, Haitian Creole, Spanish, and Russian, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles said.
The change applies to both commercial and non-commercial driver’s licenses and permits.
The move comes after federal authorities last year mandated that all commercial truck drivers be proficient in English to ensure road safety. This led to 9,500 commercial truckers being taken out of service by December 2025 for failing proficiency checks.
Florida state officials praised the new rule, saying it is necessary for driver safety.
“This is a much needed step forward to protect Floridians,” Florida Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia wrote on social media.
“This decision was made to strengthen roadway safety, ensure clear communication, and support consistent understanding of traffic laws across our state,” Miami-Dade County Tax Collector Dariel Fernandez wrote on social media. In Florida, the county tax collector is responsible for conducting non-commercial driver’s license tests and issuing those licenses.
Fernandez acknowledged that the new language requirements may be difficult for Floridians whose native language is not English. “[As] an immigrant, I understand the challenges many in our community may face,” he wrote in a statement on Jan. 30. Many Floridians are native Spanish speakers.
Florida, in recent years, has increased restrictions on the issuing of driver’s licenses, citing an effort to combat illegal immigration. In 2024, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law legislation that stripped recognition of out-of-state licenses and identity cards issued to illegal immigrants and increased criminal penalties for driving without a Florida-recognized license.
“We don’t give driver’s licenses to illegal aliens, which you shouldn’t,” DeSantis remarked at an event in March 2024. “This is going to be a deterrent for illegal immigration into the state of Florida.”
Last August, an Indian national was accused of causing a deadly crash that killed three people when he made an illegal U-turn driving a semi-truck in Florida. The Department of Transportation found that Harjinder Singh, an illegal immigrant, did not pass an English proficiency exam. He was issued a commercial driver’s license by both Washington state and California.
Singh pleaded not guilty to charges of vehicular homicide in September 2025.
