CDL Test in Another Language? Language Rules and English Proficiency

The short answer

For a commercial driver's license (CDL), English matters much more than for a regular license. Federal rules require commercial drivers to read and speak English, the CDL skills test is given only in English, and interpreters are not allowed during CDL tests.

Whether you can take the knowledge test in another language depends on your state. As of October 2026, Texas gives it only in English, while New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Washington still list other languages on their official pages. None of the official pages we checked lists Ukrainian.

The federal English rule for commercial drivers

Under federal regulation 49 CFR 391.11(b)(2), a person is qualified to drive a commercial motor vehicle only if he or she can read and speak English well enough to:

• converse with the general public;
• understand highway traffic signs and signals in English;
• respond to official inquiries;
• make entries on reports and records.

FMCSA guidance for motor carriers, effective May 22, 2025, recommends that a carrier manager interview the driver in English to check this requirement during hiring.

Since 2025: English proficiency is an out-of-service violation

On April 28, 2025, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) announced steps to reverse a 2016 policy that told inspectors not to take drivers off the road for English language proficiency (ELP) violations. On May 20, 2025, Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy signed an order announcing new enforcement guidance.

• Since June 25, 2025, ELP violations are again included in the out-of-service criteria. A driver who fails is placed out of service, which means the driver may not keep driving.
• At a roadside inspection the check has two steps: a driver interview in English and a highway traffic sign recognition assessment. Inspectors should not use interpreters or I-Speak cards during the interview.
• FMCSA's guidance says the out-of-service consequence does not apply to inspections in the U.S.-Mexico border commercial zones.

On August 7, 2026, DOT announced a proposed rule that would write ELP into the federal regulations as an out-of-service violation; it was published on August 10, 2026. This is a proposal, not a final rule. The out-of-service enforcement described above already applies under the 2025 guidance.

Federal rules for the CDL tests themselves

Federal regulation 49 CFR 383.133 sets how CDL tests are given. In the text on the official eCFR site, up to date as of October 16, 2026:

• Knowledge tests may be given in writing, orally or by computer, and may be given in a foreign language, provided no interpreter is used.
• Interpreters are prohibited during skills tests. You must understand and respond to the examiner's verbal commands in English, and neither you nor the examiner may communicate in another language during the skills test.

On February 21, 2026, DOT announced new measures that include requiring CDL tests to be administered in English, and on May 1, 2026 it said FMCSA is implementing English-only testing. Those announcements give no effective date, and the regulation text above had not been changed as of October 16, 2026. Because the rules are changing, check your state's official page before you book a test.

CDL test languages in large states

What the official state pages said in October 2026:

• Texas: since June 1, 2026, all CDL and commercial learner permit (CLP) knowledge exams are given in English only; Spanish versions were discontinued and interpreters are prohibited. The skills test is also in English.
• Florida: a policy of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV), published by the Hillsborough County Tax Collector, makes all driver license knowledge and driving skill exams English-only from February 6, 2026. The FLHSMV CDL page says skills tests must be in English and interpreters may not be used during any test; that page still says knowledge tests are offered in multiple languages.
• New York: CDL written tests (Class A, B and C) and endorsements are available in English, Spanish, Chinese and Russian only. The Hazardous Materials (HazMat) test is in English only. The New York CDL manual is available in the same 4 languages.
• New Jersey: CDL knowledge tests are in English and Spanish; the HazMat test is in English only. Interpreters are not allowed for the CDL knowledge test or road test, and audio tests are not available for any CDL exam.
• Pennsylvania: PennDOT's CDL fact sheet (June 2025) says knowledge tests are offered in multiple languages, in written and audio format; the HazMat test is English only.
• Washington: the CDL knowledge test is available in 4 languages: English, Spanish, Russian and Serbo-Croatian. Interpreters are not allowed. The Commercial Driver Guide is only in English, and the skills test is in English.
• California: the DMV says the entire commercial road test is conducted in English, as required by law. We did not find a current DMV page that lists CDL knowledge test languages.
• Georgia: the CDL permit page says all applicants must be able to read and understand English.

We could not confirm current CDL test languages for Illinois and Ohio from their official pages, so they are not listed.

How to prepare if English is not your first language

1. Study your state's CDL manual in English. Even where a translated knowledge test exists, the skills test and roadside inspections are in English, and in Texas the knowledge test is too.
2. Use translation as a bridge, not a replacement. PermitLingo CDL practice tests show each question in English with a translation, so you can check the meaning and then practice answering in English.
3. Practice speaking and road signs. The roadside check is an English interview plus traffic sign recognition, so practice answering basic questions in English and naming U.S. road signs.
4. Do not plan on an interpreter. Federal rules do not allow one for the CDL knowledge or skills test.
5. Check your state before you book. Texas and Florida both changed their test language rules in 2026.