DMV Test Language Changes in 2026: Which States Went English-Only
In 2026 several states stopped offering driver tests in other languages, mostly for commercial licenses. Here is what changed, from when, and where you can still take the regular permit test in Spanish, Russian or another language. Data as of November 2, 2026.
Updated November 2, 2026
The short answer
- Florida: since February 6, 2026, all driver license knowledge and skills exams are given only in English, with no interpreters. Printed exams in other languages are no longer used.
- Texas: since June 1, 2026, CDL and commercial learner permit (CLP) knowledge exams are English-only and interpreters are not allowed. The regular car (Class C) knowledge test is still offered in English and Spanish.
- Utah: all CDL tests are given in English only and translation materials are prohibited.
- Federal level: on February 20, 2026 the U.S. Department of Transportation announced plans to require all CDL knowledge and skills tests in English. As of November 2026 this is a plan, not a final rule.
- The regular car permit test is still offered in Spanish in 35 states and D.C., and in Russian in 21 states and D.C.
Florida: English-only for all driver license exams
The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles announced on January 30, 2026 that from February 6, 2026 all driver license knowledge and skills exams are conducted in English. Before that, the knowledge test for most regular licenses was available in several languages, including Spanish and Haitian Creole.
- The change covers the car (Class E) knowledge test and the driving test.
- Translators and interpreters may not help during the exam.
- Printed exams in other languages were withdrawn.
If you live in Florida and are more comfortable in another language, study the rules in your language, but practise the questions in English: the exam wording will be English only.
Texas: English-only CDL knowledge tests since June 1, 2026
The Texas Department of Public Safety announced that all CDL and commercial learner permit knowledge examinations are given in English only, effective immediately for tests on or after June 1, 2026. Interpreters are prohibited for these exams. DPS says the change aligns Texas with federal English language proficiency requirements for commercial drivers. The CDL skills test was already English-only.
This does not change the regular car license: the Class C knowledge test in Texas is still available in English and Spanish, and a translator may help only before and after the test.
Utah: CDL tests in English only
The Utah Driver License Division states that all CDL tests are administered in English only and that translation materials are strictly prohibited. Utah H.B. 118 (effective May 6, 2026) also requires CDL applicants to sign an acknowledgment that they must read and speak English well enough to pass the CDL skills test.
The regular Utah knowledge test is still offered in many languages, including Spanish, Ukrainian and Mandarin Chinese.
Coming January 1, 2027: Tennessee
Tennessee passed a law (HB 1708 / SB 1889, Public Chapter 954 of 2026) that takes effect on January 1, 2027: the driver license written exam will be given in English. An applicant who cannot read and speak English may take it once in another language the state offers, but receives a restricted license that cannot be renewed and must later pass the written exam in English. See new driving laws in 2027.
The federal CDL proposal
On February 20, 2026 Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and FMCSA Administrator Derek Barrs announced a rulemaking that would require every CDL knowledge and skills test in the country to be given in English. As of November 2026 it has not become a final rule, and a Senate bill ("Dalilah's Law") contains a similar requirement.
Separately, since June 25, 2025, failing an English language proficiency check at a roadside inspection again puts a commercial driver out of service. If you plan to get a CDL, study in English now, whatever your state allows today.
Where the regular permit test is English-only
For a regular car license, three states give the knowledge test only in English: Florida (since 2026), Oklahoma and Wyoming. Wyoming allows an interpreter for non-commercial written tests.
Most other states still offer several languages. The largest choice is in California (38 languages), Massachusetts (37), Connecticut (35), Michigan (32) and Pennsylvania (30). See the map of DMV exam languages by state for every state.
How to prepare if your test is in English
- Practise with questions shown in English, with a translation next to them, so you learn the English wording of each rule.
- Learn the key road terms in English: right-of-way, yield, merge, solid line, school zone, BAC.
- Read the official driver handbook in English at least once before the test.
- Take a full exam simulation in English only, without the translation, a few days before the test.
Questions
No. Since February 6, 2026 all Florida driver license knowledge and skills exams are given in English only, and interpreters are not allowed.
Yes, for a regular car license: the Class C knowledge test is offered in English and Spanish. Only CDL and commercial learner permit knowledge tests became English-only on June 1, 2026.
Not yet. The U.S. Department of Transportation announced a plan on February 20, 2026 to require English-only CDL tests, but as of November 2026 it is not a final rule. Some states, such as Texas and Utah, already give CDL tests only in English.