Starting February 7, 2026, Florida will implement a new regulation requiring all driver’s license exams, for both commercial and non-commercial vehicles, to be conducted exclusively in English.
The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) will discontinue the use of interpreters and eliminate any translated versions of the written and practical exams. This change marks a significant shift in state procedures, eliminating the language assistance that previously allowed tests to be taken in languages such as Spanish or Creole.
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This measure has sparked intense debate in various sectors of Florida society. Supporters of the initiative argue that the ability to understand traffic signs, emergency warnings, and instructions from officers in English is critical to road safety. They maintain that a unified language standard helps prevent misunderstandings in critical situations on the road.
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On the other hand, various civil organizations have expressed concern about the impact of this rule on multilingual communities. They warn that eliminating translated exams could create significant barriers to employment and mobility, affecting residents who need to drive to work while still perfecting their language skills to driver’s license .
