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Trump Administration Mandates English‑Only CDL Exams, Shuts Down 557 Driving Schools

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English‑Only CDL Test Rule Announced Nationwide Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy declared that, effective immediately, every commercial driver‑license (CDL) exam must be administered in English, extending a safety initiative that began in Florida and overriding state programs that previously offered tests in up to 20 languages [1][2]. The rule aligns with President Donald Trump’s official‑language executive order and is presented as a response to safety concerns involving foreign‑born operators [1]. Duffy warned that states issuing “illegal” licenses without English‑proficiency requirements will face federal pressure [1].

Enforcement Targets Non‑English Drivers and Fraudulent Carriers The DOT will pressure states to revoke licenses of drivers lacking English skills and will increase FMCSA spot checks on carriers that repeatedly re‑register under new names, dubbed “chameleon carriers” [1][2]. Registration rules will tighten, and carriers paying $300 for registration to evade audits will be scrutinized, according to ATA COO Dan Horvath [2]. Federal officials stress direct action rather than deferring problems to future administrations [1].

Mass Closure of Driving Schools Following Safety Violations Inspections identified 557 commercial driving schools that failed basic safety standards, leading to shutdown orders that affect both active and previously decertified programs [3][1]. The audits uncovered unqualified instructors, inadequate testing, and other lapses, with 448 schools failing, 109 withdrawing, and 97 still under investigation [3]. The crackdown follows fatal crashes—including an August Florida U‑turn that killed three people and an Indiana wreck that claimed four Amish lives—highlighting the public‑safety stakes [2][3].

Immediate Impact on Drivers and State Compliance A recent sweep of 8,215 FMCSA inspections disqualified nearly 500 drivers for insufficient English ability, and California alone removed more than 600 drivers after initially resisting the rule [2]. The federal government has already withheld $160 million in funding from California and plans to pull $128 million from Illinois for failing to verify immigrant drivers’ eligibility [3]. States accused of issuing “illegal” licenses must now cooperate with the DOT or risk further penalties [1].

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Timeline

Aug 2025 – A truck driver without U.S. authorization makes an illegal U‑turn in Florida, killing three people and prompting the DOT to intensify safety enforcement and tie English‑language proficiency to commercial licensing [3][4].

Aug 2025 – A separate crash in Indiana kills four Amish members, adding pressure on regulators to scrutinize driver qualifications and licensing compliance [2][3].

Dec 2 2025 – The DOT reviews commercial driver‑training programs, flags nearly 44 % as non‑compliant and announces plans to revoke certification of about 3,000 schools within a month, warning another 4,500 that they face revocation if they do not meet standards [10].

Dec 3 2025 – The agency identifies roughly half of all trucking schools as non‑compliant, targeting primarily self‑certified programs from 2022, while a federal judge temporarily blocks proposed restrictions on non‑citizen CDL eligibility [9].

Dec 12 2025 – A federal audit of 200 New York commercial driver licenses finds more than 50 % issued improperly, many remaining valid after work permits expired; Secretary Duffy threatens to withhold $73 million in highway funds unless the state revokes the licenses within 30 days [7].

Dec 13 2025 – A nationwide audit uncovers license‑validity problems in eight states—including California, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Texas, South Dakota, Colorado and Washington—leading to potential funding cuts ranging from $30 million to $75 million unless states purge illegal licenses [8].

Dec 19 2025 – The Federal Railroad Administration sends letters to Union Pacific and CPKC demanding that Mexican train crews demonstrate English proficiency and operate no more than 10 miles inside the United States, linking rail safety to the same language standards applied to truck drivers [6].

Dec 23 2025 – Secretary Duffy threatens to withhold $24 million in federal funds from Colorado after an October audit shows about 22 % of the state’s immigrant‑issued CDLs are illegal; Colorado pauses issuance of non‑domiciled CDLs pending a full audit [5].

Jan 8 2026 – Federal officials withhold $160 million from California after the state delays revoking roughly 17,000 commercial driver licenses flagged as unlawful, despite a federal deadline; the state also faces a class‑action lawsuit from immigrant groups and a disputed extension to Mar 2026 [4].

Feb 19 2026 – The DOT orders more than 550 active commercial driving schools to shut down after 1,426 site visits reveal unqualified instructors and safety lapses, while it threatens to withhold $160 million from California and $128 million from Illinois over failure to verify immigrant driver eligibility [3].

Feb 20 2026 – Secretary Duffy mandates that all commercial driver’s license exams be administered in English nationwide, citing safety concerns and aligning the rule with President Trump’s official‑language executive order; the rule expands a prior Florida pilot and targets “chameleon carriers” and states that have allowed multilingual testing [1][2].

Mar 2026 (planned) – California aims to complete revocations of the remaining unlawful licenses by March 2026, a deadline the federal DOT does not recognize, setting up a continued funding dispute and enforcement tension [4].

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