Overview
- The Texas Department of Public Safety announced the changes on Monday, June 1, 2026, switching all commercial driver license and learner permit knowledge tests to English only and removing the Spanish option.
- DPS said it will again grant CDLs to holders of H-2A temporary agricultural visas after federal guidance allowed those workers to hold commercial licenses while eligibility for H-2B and E-2 visa holders remains pending.
- The hands-on skills test has long been administered only in English and interpreters are banned for that portion, and DPS will evaluate English communication during roadside checks and inspections.
- Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has opened investigations into five trucking schools for alleged noncompliance with English-language rules and state leaders say they will strictly enforce the new standards.
- Industry groups and some county officials warn the changes could shrink the driver pool, strain local motor-vehicle offices, and affect supply chains while the state aligns its rules with FMCSA policy and federal enforcement priorities.