Newsom’s California To Require English-Only CDL Testing After Federal Threat

California Gov. Gavin Newsom is reversing course on commercial driver oversight, announcing that the state will now require English language proficiency testing for commercial truck drivers after months of resisting federal enforcement pressure.

The shift comes after the U.S. Department of Transportation withheld more than $40 million in federal funding since October and warned in February that an additional $160 million could be pulled, according to Fox 8.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy made clear that federal leverage played a decisive role.

“I shouldn’t have had to threaten to withhold millions in funding for California to come to their senses and enforce the law,” Duffy said. “For those who said we’re playing politics, our efforts have gotten real results for the American people.”

Under the new policy, all truck and bus drivers in California will be required to take their commercial driver’s license (CDL) exams in English. Duffy announced Friday that drivers must be able to read road signs and communicate effectively with law enforcement — a requirement already embedded in federal law.

While federal rules mandate English proficiency for commercial drivers, several states — including California — have allowed CDL testing in multiple languages. California had previously offered exams in 20 languages.

Florida has already moved to administer CDL tests exclusively in English.

Duffy also noted that some states outsourced CDL testing to third-party companies that failed to consistently enforce federal English proficiency standards.

The renewed enforcement push follows several deadly crashes involving commercial drivers.

Federal officials intensified scrutiny after a fatal August crash involving a foreign truck driver who, according to Duffy, was not authorized to be in the United States. Reports indicated the driver made an illegal U-turn in Florida, resulting in three fatalities.

Another crash in Indiana earlier this month claimed the lives of four members of an Amish community, further fueling concerns about commercial driver vetting and oversight.

Under federal guidelines, states must ensure drivers can speak English before issuing CDLs, and law enforcement officers are expected to assess language proficiency during traffic stops and inspections. Drivers unable to communicate effectively are to be placed out of service.

A recent federal operation involving 8,215 inspections resulted in nearly 500 drivers being disqualified over English proficiency violations. California alone recently removed more than 600 drivers from the road.

The Transportation Department is also expanding its focus to combat fraudulent trucking operations.

Duffy said registration requirements will be strengthened, while inspectors from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration conduct additional spot checks of trucking companies and CDL schools.

Currently, trucking firms pay $300 and provide proof of insurance to register, and may not face a compliance audit for a year or longer — with some audits conducted virtually.

Industry leaders say those gaps have allowed so-called “chameleon carriers” to repeatedly rebrand under new names to avoid penalties after crashes or regulatory violations.

Dan Horvath, chief operating officer of the American Trucking Associations, said lax oversight has enabled unsafe operators to remain active.

“What we think at ATA has happened over the years is that we have a lack of true enforcement and intervention with motor carriers that are in operation,” Horvath said.

Following the Indiana crash, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration placed the driver’s employer out of service and revoked the DOT numbers of two affiliated Chicago-area companies — Tutash Express and Sam Express. The Aydana driving school attended by the driver also lost its certification.

Duffy framed the broader crackdown as long overdue.

“Once you start to pay attention, you see that all these bad things have been happening. And the consequence of that is that Americans get hurt,” he said. “When we get on the road, we should expect that we should be safe. And that those who drive those 80,000-pound big rigs, that they are well-trained, they’re well-qualified, and they’re going to be safe.”

For critics of California’s previous approach, the episode underscores a familiar debate: whether states should strictly enforce existing federal safety standards or bend to political pressures that dilute them.

With funding on the line and public safety concerns mounting, Sacramento has now chosen enforcement.