Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy signed an enforcement order Tuesday that reinstates and strengthens federal English-language proficiency requirements for commercial motor vehicle drivers, aligning with President Donald Trump's April 2025 executive order to boost highway safety.
"America First means safety first," Duffy said. "Americans are a lot safer on roads alongside truckers who can understand and interpret our traffic signs. This common-sense change ensures the penalty for failure to comply is more than a slap on the wrist."
Under the new guidance, truck drivers who cannot meet English proficiency standards set by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration will be declared out of service. This directive reverses a 2016 policy under the Obama administration that barred inspectors from issuing out-of-service violations solely for failing English requirements.
FMCSA regulations stipulate that drivers must be able to read and speak English well enough to converse with the general public, understand traffic signs and signals, respond to official inquiries, and make entries on reports and records.
Duffy noted that rescinding the Obama-era exemption is a step toward ensuring tha only qualified, safety-conscious drivers operate on America's highways.
"This new guidance is in line with the president's April 2025 executive order to strengthen highway safety by ensuring that all commercial drivers are properly qualified and proficient in English, our national language," he said.
According to the Department of Transportation, failure to enforce English-language requirements compromises public safety by increasing the potential for miscommunication during critical interactions, such as roadside inspections, traffic stops, or weigh station checks.
"President Donald Trump and Secretary Duffy believe that proficiency in English is a common-sense, non-negotiable safety requirement for professional drivers, as they should be able to read and understand traffic signs; communicate with traffic safety officers, border patrol, agricultural checkpoints, and cargo weight-limit station personnel; and provide and receive feedback and directions in English," the department said in a statement.
Duffy also praised the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance for swiftly aligning with the new federal direction. The guidance takes effect June 25 and will incorporate English proficiency violations into the national out-of-service criteria for the first time in nearly a decade.
"Beginning June 25, 2025, ELP violations will once again be included in the out-of-service criteria — ensuring consistent, nationwide enforcement and reaffirming the Department's unwavering commitment to roadway safety," the statement read.