Do I need to speak English to get a CDL License?

We get many questions at DMVCheatSheets about getting a CDL or Commercial Driver’s License. One of the more common questions is – “do you offer your material in Spanish or any other language?”

The quick answer is no – not at this time. Unlike our auto material, which is offered in Spanish, our CDL material is English only for a simple reason – your test will be in English.

The commercial driving test is administered in the English language only. This is pur-suant to Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration regulations §§391.11(b)(2) and 383.133©(5).

What this basically says is that the federal government has mandated that you must be able to speak, read and write English to get a CDL license. You also need to be a US citizen and have a social security number, so if you plan on becoming a truck driver or any other commercial driver and you don’t speak English, now is the time to learn.

If this is the case, why do some states offer their material in other languages? Most states primarily only offer the auto and motorcycle driving handbooks in other languages, the same way we offer our study material for the dmv test in Spanish. Some states, such as CA, do offer their CDL handbooks in Spanish, but the test will still be in English.