You can no longer take the Texas CDL test in Spanish. As of June 1, 2026, the Texas Department of Public Safety removed the Spanish-language option from every commercial driver license and commercial learner permit knowledge exam.1Department of Public Safety. How Do I Apply for a Commercial Driver License The skills test — the pre-trip inspection, basic controls, and road drive — has always been English-only under federal rules, and interpreters are not allowed at any point in it.2eCFR. 49 CFR 383.133 – Test Methods If Spanish is your stronger language, you can still study in Spanish, but you will take every test in English.
Why Texas Dropped the Spanish CDL Exam
For years, DPS offered both the regular driver license and CDL knowledge tests in English or Spanish.3Department of Public Safety. Testing in Other Languages That ended after the U.S. Department of Transportation began aggressively enforcing longstanding English-language proficiency rules for commercial drivers. Starting June 25, 2025, drivers who cannot demonstrate enough ability to read and speak English face out-of-service orders during roadside inspections.4Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy Signs Order Announcing New Guidance to Enforce English-Language Proficiency Requirements Texas DPS followed by dropping the Spanish CDL knowledge test on June 1, 2026.1Department of Public Safety. How Do I Apply for a Commercial Driver License
The underlying rule isn’t new. Federal regulations have long required every qualified commercial driver to read and speak English well enough to converse with the public, understand highway signs and signals, respond to official inquiries, and complete reports and records.5eCFR. 49 CFR 391.11 – General Qualifications of Drivers The Texas Transportation Code mirrors this for CDL applicants.6State of Texas. Texas Transportation Code Chapter 522 What changed in 2025 and 2026 was enforcement at every stage, from the testing center to the weigh station.
The Texas CDL Manual Is Still in Spanish
You can’t test in Spanish, but you can still study in Spanish. DPS continues to publish its Commercial Driver License Manual in Spanish as Form DL-7CS, free to download from the DPS site or pick up in print at a driver license office.7Texas Department of Public Safety. Manual Para Conductores de Vehiculos Comerciales It covers the same material you’ll be tested on: General Knowledge, air brakes, combination vehicles, hazardous materials, and pre-trip inspection.
Working from both manuals at once tends to be the most practical approach. Learn the concepts in Spanish, then learn the English vocabulary used in the test questions so you recognize terms when they appear on the screen in English.
Road Signs Are English Only
DPS requires every applicant to interpret traffic control devices and highway signs that appear only in English.3Department of Public Safety. Testing in Other Languages Studying sign shapes, colors, and standard wording in English isn’t optional, no matter which language you used to learn the rest of the material.
What English You Need for the Skills Test
Federal regulation prohibits interpreters during any part of the CDL skills test. You must understand and respond to verbal commands from the examiner in English, and neither of you may communicate in any other language during the test.2eCFR. 49 CFR 383.133 – Test Methods
In practice, you need to follow directions like “pull forward and stop,” “back into the dock,” and “perform the air brake test.” During the pre-trip inspection, pointing at components isn’t enough. You have to verbally explain in English what you’re checking and why. The examiner isn’t grading your vocabulary, but you need enough conversational English to show that you understand what’s happening mechanically and can follow instructions behind the wheel. Drivers who can’t follow directions fail immediately.
A Study Approach When Spanish Is Your Stronger Language
Start with the Spanish manual (DL-7CS) to lock in the concepts. Then read the same chapters in the English manual so you see how each term is phrased. Build a short vocabulary list for the English words that come up repeatedly: air brake, slack adjuster, kingpin, placard, fifth wheel, parking brake, and so on. Practice saying each one out loud, because you’ll have to use them during the pre-trip inspection.
For the road portion, practice short commands with a bilingual driver or instructor until they feel automatic. The grammar on the skills test is simple and repetitive. What trips Spanish-speaking applicants up is usually not the complexity of the English but the pressure of hearing it under test conditions.
If You Fail
Failing a knowledge test isn’t the end of the process. DPS holds your application at the driver license office for 90 days from the date you first applied, and within that window you can retake the knowledge exam. The same 90-day window applies to the skills test. After three failed skills attempts, or once 90 days pass, you’ll need to submit a new application and pay the fee again.8Texas Department of Public Safety. DL-60A – How to Prepare for a Commercial Skills Test
If English is the real obstacle, use the time between attempts for vocabulary rather than another pass through the manual. The questions themselves are straightforward if you understand the material; the language is usually the barrier, not the concepts.