WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Florida joined three other states this week in requiring driving exams to be taken exclusively in English, creating confusion and long lines as the policy took effect with less than a week's notice.
WATCH BELOW: 'There's almost no one here,' Felix Ortiz tells WPTV's Kayal McDermott
The abrupt change had people scrambling to take their driving tests before the Friday cutoff when exams were still available in multiple languages. Long lines formed outside DMV offices as test-takers rushed to complete their exams in their preferred language.
"That's why we're trying to take the test these days," said Tamia Morales, through a translator, explaining why she was trying to take the test before the deadline.
People also rushed into U-Drive It Driving School in Lake Worth ahead of the change. But now that the English-only requirement is in place, the scene has changed dramatically.
"There's almost no one here," said Felix Ortiz, owner of U Drive It. "It's all in English now, so they're not even bothering to come."
Lake Worth Beach
Last-minute rush: Test-takers scramble before English-only DMV deadline
The implementation has been marked by confusion and technical issues. Ortiz said that as people were taking tests for the last time in their preferred language on Thursday, the system completely shut down.
"The state decided to just eliminate all the testing after 3:30 yesterday," Ortiz said. "They were no longer able to test."
Adding to the confusion, Ortiz received a message from a manager of the Office of Driver Education for the state saying the English-only update would not be deployed as originally scheduled and that multiple testing languages would remain in effect until further notice.
However, the DMV said it is operating under different instructions.
"I've reached out to other schools, and they're also doing it in multiple languages," Ortiz said. "I've reached out to the DMV. They're doing it in English. There's a somewhat of a disconnect."
Ortiz also raised concerns about transparency in the new system. He said one of his students who passed his exam in Creole prior to the cutoff was later randomly selected to retake the knowledge test, but has to do it in English.
"So, I don't understand," Ortiz said.
The state has not yet responded to requests for data showing how many multi-language tests were taken in Florida last year or addressed the implementation concerns raised by driving schools.
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