LAKE WORTH BEACH, Fla. — Florida will join just two other states in restricting driver's license exams to English only, with the change taking effect Friday.
The Florida Department of Motor Vehicles announced the policy change with less than a week's notice, prompting a rush of people seeking to take their driving tests in languages other than English before the Feb. 6 deadline.
"We've been getting tons and tons of phone calls," said Felix Ortiz, owner of U-Drive It Driving School in Lake Worth Beach. "It's gone up to about 20 to 30 people a day."
Tamia Morales, who was studying at the driving school ahead of the deadline, said the change creates barriers for non-native English speakers.
"I think that's a barrier for people who don't fully understand the language," Morales said in Spanish. "Difficulty arises when there are more complex words or expressions that I can't understand."
The DMV said the policy aims to promote clear communication, understanding of traffic laws and responsible driving.
However, Darlyin, another student at U-Drive It, disagreed with the reasoning.
"It's awful because they're like, 'What are they saying? How do I do this?' and it makes you feel bad," she said.
Ortiz expressed concern that the language restriction could lead to unintended consequences, noting that road signs rely on shapes and colors that can be understood universally.
"The signs have certain shapes and colors, you know, that can be understood everywhere," Ortiz said. "My opinion, they're probably going to drive without a license. That's my biggest fear."
He says the driving school will most likely be making changes to the way it educates students come Friday.
"We're going to try to change curriculums around, try to see how we can aid the public in taking their road tests in English," he said.
WPTV reached out to Governor Ron DeSantis' office, asking if this change stems directly from a triple fatal semi-truck crash on the Turnpike last year, where he says the driver could not read or understand English.
His team just provided a social media statement the government made praising the DMV's decision, emphasizing that people need to know English and understand road signs.
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