Can you take the CDL test in Spanish, and does ELDT have to be in English?
ELDT theory: your provider sets the language
Part 380 of the federal regulations, the ELDT rule, and its curricula in Appendices A through E tell providers what to teach and that the theory assessment must be passed at 80 percent. They do not say what language to teach in, and the FMCSA's ELDT FAQ does not address language either. The registry record your state checks lists the class, the provider and the date, not the language. So a Spanish-language theory course from a registered provider counts exactly like an English one. ELDT365 offers every course in full Spanish: Class A, Class B, the B to A upgrade, Passenger, School Bus and HAZMAT, from eldt365.com/es. Learning the material in the language you read best is the fastest way through it; the English you need for the road is a separate job, covered below.
The knowledge test: each state decides
The federal testing rule, 49 CFR 383.133(b)(3), says the knowledge tests may be given in written, verbal or automated form and can be administered in a foreign language, provided no interpreter is used. That rule has not changed in the Code of Federal Regulations as of October 2026. It is permission, not a requirement: a state may offer Spanish, and may stop. On February 21, 2026, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced measures that include requiring CDL tests be administered in English, and some states moved on their own that year. We checked the Federal Register for FMCSA documents through October 14, 2026 and found no rule amending 383.133, so for now the language of the knowledge test is still a state-by-state answer. Expect more states to change, and check your state's page the week you test.
States confirmed on their own sites, as of October 2026
We list a state only when its licensing agency says so on its own site. Everything else is unconfirmed, which is not the same as no. Verify with your state before you book.
| State | CDL knowledge test | What the agency says |
|---|---|---|
| Texas | English only | DPS: effective June 1, 2026, all CDL and CLP knowledge exams are in English only; previously English and Spanish; interpreters prohibited |
| Florida | English only | FLHSMV: effective February 6, 2026, all knowledge and skills exams in English; CLP and CDL knowledge exams had been offered in English and Spanish |
| Oregon | English only | DMV: commercial knowledge tests offered in English only, translators not permitted |
| Virginia | Spanish available | DMV: CDL knowledge exams available in Spanish and other languages, except the HAZMAT exam, English only |
| Washington | Spanish available | DOL: CDL knowledge test in English, Spanish, Russian and Serbian-Croatian; interpreters not allowed |
| Pennsylvania | Spanish available | DMV CDL FAQ: certain oral and Spanish tests available by appointment only |
| Connecticut | Spanish available | DMV: general CDL test and endorsements in English and Spanish; HAZMAT and School Bus in English only; no interpreter |
| Maryland | Spanish available | MVA: CDL knowledge test offered in Spanish without an interpreter, per its May 2024 release; skills test in English |
We could not confirm California, New York, Illinois, Arizona, Georgia, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, New Jersey or any other state from the agency's own site, so they are not listed. Notice the pattern even where Spanish is offered: the HAZMAT test is usually English only, because the H endorsement is tied to security rules.
How to check your state in two minutes
- Open your state licensing agency's CDL page. The agency for each state is listed at ELDT requirements by state.
- Search the page for "Spanish", "language" or "English only". If the CDL page is silent, look for a knowledge test or language assistance page.
- If the site says nothing, call the office where you will test and ask which languages the CDL knowledge test is available in and whether that includes the endorsement tests.
- Ask again the week of your test. In 2026 the answer changed in some states with a few days' notice.
The skills test and the road are in English
Two federal rules do not change by state. 49 CFR 383.133(c)(5) prohibits interpreters during the skills test and requires you to understand and respond to the examiner's verbal commands in English; neither you nor the examiner may use another language during the test. And 49 CFR 391.11(b)(2) requires every CMV driver to read and speak English well enough to converse with the general public, understand highway signs and signals in English, respond to official inquiries, and make entries on reports. In May 2025 FMCSA issued an enforcement policy under Executive Order 14286: inspectors start every roadside inspection in English, and if you may not understand, they run a two-step assessment, an interview in English and a traffic-sign recognition check. Interpreters, I-Speak cards and cue cards are not allowed during the interview. A driver who fails is cited and, under the CVSA out-of-service criteria in effect since June 25, 2025, placed out of service. In August 2026 FMCSA proposed writing that out-of-service consequence into the regulations.
A practical plan for a Spanish-speaking driver
- Do ELDT theory in Spanish so you learn the material, not the vocabulary. It is filed the same day and counts in every state.
- Study the knowledge test in the language your state actually gives it in. If your state is English only, use the English CDL manual; the questions come from the same federal question pool, so the material is the same.
- Learn the English of the job: pre-trip inspection terms, road signs, and the questions an inspector asks about your license, logbook, load and medical card. The skills examiner and the inspector will speak to you in English no matter what state you are in.
The ELDT path itself is explained in do I need ELDT.
Questions drivers ask
Does the FMCSA require ELDT theory to be in English?
No. The ELDT rule and curricula set the content and the 80 percent passing score, not the language. A Spanish course from a registered provider is filed to the registry the same way.
Can I use an interpreter for the CDL knowledge test?
No. Federal rule 49 CFR 383.133 allows a state to offer the test in another language only if no interpreter is used. States that offer Spanish give you a Spanish version of the test, not a translator.
Is the skills test ever in Spanish?
No. Interpreters are prohibited during the skills test and the examiner's commands are in English in every state.
Will the HAZMAT test be in Spanish where other CDL tests are?
Usually not. Virginia and Connecticut, for example, offer Spanish for the general CDL test but give the HAZMAT test in English only. Ask your state.
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