Transition period announced as Florida begins offering driver's license exams in English only
A transition period has been announced for some test takers as Florida begins to offer driver's license exams in English only.
Miami-Dade Tax Collector Dariel Fernandez made the announcement on Friday.
The Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) said that starting Feb. 6, all driver's license exams would be offered exclusively in English but clarified that the requirement "applies to all appointments scheduled on or after February 6, 2026."
According to information provided by Fernandez, a limited 60-day transition period was approved for customers who scheduled their appointments prior to Feb. 6, with the period ending on March 31.
"During this transition period, eligible customers may complete their driver license knowledge or practical exam in English or Spanish," Fernandez said in a statement.
The accommodation only applies to customers with appointments scheduled before the Feb. 6 effective date.
"The purpose of this transition period is to balance public safety with continued service accessibility, while providing customers additional time to prepare for testing in English under the new statewide standard," the statement continued.
Some residents rushed to DMVs ahead of new rule
In the final hours before the transition on Thursday, some residents rushed to complete their written exams in Spanish, Haitian-Creole and other languages. Many people said the change would make future visits to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) significantly more challenging.
"I heard the news and thought since I don't know English, I'd have to take it in Spanish, take advantage of the opportunity that remained," said Rosani Sanchez, who passed her exam in Spanish.
Late Thursday afternoon, CBS News Miami observed a brief outage at a Miami‑Dade DMV office delayed testing for several people. Some left without being able to take the exam in their preferred language.
"We have to come back on another date," said Jose Silva, speaking in Spanish. "They gave us Tuesday of next week because today they can't. It's crazy in there."