California finally enforces English tests for truck drivers, feds to unfreeze $40M
By Benjamin Brown
Published Feb. 20, 2026, 1:00 p.m. ET
After months of refusing to comply with federal regulations requiring truck drivers to be tested for English language proficiency, California Governor Gavin Newsom is finally reversing course, the United States Department of Transportation confirmed to the Post on Friday.
The USDOT withheld over $40 million from the state last October after USDOT Secretary Sean Duffy said California was the only state that failed to enforce the regulations requiring truckers pass a test showing they can communicate in English and understand traffic signs.
“I shouldn’t have had to threaten to withhold millions in funding for California to come to their senses and enforce the law,” Duffy told The California Post. “For those who said we’re playing politics—our efforts have gotten real results for the American people.”
The California Highway Patrol has been quietly testing for ELP since mid-January.
In an effort to strengthen road safety, President Donald Trump signed an executive order back in April that pulled truckers from the road and disqualified those who failed their ELP test.
https://nypost.com/2026/02/20/us-news/gavin-newsom-caves-as-california-enforces-english-tests-for-truck-drivers/
