Texas Resumes CDLs for H-2A Workers, Requires English-Only Exams

The Texas Department of Public Safety (TXDPS) announced the resumption of issuing Commercial Driver’s Licenses (CDLs) and Commercial Learner’s Permits (CLPs) to temporary agricultural workers holding H-2A status who are not domiciled in Texas. The measure, authorized by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), took effect on June 1, 2026.

Updated FMCSA guidelines, effective March 16, 2026, provide that CDLs and CLPs for non-domiciled individuals may only be issued to those holding H-2A (temporary agricultural workers), H-2B (temporary non-agricultural workers), or E-2 (treaty investors) immigration status. However, TXDPS stated that, at this time, it has only received authorization to resume issuing these credentials to workers with H-2A status.

According to state officials, all licenses issued to individuals not domiciled in Texas (H-2A workers) will be valid for a maximum of one year. H-2A applicants must appear in person at a TXDPS driver license office and provide the following documentation:

• A valid foreign passport.
• A valid or expired visa.
• Form I-94 or Form I-797A clearly demonstrating H-2A status.

Under the new federal regulations, individuals who previously obtained a CDL using an Employment Authorization Document (EAD), including DACA recipients, TPS beneficiaries, refugees, or asylum applicants, will no longer be eligible to renew their commercial driver’s license once it expires, FMCSA clarified.

CDL and CLP Exams Will Be Offered Only in English in Texas

On the same day, TXDPS announced a significant change to the testing process for obtaining a CDL or CLP in Texas. Beginning June 1, 2026, all written examinations for these credentials will be administered exclusively in English, eliminating the option to take the tests in Spanish as was previously allowed.

The agency stated that applicants scheduled to take their exams on or after that date must be prepared to complete them in English, and interpreters will not be permitted during the testing process. While the practical portion of CDL and CLP examinations has already been conducted exclusively in English, the new measure extends this requirement to the written portion of the evaluation.

According to TXDPS, the change is intended to comply with FMCSA English-language proficiency requirements and to ensure that new commercial drivers possess the communication skills necessary to operate vehicles safely on public roadways.

The department also reported that authorities will continue conducting English-language proficiency assessments of commercial drivers during roadside inspections and at weigh stations. Any driver who fails to meet the required English communication standards may be placed out of service, officials warned.

Texas is not the only state to implement this change. In February 2026, Florida also began offering CDL and CLP written examinations exclusively in English.

Additionally, that same month, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced the federal government’s intention to move forward with a regulation that would require all states to administer commercial driver licensing examinations exclusively in English.