By: SPEAKIN’ OUT NEWS
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Alabama State Rep. Phillip Pettus, R-Killen, has prefiled legislation for the 2026 Legislative Session that would require all driver’s license examinations in the state to be administered exclusively in English.
House Bill 88 would mandate that “all written, oral, vision, and driving portions of the examination administered for purposes of obtaining or renewing a driver license must be in the English language only.” The bill would also prohibit applicants from using a translation dictionary, electronic device, or interpreter while taking the exam.
Pettus said he introduced the bill in response to concerns raised at the federal level. In mid-December, he told Alabama Daily News that the proposal followed two fatal crashes in other states involving Sikh truck drivers—incidents cited by the Trump administration when it issued new English proficiency standards and regulations restricting immigrants’ access to commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs).
“All of our road signs are in English,” Pettus told Alabama Daily News. “People need to be able to read and understand English in order to drive.”
Critics of the federal policy argue that it unfairly targets immigrants without meaningful data to support claims that they pose a greater risk on the road. Pettus, however, said the federal action highlighted a need for change at the state level.
According to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA), CDL exams in Alabama are already conducted only in English, and applicants for standard Class D licenses must currently communicate with examiners and complete the road skills portion of the test in English.
HB88 would specifically affect the written portion of the Class D license exam, which is currently offered in 11 foreign languages.
The proposal could face legal hurdles. In 2011, the Alabama Supreme Court unanimously rejected a lawsuit challenging the state’s use of multiple languages for driver’s license exams, affirming a lower court ruling that found no constitutional violation.
If passed, HB88 may again be tested in court.
The bill is scheduled to receive its first hearing in the House Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security when the legislature reconvenes on Tuesday, January 13.