Wyoming goes all in on English proficiency enforcement
Across the country, states are moving to enforce a basic rule: truck drivers must be proficient in English.
A new law in Wyoming puts more cops on the job. The job of enforcement is not unique to state and county law enforcement. Lawmakers went a step further.
Federal law already requires English proficiency
Federal law says truck drivers must know enough English to read road signs and follow directions.
But for nearly a decade, drivers who failed that rule were often allowed to keep rolling.
The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association pushed last year for the penalty to come back. Soon after, President Donald Trump signed an order reinstating the rule.
The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance then reinstated penalties for truck drivers who fail the English requirement.
NO ENGLISH, NO TRUCKING!
NEW Wyoming law lets cops pull DANGEROUS drivers who don’t speak our language off the road
Kudos to @GovernorGordon for putting AMERICANS FIRST
https://t.co/Idk4gdTzCK
— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) March 7, 2026
New Wyoming law
In Wyoming, only the Wyoming Highway Patrol used to enforce the English rule.
A new law changes that. Certified local police can now step in.
Drivers who ignore an order to stop could face a $1,000 fine. Repeat offenders could face $2,000 fines and up to 90 days in jail.
The Wyoming Trucking Association and the Highway Patrol support the new rule.
During a hearing, Lt. Kyle McKay said the move is long overdue.
“ From June 25, 2025, to January 31, 2026, the Wyoming Highway Patrol has had 775 violations for this particular regulation within Wyoming,” McKay said. “Those drivers, all 775, were placed out of service. And we’ve had 19 repeat offenders that have been incarcerated on the violation itself.”
He said letting local police enforce the rule should lead to even more unsafe trucks being parked.
WTA’s Kevin Hawley added that local officers can only enforce the English-language rule.
“They are not a CVSA-certified inspector. So, they’re not going to be crawling around doing anything in the CMV world,” Hawley said.
Sen. Stephan Pappas, R-Cheyenne, said the goal is simple: ensure that truck drivers lacking English proficiency do not endanger the public on the road.
“The intent of the bill is to make sure that people who can’t read road signs don’t pose a threat to our motoring public,” Pappas said. “Because we’ve seen too many bad things happen when that’s the case.”
U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman, R-Wyo., also praised the new law.
“If you cannot speak or read English, you should not be driving an 80,000-pound truck,” Hageman posted on X. “Proud to see Wyoming leading the way to protect families by enforcing English language proficiency to keep dangerous illegals off our roads.”
Hageman helped initiate the discussion on English proficiency for truck drivers. She sent a letter to U.S. DOT Secretary Sean Duffy a year ago addressing the issue. LL