After English-Only Rule Confusion, Miami Woman Finally Gets Her Driver’s License

A Miami woman caught in the confusion surrounding Florida’s new English-only driver’s license testing rule is now officially licensed after public attention helped clarify her case.

The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles announced that beginning February 6, all driver’s license exams would be administered only in English. But Daniela had scheduled her appointment before that deadline and had already passed her test in Spanish.

Despite this, she was later told she had been selected to retake the test — this time in English.

NBC6 first met Daniela in tears at a Miami Tax Collector’s office. While she said she understands the need to adapt and learn English, she explained that taking a lengthy written exam in English would have been overwhelming.

“I can have conversations in English,” she said, “but answering very long test questions is different. I wasn’t confident.”

After the story aired, the tax collector’s office stepped in, clarifying there was a transition period. Anyone who made an appointment before February 6 could still take the exam in their originally selected language.

Daniela retook the test in Spanish on Monday — and passed again.

“I knew I could pass because I studied and took a four-hour course,” she said. “But if the test was in English, I probably would have failed.”

Officials now advise anyone who did not schedule an appointment before the February 6 deadline to begin preparing for the exam in English, even if enrolled in a third-party driving school.

Some state officials argue that English-only testing will make roads safer. However, experts cited by PolitiFact say there is no evidence supporting that claim and warn the policy could result in more unlicensed drivers on the road.

For Daniela, the outcome is simple: after weeks of uncertainty, she is finally a licensed Florida driver.