$1,000 fine, 90 days in jail: Non-English speaking truck drivers in Wyoming may now be punished by police under new law

Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon signed a new state law allowing all Wyoming police officers to stop commercial truck drivers who are not proficient in English and could endanger public safety.The bill, named House Bill 32, was approved by the state Legislature and signed by Gordon earlier this week.Under the new law, any law enforcement officer or deputy in the state can stop a truck driver if he or she cannot prove he or she meets federal English language proficiency standards. Prior to this change, only federally certified Wyoming Highway Patrol personnel were authorized to enforce these standards.Federal standards require commercial drivers to be able to speak and understand English well enough to speak with the public, answer official questions and read road signs. If drivers fail to meet these requirements, they may now be cited by local officials and state police.The law also includes penalties for drivers who fail to demonstrate English proficiency. A first offense may result in a $1,000 fine. If drivers continue to operate commercial vehicles in the state before proving English proficiency, they face an additional $1,000 fine and may be charged with a misdemeanor punishable by up to 90 days in jail.The law is designed to improve road safety in Wyoming by ensuring commercial drivers can communicate and understand important information while behind the wheel. The U.S. Department of Transportation has reinstated federal requirements for English language proficiency after a pause under previous administrations.The new law comes into effect immediately after numerous accidents and incidents in which immigrant drivers were unable to speak or read English properly.In 2025, Wyoming commercial vehicle inspections found that 676 of 16,676 truck drivers were unable to demonstrate basic proficiency in English when interviewed, according to State Patrol data. Police had to charge the drivers because they failed to prove they could read or communicate in English during roadside checks. Additionally, a SEM truck accident in Florida in August 2025 that killed three people drew national attention to English proficiency rules. Federal investigators say truck driver failed English test and couldn’t answer basic questions or correctly identify highway signs after crash