South Dakota law requires English proficiency for commercial driver licenses

Applicants must show English proficiency to receive a commercial driver license. This applies to people seeking a South Dakota commercial driver license. Applicants must also meet federal qualifications, pass required knowledge and driving tests, and complete required entry-level training. The department must set rules for judging English proficiency and give all knowledge and skills tests in English.

An officer must check a commercial driver’s English proficiency after a traffic citation or crash. This applies to holders of a commercial driver license or learner’s permit who receive a traffic citation or are involved in a traffic accident. An officer acting under the authority of § 32-2-7 is excepted from the required check. An officer authorized under § 32-2-7 may cite a driver and take the driver out of service if the driver cannot respond proficiently to official inquiries in English. The check applies when the driver is cited for a traffic offense or involved in a traffic accident.

Operating a commercial vehicle without sufficient English proficiency is a misdemeanor. This applies to anyone operating a commercial motor vehicle in South Dakota without sufficient English proficiency. A first offense is a Class 2 misdemeanor; a second or later offense is a Class 1 misdemeanor.