Mo. House passes English driver’s license mandate

Thursday, February 23, 2012

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Anyone hoping to get a Missouri driver’s license would have to understand English under legislation passed by the state House.

The bill would require all driver’s license tests to be administered in English, eliminating versions that currently are printed in 11 other languages.

The House passed the bill by a 93-63 vote Thursday. It now goes to the Senate.

Supporters said it would make the roads safer by ensuring drivers can read the signs. Opponents said it was unfair to immigrants, who may be adept of driving while still learning the English language.

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English drivers’ licenses bill is HB1186

Online:

Legislature: http://www.moga.mo.gov

More like this story

gofish 1 year, 3 months ago

"Opponents said it was unfair to immigrants, who may be adept of driving while still learning the English language." That makes no sense. If they get pulled over, how can they follow the lawful directions of a police officer or sign a ticket if they don't know the language. Sillyness.

wow 1 year, 3 months ago

Americans who test for driver's licenses's overseas take the written test in English. I know this because I took the test, past it and have my German Driver's license. The Road Signs are universal world wide...becasue they are all based on the same shape and color scheme only. The test verbiage is country specific, but that's it and although the towns, cities and direction signs are in the host country's language, it's easy to drive around, because obeying the traffic road sgns is easy as they are all based familiar shapes and color schemes. Any American who has a foreign driver's license can validate my statement and will most likely agree with what I've said. That being said...there is no common sense reason for the written portion of the Missouri Driver's test not to be given in a foregn language... except that we are trying to make it harder for foreigner's to obtain an American/Missouri Driver's License and or we're trying to show that American'/Missourian's are just not smart enough to be provide documents in more than one language.

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