Florida Governor Vetoes CDL Training for Nonviolent Inmates

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis vetoed HB 325 on June 29, 2026, blocking a program that would have allowed CDL training for nonviolent state prisoners within two years of release. The bill passed both chambers of the Florida legislature with no opposition.

What did the vetoed Florida CDL training bill allow?

HB 325 would have permitted CDL training for "nonviolent, scheduled-release inmates and nonviolent inmates who have two years or less remaining on their sentence." The program required English proficiency and would have prioritized youthful offenders and inmates nearing release.

The bill expanded the Florida Department of Transportation's authority to fund workforce development programs beyond construction trades. The Correctional Education Program would have partnered with colleges, public or private school districts, and other entities to deliver the training.

Why DeSantis blocked the program

DeSantis called the program "unnecessarily burdensome" to the Department of Corrections, which would need to supply personnel to monitor inmates during CDL training. "It also creates significant public safety concerns by authorizing incarcerated individuals to operate commercial vehicles in public thoroughfares," DeSantis wrote in his veto letter, according to Florida news reports.

The bill required at least one corrections officer to be present in the vehicle whenever an inmate operated or rode in a state-owned vehicle during training. That staffing requirement drew the governor's objection.

What carriers must verify before hiring Florida drivers

Carriers hiring Florida drivers should continue standard pre-employment screening. The vetoed bill would not have changed existing CDL eligibility rules. Federal law already bars anyone with certain felony convictions from holding a CDL, including those involving a commercial motor vehicle or controlled substances.

The FMCSA dropped CDL self-reporting of out-of-state traffic convictions effective June 22, 2026. States now exchange conviction data through the Commercial Driver's License Information System (CDLIS). Carriers must still pull Motor Vehicle Records (MVRs) and verify CDLIS history during the hiring process.

Several states have tightened CDL access in 2026. Ohio revoked 1,200 non-domiciled CDLs for foreign truckers and stopped issuing new licenses. Carriers must verify that any driver holding a Florida CDL meets domicile requirements and has no disqualifying convictions on record.

How the bill would have worked

The Correctional Education Program would have developed procedures and monitoring standards for schools chosen to deliver CDL training. Inmates could operate a state-owned vehicle only if appropriately licensed or after completing a CDL program, and only with a corrections officer present.

The bill did not specify funding levels or how many inmates would have been eligible. It also did not address whether participating inmates would have been able to obtain a CDL before release or only after completing their sentence.

The Florida Trucking Association could not be reached for comment on the legislation or the veto.

What Florida carriers should do now

Nothing changes for Florida carriers. The state's existing CDL eligibility rules remain in effect. Carriers hiring drivers with any criminal history should continue to verify that convictions do not trigger federal disqualifications under 49 CFR 383.51 or 49 CFR 391.15.

Carriers must also confirm that drivers meet the English-language requirement in 49 CFR 391.11(b)(2), which requires the ability to read and speak English sufficiently to converse with the general public, understand highway traffic signs and signals, respond to official inquiries, and make entries on reports and records.

The veto leaves Florida without a state-sponsored CDL training pathway for inmates. Other states, including Ohio and California, have operated similar programs, though both states have faced scrutiny over non-domiciled CDL issuance practices in 2026.