The Transportation Department is making major changes to eligibility requirements for non-domiciled commercial learner’s permits (CLPs) and commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs). This comes amid an ongoing audit carried out by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).
Under the new rules, noncitizens will not be able to get a non-domiciled CDL unless they meet a stricter set of requirements, which include an employment-based visa. The department is also instituting “a mandatory federal immigration status check using the SAVE system.”
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced the move on Friday and said that what his department uncovered in its investigation of licensing practices “should disturb and anger every American.”
“Licenses to operate a massive, 80,000-pound truck are being issued to dangerous foreign drivers — often times illegally. This is a direct threat to the safety of every family on the road, and I won’t stand for it,” Duffy said in a statement. “Today’s actions will prevent unsafe foreign drivers from renewing their license and hold states accountable to immediately invalidate improperly issued licenses.”
The Transportation Department said Friday that, in its audit, the FMCSA discovered noncompliance in several states, noting that the “most egregious” case was that of California. CDLs were allegedly issued to drivers who were ineligible and drivers whose licenses were valid after their lawful presence in the U.S. expired. The department said this was due to weak oversight, insufficient training and programming errors.
“California’s reckless disregard is frankly disgusting and an affront to the millions of Americans who expect us to keep them safe,” Duffy added. “California must get its act together immediately, or I will not hesitate to pull millions in funding.”
California was under fire for this issue last month when an illegal immigrant trucker who obtained a limited-term CDL from the Golden State in 2024 allegedly killed three people when attempting to make an unauthorized U-turn in Florida. Harjinder Singh, the trucker, was later charged with three counts of vehicular homicide.
The Transportation Department has given California 30 days to come into compliance. If the state fails to do so, it could lose federal funding, which the department said could be nearly $160 million in the first year.
While California was singled out in the department’s statement, Duffy urged all governors to fix their non-domiciled CDL issuing systems immediately.
“You do not want the blood of more traffic deaths on your hands, governors,” Duffy said at a news conference on Friday.
Fox News Digital reached out to California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office for comment.
