Overview
- Taking effect this week, the DOT/FMCSA rule bars asylum seekers, refugees, DACA and TPS recipients, and those relying only on work permits from obtaining nondomiciled commercial driver’s licenses, though current licenses remain valid until they expire.
- Eligibility is restricted to holders of H‑2A, H‑2B, and E‑2 visas, with states required to verify status through the SAVE system and to stop accepting Employment Authorization Documents.
- Federal officials say the change follows findings of “systemic non‑compliance” in state licensing uncovered after several high‑profile fatal crashes, with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy describing the action as closing a road‑safety loophole.
- California was directed to cancel about 13,000 licenses and is facing roughly $160 million in withheld transportation funds; a state court ordered the DMV to accept reapplications, but the agency says it cannot issue new nondomiciled CDLs under the federal rule.
- Immigrant drivers hold about 5% of CDLs nationwide, and industry experts say the tighter standards could shrink the driver pool and raise shipping costs as labor unions and advocacy groups press lawsuits to block the policy.