Stricter CDL Checks for Non-Citizens Aim to Protect American Roads

The U.S. government just took quick action to tighten up who can get a commercial driver’s license if they don’t live in the country. 

On November 13, Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy announced a new rule that started right away. This came after a big safety check found serious problems with how some states have been handing out licenses to foreign drivers.

So, what’s really going on behind the scenes?

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) did a nationwide review. They found that many states were giving out these important licenses to drivers who shouldn’t have them. The current system didn’t always catch these mistakes. This mix of problems has created a real safety risk on American highways that needs to be fixed fast.

From now on, non-citizens can only get these special licenses if they meet tougher requirements. They need a work visa and must pass a federal immigration check called the SAVE system to prove they are legally in the U.S.

Secretary Duffy said, “What we found should upset every American. Dangerous drivers are getting licenses to operate huge, 80,000-pound trucks, often illegally. This puts every family on the road at risk. We will stop unsafe foreign drivers from renewing their licenses and make states cancel any licenses that were issued incorrectly.”‍

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The audit showed that many states failed to follow the rules, with California having the biggest problems. More than a quarter of the non-domiciled CDLs they looked at in California were given to drivers who weren’t supposed to have them. Some licenses were still valid even though the driver’s legal right to stay in the U.S. had expired years earlier. 

In one shocking case, a driver from Brazil was allowed to drive a passenger bus and school bus months after his legal status expired.

Because of these serious issues, Secretary Duffy is requiring California to:

- Stop issuing new non-domiciled CDLs right away.

- Find all licenses that don’t follow federal rules.

- Cancel the bad licenses and only give new ones to drivers who meet the stricter requirements.

“If California doesn’t fix this fast, I will block millions of dollars in highway funding,” Duffy warned. “All other states need to review their licenses and cancel any that were wrongly given out. We owe it to the American public to make sure only safe, legal drivers are on the roads.”

Secretary Duffy warned California that if they don’t fix things within 30 days, the government will hold back nearly $160 million in highway funding next year, with even more money withheld the year after. He also called on other states to check their licenses and cancel any that were given out improperly. It’s about keeping American roads safe and making sure only legal, qualified drivers are behind the wheel of big trucks.

This crackdown comes after several fatal crashes this year involving drivers with these non-domiciled licenses. Other states with issues include Colorado, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, and Washington.

This new rule is a big move to improve road safety and make sure every big rig driver has the right credentials and legal status to be out there.