Overview
- California transportation officials confirmed the DMV will begin reissuing commercial licenses to roughly 17,000 immigrant drivers who received 60‑day cancellation notices on Nov. 6, though the agency has not detailed the reissuance process.
- The state attributes the cancellations to clerical and software errors that mismatched CDL expiration dates with federal work authorization, and the DMV says it is building new tools to better align records.
- The U.S. Department of Transportation had threatened to withhold more than $150 million in highway funds unless California addressed non‑domiciled CDL issues identified by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
- A federal court in Washington, D.C., halted FMCSA’s emergency rule in November, allowing California to fix date mismatches and continue licensing drivers with valid work authorization who meet testing and medical requirements.
- Advocates report disproportionate impacts on Sikh drivers and other immigrant communities, industry leaders warn of higher shipping costs, and federal responses to California’s reversal remain uncertain as other states conduct audits, including Colorado’s ongoing suspension.