Overview
- Federal officials notified roughly 17,000 non‑domiciled CDL holders in California that their licenses no longer meet federal standards and will lapse in about two months unless reissued in compliance.
- The FMCSA ordered a full state audit after finding systemic policy, procedural, and programming errors, with more than one in four sampled records out of compliance.
- Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned California could lose up to $160 million in highway funding, after about $40 million was previously withheld over English‑proficiency enforcement.
- California disputes the federal account, saying the actions relate to state‑law violations and asserting affected drivers held valid federal work authorization under DHS guidance.
- The enforcement push follows fatal truck crashes that prompted a nationwide review, including an August Florida crash involving a driver with a California‑issued credential.