Overview

• An interim FMCSA rule effective immediately limits eligibility to specific work visas (H-2A, H-2B, E-2) and requires federal SAVE immigration checks and short, in‑person renewals tied to visa status.
• States must halt issuance of non-domiciled commercial licenses until they meet the new verification standards, with federal enforcement actions threatened for noncompliance.
• Officials say roughly 200,000 non-citizens currently hold CDLs and estimate about 190,000 would not qualify under the new criteria, though the rule is not retroactive and current licenses generally remain valid until renewal.
• California was cited as the most egregious case, with more than 25% of reviewed licenses improperly issued; it was ordered to pause issuance and could face escalating penalties if it fails to comply.
• The crackdown follows fatal crashes in Florida, Texas, and Alabama linked by officials to drivers who should not have been licensed, and major trucking groups publicly backed the tighter oversight.