Overview

• Effective immediately, foreign applicants cannot obtain a CDL without a valid work visa, a current passport, an I‑94 entry record, and a federal status check through DHS’s SAVE system.
• New licenses must expire on the same date as the applicant’s work authorization or within one year, whichever comes first, with in‑person renewals and two‑year document retention by state agencies.
• California was ordered to stop issuing non‑domiciled CDLs and to review and revoke improperly issued licenses within 30 days or risk the loss of about $160 million in federal road funds, with a larger penalty possible if problems persist next year.
• Federal reviewers flagged similar issuance problems in Colorado, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, and Washington, and officials signaled that compliance actions in those states could follow as the audit continues.
• Existing CDLs are not automatically canceled, but stricter renewals and ongoing status verification raise uncertainty for migrant drivers and could affect trucking labor and logistics.