DOT Tightens Non‑Domiciled CDL, Permit Rules After Crashes

The Department of Transportation’s FMCSA issued an emergency interim rule that took effect immediately, tightening eligibility for non‑domiciled commercial driver’s licenses and learner’s permits by narrowing eligibility to a specific set of employment‑based visas and requiring SAVE immigration checks, in‑person renewals and one‑year limits. The action bypassed normal notice‑and‑comment procedures and follows a nationwide FMCSA audit that found widespread noncompliance in multiple states, including California, Colorado, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas and Washington. The agency linked improperly issued credentials to a string of deadly crashes this year — including a Florida U‑turn, a 17‑vehicle Texas pileup and an Alabama red‑light crash in Thomasville — and said the rule will immediately disqualify roughly 190,000 licenses. FMCSA directed states to pause issuing non‑domiciled CDLs until they meet the new standards and gave them 30 days to comply or face withheld federal highway funds beginning at about $160 million. California pushed back, disputing the characterization and defending its safety record, while local reports highlighted the human toll of crashes, including a Bakersfield family saying their 5‑year‑old remains severely injured after a Mojave Desert crash.