Federal, Florida Crackdown on Truck Driver Licensing

Following a deadly Turnpike crash blamed on an allegedly undocumented truck driver, federal and state authorities moved to tighten commercial-driver licensing and enforcement. The U.S. Department of Transportation, led by Secretary Sean Duffy, announced a rule barring noncitizens from obtaining non‑domiciled commercial driver’s licenses unless they hold employment‑based visas and pass a federal immigration-status check through the SAVE system. DOT warned California to comply within 30 days or face withholding of nearly $160 million in federal highway funds (withholdings set to rise in year two) after an FMCSA audit found widespread improper licensing, including some licenses that extended beyond migrants’ documented legal presence. In Florida, Sen. Don Gaetz filed SB 86 to require officers to detain undocumented commercial drivers, transfer them to federal custody, impound vehicles, impose a $50,000 fine to reclaim impounded trucks, and bar implicated carriers from operating in the state, with the measure slated to take effect July 1, 2026 if passed. Officials cited safety concerns and a presidential executive order on English‑language proficiency for drivers as part of the rationale, while enforcement, legal and operational questions remain as investigations and prosecutions continue.