On Wednesday, Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy took action to ensure that unqualified foreign drivers cannot operate semi-trucks. This decision follows several tragic accidents involving commercial driver’s license (CDL) holders lacking a residential address—a situation that has recently drawn significant national concern.
Duffy announced a final rule titled “Restoring Integrity to the Issuance of Non-Resident Commercial Driver’s Licenses,” designed to address safety concerns related to the issuance of CDLs to foreign drivers.
“For too long, America has permitted dangerous foreign drivers to misuse our trucking license system, creating chaos on our roads. Today, this loophole is closed,” Duffy stated.
The key aspect of the DOT’s final rule is the removal of employment authorization documents as valid proof for obtaining non-domiciled CDLs, a practice the agency indicates has caused “widespread regulatory violations.” Moving forward, applicants will need to provide either a foreign passport or a Form I-94 document.
“U.S. drivers face thorough checks through national databases to identify prior offenses like drunk driving or reckless driving. However, states haven’t had access to the driving records of undocumented individuals. This gap allowed those with unsafe driving records to obtain licenses merely by showing a work authorization document that wasn’t subject to safety reviews,” the DOT explained in a press release.
Another significant change under the final rule is that foreign nationals must possess H-2A, H-2B, or E-2 visas—categories for temporary nonimmigrant workers and treaty investors—to qualify for a non-domiciled CDL. These visa holders will now undergo enhanced vetting from various agencies.
Moreover, state agencies responsible for issuing driver licenses will need to confirm the immigration status of all applicants through a system designed to verify alien status.
In a related context, Duffy reiterated the weight of this change: “Going forward, unqualified foreign drivers will not be able to obtain licenses allowing them to operate 80,000-pound vehicles. We’re prioritizing the safety of our citizens by implementing stronger regulations.” Derek Burrs, of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, further emphasized, “If you can’t document a safe driving history, you won’t get a CDL in this country.”
The Department of Transportation also reported that at least 17 fatal crashes and over 30 non-fatal incidents in 2025 were attributed to unqualified drivers who should not have been eligible for licenses.
Historically, California has often defended the issuance of CDLs to foreign nationals, even those involved in deadly accidents, by relying on employment authorization documents. For example, in October, a 21-year-old Indian man with a California CDL obtained illegally was involved in a crash that claimed three lives, including a high school basketball coach and his spouse.
Similarly, a 28-year-old individual repeating this pattern was charged with causing a deadly accident in Florida. The criticism from California’s Governor Gavin Newsom’s office highlights that federal verification was placed on the issuance of work permits, attributing blame to the federal government for these lapses.
