While many U.S. states still restrict or suspend the issuance of non-domiciled CDL, Massachusetts has officially announced the relaunch of the program.
This is important news for both drivers and carriers: the state is returning to a more familiar system for issuing commercial licenses to people with temporary immigration status — despite federal disputes over FMCSA rules.
According to the official announcement on the Massachusetts government website, as of January 28, 2026, the RMV (Registry of Motor Vehicles) will resume the non-domiciled CDL program.
The key point is that the state will once again follow the federal rules that were in place before the Interim Final Rule (IFR) issued by the FMCSA on September 29, 2025.
“Effective January 28, 2026, the Massachusetts RMV will relaunch the Non-Domiciled Commercial Program.”
(Massachusetts RMV, January 2026)
Official program page: Non-Domiciled Commercial Program — Massachusetts RMV.
After the release of the Interim Final Rule in September 2025, many states effectively stopped or severely restricted the issuance of non-domiciled CDL.
The reasons were clear:
- federal requirements sharply narrowed the range of acceptable visas
- increased checks on legal status
- states had to restructure processes and document storage
- legal disputes and temporary court restrictions arose
The FMCSA explained the rule as necessary to eliminate cases of improper license issuance:
“FMCSA needs to ensure that non-domiciled CLPs and CDLs are issued properly…”
(FMCSA, Federal Register notice)
The federal regulation is published here: Restoring Integrity to Non-Domiciled CDL Issuance (IFR).
Some states, including California, publicly stated that they could not continue issuing non-domiciled CDL in the previous format due to federal pressure and the threat of sanctions.
Federal authorities even discussed the possibility of withholding transportation funding in case of non-compliance with the new requirements.
This situation created a real gap:
- some drivers lost the ability to renew CDL
- companies faced a shortage of personnel
- the process became unpredictable depending on the state
The main difference in Massachusetts is that the state is officially bringing the program back into operation using the rules that were in place before the IFR, not the new restrictions introduced by the FMCSA in the fall of 2025.
According to the RMV, the applicant must:
- have lawful presence for at least 12 months and a valid SSN
- provide current lawful presence documents
- be a resident of Massachusetts
- have a valid Class D (for new applicants)
- be at least 18 years old (intrastate) or 21 years old (interstate)
- not be prohibited through the Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse
Acceptable documents include:
- U.S. passport
- green card
- Employment Authorization Document (EAD)
- I-94 with visa
- I-797 / I-797A
- certificates of citizenship and naturalization
It is specifically emphasized:
“All Non-Domiciled CDL transactions must be conducted in person at an RMV Service Center.”
(Massachusetts RMV, January 2026)
For drivers, especially those with temporary status or EAD, Massachusetts becomes one of the few states where:
- the program is officially operational again
- EAD is once again accepted as an acceptable document
- there are clear requirements and a launch date
This is especially important for those who cannot renew CDL in other states.
For companies and fleet operators, this creates a noticeable difference:
- Massachusetts may become a more stable jurisdiction for hiring drivers with non-domiciled status
- there is an opportunity to plan renewals and processing without complete uncertainty
- in other states, the situation remains stricter and depends on federal checks
The resumption of the non-domiciled CDL program in Massachusetts on January 28, 2026, is an important signal for the industry.
Amid ongoing restrictions in other states, Massachusetts effectively becomes an exception, returning to a more flexible approach and accepting a wide range of lawful presence documents.
For drivers, it's a chance to regain access to the profession, and for carriers, an opportunity to meet staffing needs amid tightening federal policy.
If you work with non-domiciled CDL or hire such drivers, it is especially important now to monitor the differences between states and FMCSA updates.