At the end of 2025, federal and regional authorities in the US began coordinated actions aimed at tightening control over the issuance of non-domiciled commercial driver's licenses (Non-Domiciled CDL). The trigger was the results of federal audits that revealed systemic violations in several states, as well as concerns about road safety issues.
Non-domiciled CDL is a commercial driver's license issued to drivers who do not have a permanent residence in the US or in the issuing state. Most often, this refers to foreign drivers with temporary immigration status.
Federal rules allow such practice, but only with strict compliance with requirements for identity verification, immigration status, and document validity periods.
In September 2025, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) published an interim final rule aimed at "restoring the integrity of the non-domiciled CDL issuance process." In an official statement, the agency emphasized that the initiative's goal is to eliminate control gaps and reduce public safety risks (FMCSA).
The rule itself was also published in the Federal Register, stating that the validity period of a non-domiciled CDL must be directly linked to the driver's legal stay in the country, and status verification is mandatory (Federal Register).
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Amid federal audits and inspections, many states began to act independently, not waiting for the final outcome of legal proceedings around the new rule. According to industry media, several states temporarily suspended the issuance or renewal of non-domiciled CDL to align their procedures with federal expectations (Transport Topics).
This is not about canceling already issued licenses, but about pausing new issuances, revising internal instructions, and strengthening interaction with federal databases.
It is important to note that in November 2025, a federal appellate court temporarily suspended the enforcement of the FMCSA's emergency rule. This created legal uncertainty: formally, the rule exists, but its enforcement is temporarily limited. Nevertheless, state inspections and pressure from federal authorities continue.
For carriers, recruiters, and drivers themselves, the situation means:
- a possible reduction in the number of available drivers with non-domiciled CDL status in the short term;
- increased requirements for document verification during hiring;
- heightened attention to CDL compliance at the state level.
Experts agree that regardless of the court's outcome, the trend towards tightening control will remain. The question is only how quickly and in what format the new rules will be established.
The story with non-domiciled CDL is not a one-time campaign, but part of a broader trend towards increased control and standardization in the commercial transportation sector. Carriers and drivers should closely monitor updates at the federal and state levels, as changes directly affect access to the labor market and the operational stability of the business.
