A fatal crash in August involving a semi-truck that made an illegal U‑turn on a Florida toll road killed three people, setting off a nationwide regulatory response. The driver, Harjinder Singh, turned out to be in the U.S. illegally but held a commercial driver’s license (CDL) issued by California—a state among 19 that issue CDLs regardless of immigration status.
In response, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy directed the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to audit all states’ issuance of non‑domiciled CDLs. The audit uncovered systemic noncompliance in California, Colorado, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, and Washington. Officials cited programming flaws, weak quality checks, and staff failures that allowed ineligible drivers to receive CDLs or hold licenses that extended beyond their legal stay in the U.S.
Under the emergency action plan, states must immediately pause issuing non‑domiciled CDLs, identify unexpired CDLs that don’t conform, and revoke and reissue those that meet newly tightened requirements. California, the state with the most glaring violations, has 30 days to comply or risk losing about $160 million in federal highway funding—doubling the penalty in year two.
Duffy publicly blamed lax border enforcement policies under the Biden administration for facilitating the exploitation of the trucking licensing system. He warned that states failing to comply will face severe consequences, including possible suspension of their entire CDL licensing program.
New rules now require that CDL applicants provide an unexpired foreign passport and valid work visa, and licenses must expire no later than the driver’s legal status in the U.S. Those in the country illegally are no longer eligible.
This crackdown marks one of the most aggressive federal interventions in state licensing practices in recent years. Observers say it signals a shift toward stricter accountability for states that prioritize expansive licensing over national security and road safety.
