NRI PULSE STAFF REPORT
California is preparing to revoke about 17,000 commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) issued to non-domiciled drivers after a federal review found that many licenses remained valid beyond the holders’ authorized period of stay in the United States. The move follows warnings from the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) that the state was out of compliance with federal commercial licensing regulations.
According to federal officials, the licences were issued to foreign nationals whose legal presence or immigration documents were set to expire earlier than the licence validity dates. Under federal law, non-domiciled CDLs must expire on or before the date of a driver’s lawful status in the country. California’s failure to align licence expiration dates with immigration timelines triggered a compliance action and the threat of significant federal funding cuts.
The announcement came amid heightened scrutiny of commercial drivers following several fatal crashes involving immigrant truck drivers in multiple states. One high-profile incident involved a driver originally from India, whose licence history raised questions about the enforcement of non-domiciled CDL rules. However, federal officials have not stated that the revocations are tied to specific cases.
California officials contend that many of the affected drivers had valid work authorization at the time their licences were issued. They said the state is now adjusting its processes to meet federal requirements that were clarified and tightened over the past year. Governor Gavin Newsom’s office has denied that the action targets immigrants, describing it instead as an administrative correction to bring the state into compliance with federal standards.
Federal regulations updated in late 2025 also restrict which visa categories qualify for commercial driving privileges, narrowing eligibility to specific worker programs such as H-2A, H-2B, and E-2 visas. The new rules are expected to reshape the commercial trucking labor pool, which includes significant numbers of immigrant drivers.
California has not released a country-wise breakdown of the 17,000 affected licences. Media reports note that Indian and Indian-origin drivers—who make up a visible segment of the U.S. trucking workforce—are likely to be among those impacted, but no official data confirming their numbers has been published.
State officials said notices will be sent to all drivers whose licenses are affected, and individuals may reapply once they meet federal documentation requirements. The USDOT has indicated that California risks losing millions of dollars in highway funds if corrective steps are not implemented promptly.
The revocations are expected to take effect in phases as the state updates its records and notifies commercial drivers across California.
