North Dakota among states regaining non-domiciled CDL authority

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) decided to lift the suspension imposed on 24 states that did not meet the requirements for issuing non-domiciled Commercial Driver’s Licenses (CDLs). As a result, North Dakota has resumed issuing these licenses.

On April 13, the Deputy Director of Traffic Safety at the North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT) announced that they are “very pleased to have received our FMCSA recertification and to resume this important service.” Effective immediately, the NDDOT has restarted issuing CDLs for non-residents, including new, renewed, transferred, or upgraded licenses.

North Dakota resumes non-domiciled CDL issuance services

North Dakota lost its authority to issue CDLs and Commercial Learner’s Permits (CLPs) for non-residents on December 11, following a federal audit that reviewed 526 cases. The FMCSA required the state to take immediate action to correct the identified deficiencies, warning that it could lose up to $34.95 million in federal funding. Among the required actions, the state was ordered to cancel or reissue all credentials that did not comply with current regulations.

Subsequently, the North Dakota Department of Transportation reported that the FMCSA approved the corrective measures implemented, granting the state recertification to resume CDL services for non-domiciled drivers.

According to official statements, the state will reissue approximately 150 of the 526 CDLs and CLPs for non-resident drivers that were active during the FMCSA audit on December 11.

The NDDOT stated that, to regain FMCSA recertification, it conducted an internal review of its processes, systems, training, and quality control measures to meet federal requirements.

Applicants seeking non-domiciled CDLs and CLPs must complete the process in person and provide required documentation, including a valid foreign passport and proof of lawful immigration status. Eligibility is limited to temporary H-2A (agricultural), H-2B (non-agricultural), and certain E-2 visa statuses.

Additionally, these credentials are valid for a maximum of one year. The NDDOT recommends that drivers schedule an appointment online to complete these procedures.

Nine states join North Dakota

North Dakota was one of 24 states that received preliminary notices of noncompliance from the FMCSA regarding non-domiciled CDLs and CLPs.

A recent Land Line article reports that the FMCSA told the news outlet that South Dakota, Iowa, Texas, Delaware, Utah, Rhode Island, Minnesota, and New Jersey are also among the states authorized to issue CDLs to non-domiciled drivers, in accordance with each state’s corrective action plan and the FMCSA’s final rule, which took effect on March 16. This measure is expected to remove approximately 200,000 non-domiciled CDL holders from operation in the United States.