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A sweeping federal investigation reveals California issued 17,000 non-compliant CDLs to foreign drivers, prompting urgent revocations, strict oversight, and intensified enforcement from FMCSA and the U.S. Department of Transportation.
The U.S. Department of Transportation has placed the State of California at the center of a national transportation and regulatory crisis after confirming that the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) illegally issued 17,000 non-domiciled Commercial Driver’s Licenses (CDLs) to foreign drivers who did not meet federal requirements. The discovery stems from an ongoing Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) audit that has uncovered systemic failures inside California’s CDL program.
U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean P. Duffy made the announcement, delivering one of the strongest condemnations yet from the federal government regarding a state-level licensing process.
“After weeks of claiming they did nothing wrong, Gavin Newsom and California have been caught red-handed. Now that we’ve exposed their lies, 17,000 illegally issued trucking licenses are being revoked,” Duffy stated. “This is just the tip of the iceberg. My team will continue to force California to prove they have removed every illegal immigrant from behind the wheel of semitrucks and school buses.”
The California DMV has now admitted to issuing the licenses improperly, a reversal from its earlier denials. As a result, each affected CDL holder has already received notice that their license will expire in 60 days, as it no longer meets federal requirements.
Sean Duffy: ‘This is just the tip of the iceberg’
— Bob Barney (@PlainTruthToday) November 13, 2025
https://t.co/ahvjtgFHSM
FMCSA Demands Full Compliance and a Complete California Audit
FMCSA requires that California produce its full audit of all non-domiciled CDLs so federal regulators can verify that:
Every improperly issued license has been revoked, and
All program failures that enabled the illegal issuance have been corrected.
The agency emphasized that the scope of this issue is far broader than an isolated clerical oversight. According to findings already released by FMCSA, California’s CDL program suffers from systemic policy, procedural, and software errors that allowed non-domiciled CDL applicants to receive licenses illegally.
Among the most serious findings:
More than one in four non-domiciled CDL records sampled in California failed to comply with federal regulations.
Some CDLs were issued with expiration dates that extended far beyond the duration of the foreign driver’s work permit, violating federal law.
Programming and administrative gaps in California’s licensing systems created long-standing vulnerabilities in eligibility verification.
The federal audit, which is still ongoing nationwide, positions California as one of the most non-compliant states reviewed to date.
Financial Repercussions: Over $40 Million Withheld from California
The CDL scandal is not the first regulatory conflict between California and the U.S. Department of Transportation this year. In October, following another federal investigation, the Department announced it is withholding more than $40 million in funding from California.
This penalty stems from the state’s failure to comply with FMCSA’s English Language Proficiency (ELP) standards — a mandatory requirement for commercial motor vehicle operators. Federal regulators concluded that California had not adopted or enforced ELP regulations, despite repeated warnings throughout 2025.
The tension escalated in July when the California Highway Patrol publicly stated it had no intention of implementing the federal English-language rule, drawing immediate criticism from the Department of Transportation. By August, the federal government issued a formal threat to withhold funds if California continued resisting compliance.
Strengthened Federal Enforcement Measures
In May, Secretary Duffy issued a federal order to strengthen ELP enforcement nationwide. Under this new guidance:
Any commercial motor vehicle (CMV) driver who fails to meet longstanding FMCSA English-language proficiency requirements can be placed out-of-service on the spot.
This expanded enforcement authority allows federal and state inspectors to remove non-compliant drivers immediately, reinforcing safety standards across highways and freight corridors.
The order also signaled the Department’s intent to apply heightened scrutiny to states that issue CDLs to non-domiciled drivers without rigorous verification procedures.
Implications for the Transportation Industry
The massive revocation of 17,000 CDLs in California will have sweeping implications for trucking companies, logistics operators, agricultural haulers, school bus contractors, and supply-chain managers who rely on licensed foreign workers.
With just 60 days before the affected licenses expire, employers must:
Re-evaluate driver eligibility
Confirm immigration and work-authorization status
Prepare for labor shortages or operational disruptions
The scandal also places immense pressure on California to overhaul its CDL issuance systems while federal regulators maintain oversight.
For FMCSA and the Department of Transportation, the California case serves as a defining example of the government’s willingness to intervene aggressively when state licensing practices fail to meet federal safety and compliance standards.
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