Comprehensive Guide to the New Federal Rule for Accessing CDL Licenses

The federal government has redefined who can apply for, renew, or retain a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL), introducing new restrictions for migrants and issuing direct warnings to several states.

A significant change in federal regulations for accessing CDL licenses

The nation’s commercial licensing system is undergoing a significant transformation following the implementation of a new Federal Rule for Accessing CDL Licenses rule issued by the administration of President Donald Trump. Framed as an emergency measure to strengthen highway safety, the regulation introduces far stricter controls for non-citizen applicants and forces states to correct practices that, according to the Department of Transportation (DOT), enabled the irregular issuance of thousands of licenses.

The rule immediately altered access to CDL and Commercial Learner’s Permit (CLP) applications, redefining both the immigration criteria and the required documentation for anyone seeking to operate heavy trucks or commercial vehicles. The announcement triggered reactions among state governments, transportation companies, and migrant organizations, especially in a sector where driver shortages remain a persistent challenge.

What the New Federal Rule for Accessing CDL Licenses Requires 

The core of the regulation is straightforward: foreign nationals who are not U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents cannot receive a CDL unless they present clear and fully verifiable immigration documentation. Required materials include:

• A valid work visa
• Mandatory immigration-status verification through the federal SAVE system https://www.uscis.gov/save
• Current documentation proving employment authorization

These requirements now apply across every stage of the licensing process: initial issuance, renewals, transfers, and upgrades. For the first time, the DOT is assuming a more aggressive oversight role over procedures that had long operated under broad state-level discretion.

The immediate result is the exclusion of groups that previously qualified for CDL or CLP processing. Those now blocked include asylum applicants, refugees without updated paperwork, DACA recipients, and individuals with provisional or indeterminate immigration status.

Safety and Administrative Control

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy defended the move by stating that several states had been issuing commercial licenses without properly verifying identity or immigration status. In a September 26 statement, he stressed:

“Licenses to operate 80,000-pound trucks are being issued to dangerous foreign drivers, often illegally”.

For federal officials, this represents both a direct threat to public safety and a structural failure in how states manage their driver-record systems. Duffy said the new rule aims to bring order to the process and warned that states failing to comply will face enforcement actions, including federal funding cuts.

States Under Federal Warning for Federal Rule for Accessing CDL Licenses

The DOT identified six jurisdictions with the highest number of irregularly issued commercial licenses:

• California (more than 25% of all questioned CDLs)
• Colorado
• Pennsylvania
• South Dakota
• Texas
• Washington
• According to the agency, these states processed applications without the required immigration verification or outside the parameters now mandated by the federal rule.

Florida, in contrast, openly supported the regulation. Tax collector Dariel Fernández announced that non-citizen CDL or CLP applicants must present a valid foreign passport and an I-94 showing employment-based authorization.

Impact on Migrants: Who Is Now Excluded

The new rule marks a sharp break for thousands of migrants who rely on a commercial license to enter the transportation workforce. The restriction on those without clearly defined immigration status will affect:

• Asylum seekers
• Refugees lacking updated documentation
• DACA recipients
• Migrants without an approved employment category

Labor-rights advocates warn that many individuals with commercial driving experience could be shut out of the system immediately, reducing access to jobs in an industry already dealing with staffing shortages.

The Transportation Industry’s Response

Logistics companies and trucking associations caution that tightening the licensing process could worsen the long-standing shortfall of commercial drivers. Delays in SAVE verification, difficulties with renewals, and the possibility of immediate invalidation of existing licenses are among the concerns raised by employers and unions.

Federal officials maintain that highway safety and administrative integrity must outweigh labor-market pressures. The government argues that the rule is not designed to reduce the trucking workforce, but to ensure that every commercial driver meets the legal and immigration standards required.

A New Landscape for CDL Access

The federal regulation marks a clear break from previous practice. Access to CDL credentials no longer depends solely on state policies but on a unified national framework of immigration verification. The measure has divided opinion between those who welcome stricter oversight and those who warn it could deepen staffing shortages across the transportation sector.

What is certain is that the new CDL rules will reshape how carriers hire, how states issue licenses, and how the commercial driving workforce operates—impacting the entire supply chain from recruitment to daily fleet operations.