[Stay on top of transportation news: Get TTNews in your inbox.]
Texas Revokes 6,407 Non-Domiciled CDLs for Foreign Truckers
State Action Follows Federal Order After FMCSA Auditors Find Widespread Licensing Violations
Key Takeaways:
- <p>Texas revoked 6,407 non-domiciled CDLs after federal auditors identified major compliance failures in the state’s licensing program.</p>
- <p>The corrective action comes after FMCSA found a 49% failure rate in a sample of issued licenses.</p>
- <p>Texas has resumed issuing non-domiciled CDLs only to H-2A visa holders pending further federal approval.</p>
Texas has revoked 6,407 non-domiciled commercial driver licenses held by foreign truckers as the state resumes limited issuance under tighter federal requirements.
Sheridan Nolen, press secretary at the Texas Department of Public Safety, told Transport Topics that the state sent CDL downgrade notices to those drivers.
“Customers were notified that their CDL privileges were removed, but they could continue to operate noncommercial vehicles,” Nolen said.
The non-domiciled CDL revocations were part of a corrective action plan that Texas DPS was ordered to follow after being found by Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration auditors to have issued noncompliant licenses, she added.
FMCSA Deputy Administrator Jesse Elison as past chief counsel issued a noncompliance notice in October to Gov. Greg Abbott and DPS Director Freeman Martin after auditors found a 49% failure rate in a sample of the 9,600 valid non-domiciled CDLs and CLPs issued by DPS.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy last year ordered states to halt issuing non-domiciled CDLs and commercial learner’s permits pending a nationwide federal audit, prompted after foreign truckers reportedly caused multiple-fatality crashes in highly publicized cases.
“During FMCSA’s investigation of a crash that occurred in March 2025 near Austin, Texas, that involved five fatalities, the agency became aware of a non-domiciled driver … to whom DPS erroneously issued a regular CDL,” Elison noted.
He said DPS erroneously determined the foreign driver’s indefinite employment authorization and associated refugee status entitled the driver to a regular CDL instead of a non-domiciled one. However, this DPS “error” resulted in an ineligible foreign driver being issued a regular CDL, Elison said.
Texas was ordered to complete a list of eight corrective actions, or FMCSA would sanction the state by, first, permanently withdrawing $182.5 million in its fiscal 2027 share of National Highway Performance Program and the Surface Transportation Block Grant Program funds. A long delay in completing the corrective actions would result in Texas jeopardizing up to $365 million in the second and subsequent years of noncompliance.
Elison advised DPS to fix identified deficiencies in its non-domiciled licensing program, such as voiding/rescinding illegally issued driving credentials, or face losing its ability to issue CDLs.
Since June 1, Texas has resumed issuing non-domiciled CDLs and CLPs only to drivers having temporary agricultural worker H-2A visas.
FMCSA approval has not been given to issue the other two visa types for foreign trucker licenses — an H-2B for nonagricultural workers and E-2 for treaty investors.
“The department will be authorized to resume non-domiciled CDL issuances for H-2B and E-2 visa holders at the discretion of the FMCSA. We will share official updates as they become available,” Nolen explained.
