More states halt non-domiciled CDL programs

Current federal requirements mandate more stringent vetting before states can issue non-domiciled credentials. (Aziz Shamuratov/Getty Images)

Louisiana and Wyoming have ceased issuing non-domiciled commercial driver licenses, while Ohio is ending its program and has downgraded 2,000 credentials to standard licenses.

Charlie Norman, registrar of the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles, announced Oct. 23 that the state will stop issuing non-domiciled CDLs.

In May, the BMV reviewed 5,000 non-domiciled CDLs to ensure compliance with stricter regulations from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration following a nationwide audit last year of states that issued those credentials.

Since then, the BMV has “downgraded around 2,000 non-domiciled CDLs to standard driver’s licenses due to ineligibility with FMCSA’s new rules.”

The remaining 3,000 credentials also will be downgraded to standard licenses.

The BMV plans to send those drivers a letter about the change, which will take effect 30 days from the date of the notice. Under state and federal law, individuals may request a BMV hearing to dispute the discontinuance.

“Ohio has not renewed or issued new non-domiciled CDLs since FMCSA updated non-domiciled CDL requirements in September 2025,” the BMV stated.

Other states this year have ended their non-domiciled CDL and commercial learner’s permit programs after the audit and new FMCSA regulations.

Current federal requirements mandate more stringent vetting before states can issue non-domiciled credentials. Applicants now must hold one of three types of visas from the State Department.

Louisiana

The Office of Motor Vehicles within the Louisiana Department of Public Safety amended its state policy May 29.

The new regulation said Louisiana stopped issuing non-domiciled credentials on Oct. 2, 2025 “and is not going to resume issuing non-domiciled CLP and CDLs.”

Applicants seeking to renew or replace those credentials were told none would be issued and that they “must downgrade.”

Wyoming

The Wyoming Department of Transportation stopped issuing non-domiciled CDLs in September 2025 and has since decided not to resume the program.

“We stopped in September 2025 when the Emergency Interim Final Rule came out from the FMCSA,” said Jordan Young, WYDOT deputy public affairs officer. “We have never resumed and do not plan to, based on the new regulations.”

When Wyoming issued non-domiciled CDLs, applicants were still required to prove lawful presence in the United States, Young said.

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(Debra Devine/Transport Topics)

States take different paths

While states have never been required to issue non-domiciled CDLs and CLPs, most issued the credentials until U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy ordered a nationwide halt and an audit of state issuance practices. FMCSA followed with an interim rule prompted by safety concerns involving fatal crashes and foreign drivers holding non-domiciled credentials.

States not subject to the audit because they didn’t issue these licenses included Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee and West Virginia.

The audit found that more than 30 states had issued licenses and permits that the agency determined were noncompliant. Most of those states faced enforcement actions.

Since the crackdown on non-domiciled CDLs and CLPs, the states that no longer issue these credentials are:

• Colorado

• Idaho

• Michigan

• Nevada

• Oregon

• Rhode Island

• Utah

In the meantime, other states have resumed issuing non-domiciled CDLs, including Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, North Dakota and Texas.

“We revoked 42 non-domiciled CDLs because the holders could not establish continued compliance. None of those credentials is eligible for reinstatement under current federal rules,” said Christina Dukeman, communications director at Service Oklahoma, which began reissuing the credentials in May.

New Jersey has also resumed issuing non-domiciled credentials, according to William Connolly, press secretary of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission.

From the time FMCSA’s final rule took effect in March through Sept. 18, the NJMVC issued six non-domiciled CDLs to foreign nationals who met eligibility requirements, Connolly said.

“The NJMVC works collaboratively with FMCSA on their annual performance review and to resolve any questions or matters of concern regarding CDL issuance,” he added.

Missouri also continues to issue non-domiciled CDLs and CLPs to applicants who meet eligibility requirements under revised FMCSA regulations that took effect in March.

From August through October 2025, the state conducted an internal review of more than 650 non-domiciled CDL and CLP holders ahead of its annual federal compliance review, according to JoDonn Chaney, Missouri Department of Revenue director of strategy and communications.

Missouri has 72 active non-domiciled CDLs and five active non-domiciled CLPs whose holders met the requirements for the credentials, Chaney said.

Other states remain paused

North Carolina and Washington haven’t issued non-domiciled CDLs since last year’s audit but are considering resuming issuance, with no set timeline.

North Carolina stopped issuing non-domiciled CDLs on Sept. 29, 2025, and has not restarted, though the state is working toward doing so, said Marty Homan, N.C. DMV communications director.

Nathan Olson, director of digital communications and outreach in Washington’s Department of Licensing, said all non-domiciled CDL training, testing and licensing remain paused.

“Our hope is to restart issuing non-dom CDLs sometime in the future, but we do not currently know when that might be. As of the beginning of October 2026, we had about 3,200 non-dom CDL holders. About 400 licenses will expire by the end of 2026, and another 2,400 will expire before 2030,” Olson said.

The Vermont DMV also has temporarily paused issuing non-domiciled CDLs, confirmed Amy Tatko, director of communications and public outreach for the Vermont Agency of Transportation.