DOT Rule Bars Noncitizen CDL Renewals, Impacts 200,000 Drivers

A new rule from the U.S. Department of Transportation under the Trump administration takes effect Monday, barring many noncitizen immigrants from obtaining or renewing commercial driver's licenses and affecting an estimated 200,000 truck drivers nationwide.

The policy targets immigrants legally in the United States, including asylum seekers, refugees and recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA. Existing licenses will remain valid until their expiration dates, meaning the changes will unfold gradually as drivers reach renewal periods. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration estimates these immigrants hold about 5 percent of all commercial driver's licenses. Before the rule, noncitizens needed federal work authorization and had to complete the same training and testing requirements as citizens to qualify.

The Department of Transportation adopted the measure following several high-profile fatal crashes involving immigrant truck drivers last summer. Officials cited challenges in fully vetting some noncitizens' overseas driving histories as a key concern. "For far too long, America has allowed dangerous foreign drivers to abuse our truck licensing...