NPTC Safety Article- October 2025 -Regulations Restrict Non-Domiciled CDLs

Last month, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy announced an emergency action to drastically restrict who is eligible for a non-domiciled commercial learner’s permit (CLP) and commercial driver’s license (CDL).

Effective immediately, this rule comes in response to an ongoing nationwide audit by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and a recent series of fatal crashes caused by non-domiciled drivers. 

According to the Department of Transportation (DOT), the audit has uncovered both a pattern of states issuing licenses illegally to foreign drivers. It was also discovered that even if the current regulatory framework is followed, it can fail.

The confluence of these two factors has created an imminent hazard on America’s roadways that must be fixed.