CALIFORNIA — Approximately 13,000 non-domiciled commercial driver's licenses were cancelled in California effective March 6, 2026, after the federal government forced the state's hand following months of legal battles, funding disputes, and court rulings that left thousands of immigrant truck drivers without the ability to work.

The California DMV said all affected CDL holders have been notified and must now apply for a Class C license in order to continue driving passenger vehicles. The cancellations stem from a prolonged clash between the California DMV and the U.S. Department of Transportation over stricter federal standards for non-citizen truck drivers and the enforcement of new English Language Proficiency rules. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration said a federal audit found that more than 25% of non-domiciled CDLs issued by California were issued unlawfully. In January 2026, the USDOT revoked $158 million in transportation funding from California for failing to cancel thousands of improperly issued CDLs by a given deadline.

The licenses had originally been set for cancellation on January 5, 2026, due to improper expiration dates caused by a DMV clerical error, but the date was pushed back to March 6 after multiple lawsuits were filed on behalf of affected drivers.

Earlier this week, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit denied an emergency stay requested by the DMV that would have allowed it to reissue corrected non-domiciled CDLs to eligible drivers without the risk of retaliatory action by FMCSA. In a separate ruling issued March 2, the Alameda County Superior Court ruled in Doe v. Department of Motor Vehicles that the DMV must allow affected CDL holders who received cancellation letters to reapply for a CDL. However, the DMV is currently prevented from issuing non-domiciled CDLs until FMCSA lifts its mandated pause. All applications will remain pending for a maximum of one year while the DMV awaits federal authorization to act on them.

Non-domiciled CDL holders not affected by the cancellations will retain valid licenses until their current expiration dates, but will be unable to renew, obtain replacements, or make any changes to their licenses in the meantime.

California DMV Director Steve Gordon pushed back against the federal government in a statement. "This federal administration is using their war on immigration to remove qualified, hardworking commercial drivers from our workforce who meet language and safety rules," Gordon said. "There are no guarantees that additional solutions will become available to help these drivers and their employers but, in the meantime, there are immediate actions they must take to get a Class C license to be able to drive regular cars."

The DMV also issued a statement defending the affected drivers. "Non-domiciled individuals are those who do not have citizenship or lawful permanent resident status, and includes holders of various visas, refugees, and asylees. Federal law permits these individuals to obtain a CDL. Contrary to misleading statements by the Trump Administration, all the individuals issued non-domiciled CDLs by the DMV had been granted work authorization by the federal government and were legally present in the United States at the time their license was issued."

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