Texas Pulls 6,407 Non-Domiciled CDLs After FMCSA Audit Flags 49% Compliance Failure

Texas has revoked 6,407 non-domiciled commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) issued to foreign truckers after Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) auditors uncovered systemic licensing violations. The state’s Department of Public Safety (DPS) confirmed drivers received downgrade notices, allowing them to continue operating noncommercial vehicles but removing their CDL privileges. The crackdown follows a 49% failure rate detected in a sample of 9,600 valid non-domiciled CDLs and commercial learner’s permits (CLPs) issued by Texas DPS. FMCSA Deputy Administrator Jesse Elison revealed the agency issued a noncompliance notice in October 2025 to Governor Greg Abbott and DPS Director Freeman Martin after an investigation into a March 2025 fatal crash near Austin revealed a non-domiciled driver had been erroneously granted a regular CDL. Elison stated DPS misclassified the foreign driver’s indefinite employment authorization and refugee status, making them ineligible for a standard CDL. Texas was ordered to complete eight corrective actions or risk losing $182.5 million in fiscal 2027 federal highway funds, with potential losses escalating to $365 million annually if noncompliance persists. As of June 1, 2026, Texas has resumed issuing non-domiciled CDLs and CLPs exclusively to H-2A visa holders—temporary agricultural workers—under FMCSA’s March 2026 guidelines. Issuance for H-2B (nonagricultural workers) and E-2 (treaty investors) visa holders remains suspended pending further federal approval. Sheridan Nolen, press secretary for Texas DPS, noted the state will share updates on potential resumption for other visa types as they become available.