Texas Pulls 6,407 Non-Domiciled CDLs from Foreign Truckers After Federal Crackdown

Texas has revoked 6,407 non-domiciled commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) held by foreign truckers after federal auditors uncovered systemic licensing violations. The move follows a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) audit that flagged a 49% failure rate in a sample of 9,600 non-domiciled CDLs and commercial learner’s permits (CLPs) issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS). The revocations are part of an eight-point corrective action plan mandated by the FMCSA after auditors found widespread noncompliance in Texas’s licensing program. Texas DPS press secretary Sheridan Nolen confirmed that affected drivers received downgrade notices, allowing them to continue operating noncommercial vehicles but stripping their CDL privileges. The crackdown stems from a March 2025 crash near Austin that killed five people, which FMCSA investigators linked to a non-domiciled driver who was erroneously issued a regular CDL due to an administrative error. The agency determined that the driver’s indefinite employment authorization and refugee status did not qualify them for a standard CDL, exposing flaws in Texas’s vetting process. In response, the FMCSA issued a noncompliance notice in October 2025 to Texas Governor Greg Abbott and DPS Director Freeman Martin, threatening to withhold up to $182.5 million in federal highway funds for fiscal 2027 if Texas failed to implement corrective measures. Further noncompliance could jeopardize an additional $365 million in subsequent years. As of June 24, 2026, Texas has resumed issuing non-domiciled CDLs and CLPs, but only to H-2A visa holders—temporary agricultural workers. The FMCSA has not yet approved the issuance of non-domiciled licenses for H-2B (nonagricultural workers) or E-2 (treaty investors) visa holders, pending further federal review. Texas DPS stated it will provide updates if the FMCSA authorizes resumption for additional visa categories.