Federal auditors found that California issued thousands of Commercial Driver’s Licenses to drivers who did not meet federal domicile rules, prompting revocations and a fresh demand for accountability from Washington.
The finding came after a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration audit that forced the California Department of Motor Vehicles to admit it had issued 17,000 non-domiciled CDLs to foreign drivers. Officials say those licenses are now being revoked, and the move raises immediate safety and enforcement questions for the trucking industry and school transportation systems. This isn’t a paperwork hiccup; it’s a systemic lapse with real-world consequences for interstate safety and regulatory trust.
“After weeks of claiming they did nothing wrong, Gavin Newsom and California have been caught red-handed. Now that we’ve exposed their lies, 17,000 illegally issued trucking licenses are being revoked,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a statement. “This is just the tip of the iceberg. My team will continue to force California to prove they have removed every illegal immigrant from behind the wheel of semitrucks and school buses.”
Notices have been mailed to the license holders explaining that the credentials no longer meet federal requirements and will expire in 60 days, a move meant to pull unlawful drivers off the road quickly. Transportation officials emphasize the expiration window is short because the public safety risk is immediate when unvetted drivers operate heavy commercial equipment. For carriers and school districts that rely on CDLs, the next two months will be about verifying compliance and rerouting responsibilities where needed.
The FMCSA has ordered the California DMV to perform a complete audit of all non-domiciled CDLs and to certify that every ineligible credential has been revoked, creating a formal chain of accountability the state must follow. That instruction aims to expose how the DMV allowed such a breakdown, digging into procedures, staffing, and record-keeping that enabled the illegal issuances. Federal regulators want proof, not promises, that the DMV has fixed the holes and will not let unqualified individuals drive commercial vehicles.
On the political front, this incident feeds a broader argument about enforcement and executive responsibility, with critics saying state leaders ignored clear risks for political reasons. The reaction from Washington frames the issue as part of a pattern: when state-level laxity combines with federal inaction, public safety suffers. Expect Republican lawmakers to press for transcripts of DMV processes, sworn statements, and tighter federal oversight to prevent recurrence.
Beyond politics, the safety implications are stark: commercial driver licensing is supposed to include background checks, medical screening, and skills testing that align with federal standards, and when those safeguards are bypassed the entire system is weakened. Trucking companies, school districts, and local transit agencies now face difficult operational choices as they confirm driver eligibility or find replacements. Insurance carriers and compliance officers will be watching closely, since liability questions and audit findings can influence rates and certifications.
There are also practical questions about the scope of the problem elsewhere. If one large state’s DMV allowed this many non-compliant CDLs, auditors and lawmakers will want to know whether similar failures exist in other jurisdictions. The FMCSA directive to California could set a precedent for nationwide spot checks, and states with looser processes may soon face the same scrutiny. That could trigger a wave of corrective actions, federal audits, and policy changes around how domicile and identity are verified for commercial licenses.
Editor’s Note: After more than 40 days of screwing Americans, a few Dems have finally caved. The Schumer Shutdown was never about principle—just inflicting pain for political points.
