The state capitol in Austin. Texas has resumed issuing non-domiciled CDLs only for H-2A visa holders under tighter federal oversight. (E.J. Rodriquez\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n
\n June 24, 2026 8:00 AM, EDT<\/p>\n
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\nTexas revoked 6,407 non-domiciled CDLs after federal auditors identified major compliance failures in the state\u2019s licensing program.The corrective action comes after FMCSA found a 49% failure rate in a sample of issued licenses.Texas has resumed issuing non-domiciled CDLs only to H-2A visa holders pending further federal approval. <\/p>\n
Texas has revoked 6,407 non-domiciled commercial driver licenses<\/a> held by foreign truckers as the state resumes limited issuance under tighter federal requirements.<\/p>\n Sheridan Nolen, press secretary at the Texas Department of Public Safety<\/a>, told Transport Topics that the state sent CDL downgrade notices to those drivers.\n \t \t\t<\/p>\n \u201cCustomers were notified that their CDL privileges were removed, but they could continue to operate noncommercial vehicles,\u201d Nolen said.<\/p>\n The non-domiciled CDL revocations were part of a corrective action plan that Texas DPS was ordered to follow after being found by Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration auditors to have issued noncompliant licenses, she added.\n \t\t<\/p>\n FMCSA Deputy Administrator Jesse Elison as past chief counsel issued a noncompliance notice in October to Gov. Greg Abbott and DPS Director Freeman Martin after auditors found a 49% failure rate in a sample of the 9,600 valid non-domiciled CDLs and CLPs issued by DPS.<\/p>\n U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy last year ordered states to halt issuing non-domiciled CDLs and commercial learner\u2019s permits pending a nationwide federal audit, prompted after foreign truckers reportedly caused multiple-fatality crashes in highly publicized cases.<\/p>\n \u201cDuring FMCSA\u2019s investigation of a crash that occurred in March 2025 near Austin, Texas, that involved five fatalities, the agency became aware of a non-domiciled driver \u2026 to whom DPS erroneously issued a regular CDL,\u201d Elison noted.<\/p>\n He said DPS erroneously determined the foreign driver\u2019s indefinite employment authorization and associated refugee status entitled the driver to a regular CDL instead of a non-domiciled one. However, this DPS \u201cerror\u201d resulted in an ineligible foreign driver being issued a regular CDL, Elison said.<\/p>\n Texas was ordered to complete a list of eight corrective actions, or FMCSA would sanction the state by, first, permanently withdrawing $182.5 million in its fiscal 2027 share of National Highway Performance Program and the Surface Transportation Block Grant Program funds. A long delay in completing the corrective actions would result in Texas jeopardizing up to $365 million in the second and subsequent years of noncompliance.<\/p>\n EFFECTIVE TODAY: The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has approved DPS to resume the issuance of non-domiciled commercial driver licenses (CDL) and commercial learner permits (CLP) for H-2A workers.<\/p>\n Under FMCSA guidelines, which went into effect in March 2026,\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/WxVm7U8rJV<\/a><\/p>\n