Everyone knows that immigration has been a top priority for the Trump Administration. Recent developments out of Washington D.C. signify a tightening of federal oversight of commercial learner’s permits (CLPs) and commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) issued to individuals domiciled outside of the United States. For employers in the transportation industry, a new interim final rule proposed by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (“FMCSA”) will have an effect on employees holding a non-domiciled CDL.
President Trump’s Executive Order 14286, “Enforcing Commonsense Rules of the Road for America’s Truck Drivers” tackles issues such as English language proficiency, and also addresses non-domiciled CDLs by requiring the Secretary of Transportation and FMCSA to review non-domiciled CDLs issued by state agencies for unusual patterns of irregularities. On September 29, 2025, the FMCSA published an emergency interim final rule after finding that a number of states, including Pennsylvania, were out of compliance with licensing standards. As a result, the new system for non-domiciled CDLs makes non-citizens ineligible for a non-domiciled CDL unless they meet more strict criteria. Additionally, some states, such as Pennsylvania, have temporarily paused the issuance, renewals, and transfers of non-domiciled CDLs while they work to bring their non-domiciled CDL program into compliance with the new federal regulation.
For more information on what the Non-Domiciled CDLs and compliance changes mean to Pennsylvania school bus operators, read our Legal Focus article here, or contact us at 215-896-3846 or help@rckelly.com.