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California and FMCSA Face Off Over Non-Domiciled CDL Issuance in Federal Court

A federal appeals court heard arguments Friday in a dispute between California and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration over the halting of non-domiciled commercial driver's license issuance in the state. The case centers on whether California adequately cooperated with FMCSA during an audit of its practices and whether the agency legally implemented its pause on new non-domiciled CDLs. A central point of contention involves expiration dates on California-issued credentials. FMCSA contends that CDL validity periods must not exceed the expiration dates of drivers' legal presence documents. California argues federal law contains no such requirement. The dispute has resulted in withheld highway funding to the state. Non-domiciled CDL recipients are predominantly immigrants.