WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy has issued a final rule to stop unqualified foreign drivers from obtaining licenses to drive commercial trucks and buses on American roadways. These unqualified foreign drivers pose a significant safety threat to the driving public.
The Department of Transportation said unqualified foreign drivers pose a significant safety threat to the driving public. At least 17 fatal crashes and 30 deaths in 2025 alone were caused by non-domiciled drivers who will now be ineligible to get a license.
The Transportation Department said the new reforms will address safety concerns by preventing foreign drivers who have not been subject to consular and inter-agency screening from receiving a commercial driver's license. While U.S. drivers are subject to strict checks through national databases for past violations such as DUIs, reckless driving, or crash involvement, states lack the ability to access the driving records of foreigners and illegal immigrants. This loophole allowed individuals with dangerous driving histories to obtain a trucking license simply by presenting an Employment Authorization Document, which does not screen for transportation safety.
'For far too long, America has allowed dangerous foreign drivers to abuse our truck licensing systems - wreaking havoc on our roadways. This safety loophole ends today,' said Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. 'Moving forward, unqualified foreign drivers will be unable to get a license to operate an 80,000-pound big rig. Under President Trump's leadership, we are putting the safety of the driving public first. From enforcing English language standards to holding fraudulent carriers accountable, we will continue to attack this crisis on our roads head on.'
The Final Rule closes two critical failures: a safety gap that allowed State Driver's Licensing Agencies to issue CDLs to foreign drivers without verifying their driving history, and a reliance on EADs that resulted in more than 30 states illegally issuing tens of thousands of licenses to ineligible drivers.
As per the Final Rule, eligibility to apply for drivers licenses to drive commercial trucks and buses is limited to H-2A, H-2B, and E-2 non-immigrant status holders, who undergo enhanced inter-agency vetting.
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