Contact: Office of Public Affairs
2415 First Avenue
Sacramento, CA 95818
(916) 657-6437 | [email protected]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 6, 2026

Sacramento - Effective Friday, March 6, 2026, the federal government is requiring the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to cancel approximately 13,000 non-domiciled commercial driver's licenses (CDL). Not all non-domiciled CDL holders are affected by this action and all those affected had already received notice from DMV that their licenses are subject to cancellation.

Non-domiciled individuals are those who do not have citizenship or lawful permanent resident status, and includes holders of various visas, refugees, and asylees. Federal law permits these individuals to obtain a CDL. Contrary to misleading statements by the Trump Administration, all the individuals issued non-domiciled CDLs by the DMV had been granted work authorization by the federal government and were legally present in the United States at the time their license was issued.

While a recent court ruling now allows affected individuals to submit a new CDL application, the federal government is barring the DMV from processing these applications currently. Given that the DMV is compliant with state and federal law, it is incumbent upon the federal government to allow the DMV to process those applications and issue licenses to eligible drivers.

In order to continue driving passenger vehicles or light duty trucks, affected drivers must obtain a new Class C California driver's license.

"This federal administration is using their war on immigration to remove qualified, hardworking commercial drivers from our workforce who meet language and safety rules," said DMV Director Steve Gordon. "There are no guarantees that additional solutions will become available to help these drivers and their employers but, in the meantime, there are immediate actions they must take to get a Class C license to be able to drive regular cars."

Federal Court Rejects California DMV Request for Emergency Stay

The DMV previously sought to issue corrected CDLs to affected drivers, consistent with California and federal law, but was blocked from doing so by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). Earlier this week, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit denied an emergency stay requested by the DMV that would have allowed DMV to reissue corrected non-domiciled CDLs to eligible individuals without the risk of retaliatory action by FMCSA.

The licenses of non-domiciled CDL holders not affected will remain valid until their current expiration date. However, these CDL holders will not be able to renew, get a replacement, or make any changes to their driver's license.

Doe v. Department of Motor Vehicles

In a separate decision also issued on March 2, 2026, the Alameda County Superior Court issued a ruling in Doe v. Department of Motor Vehicles. The decision requires DMV to allow those non-domiciled CDL holders who received a cancellation letter to reapply for a CDL following cancellation of their license. Although the court ruling means the DMV must accept non-domiciled CDL applications, the department is prevented from issuing non-domiciled CDLs until FMCSA lifts its mandated "pause." All applications will remain pending for a maximum of one year until the DMV determines it can act on them.

Impacted individuals who wish to apply for a CDL will be required to pay a non-refundable application fee. Those who choose to submit a CDL application will be issued a temporary non-commercial, Class C driver's license.

Impacted CDL Holders Must Apply for a New California Driver's License to Keep Driving their Regular Cars

Impacted CDL holders who choose not to apply for a new CDL must apply for a regular, Class C driver's license to continue driving their regular cars. They should start their driver's license application online and schedule their in-office appointment.

The DMV will offer priority appointments to impacted drivers by calling (916) 306-5153. They will need to pay the nonrefundable application fee, pass the vision test and have a new photo taken at their appointment. Customers who want to apply for a driver's license should check the DMV website for a list of required documents.

Before Going to a DMV Office - Try Online First

Most DMV tasks do not require an office visit. The DMV encourages customers to use its online services and other service channels to complete transactions, such as eligible driver's license and vehicle registration renewals. Customers can also use the Service Advisor on the DMV website to learn about options to complete DMV tasks.

Go Paperless - To sign up for paperless vehicle registration and driver's license renewal notices, sign in or create a secure online account at dmv.ca.gov to opt in.

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