DOT: Drivers who reside in Canada or Mexico are exempt from the emergency CDL rule
However, according to the government, the new rule may still eliminate 5% of commercial drivers in the United States.
According to the Department of Transportation, drivers who reside in Canada or Mexico are exempt from an emergency rule that requires immigration checks when issuing CDLs.
Drivers may utilize licenses from adjacent countries in the United States under current Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration policy, which is based on reciprocity agreements with Canada and Mexico.
In a final interim rule published on Friday, the government stated that commercial drivers with licenses from Canada and Mexico are still prohibited from obtaining any kind of driver’s license in the United States.
However, the ruling stated that despite current restrictions prohibiting it, certain states have been issuing non-domiciled CDLs to drivers who reside in Mexico.
DOT Secretary Sean Duffy issued an emergency regulation on Friday that included the explanation. A 2019 policy that permitted foreign commercial drivers to get CDLs with a specific non-domiciled status in the United States is reversed by the rule.
According to official estimates, within the following two years as CDL renewals take place, 194,000 commercial drivers will be removed from the market due to the emergency regulation.
The DOT and FMCSA stated in the regulation, “There are approximately 200,000 non-domiciled CDL holders, which is approximately five percent of the 3.8 million active interstate CDL holders in 2024.”
The interim final rule increases the amount of paperwork needed to get learner’s permits and non-domiciled commercial driver’s licenses. According to the authorities, work permits by themselves are insufficient; legal status in the United States is required. Unexpired foreign passports and some temporary and nonimmigrant visas are examples of necessary verification documents.
A 2023 advice paper that stated a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals immigrant could get a non-domiciled commercial license and learner’s permit was likewise revoked by the new rule.
The rule would also make it possible for refugees, asylees, and asylum seekers to get CDLs and non-domiciled learner’s permits.
“These persons would not be eligible to apply for a non-domiciled CLP or CDL, even though they may be eligible for employment in the United States,” the rule stated.
