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A court has put the brakes on a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) emergency rule that restricts the issuance of non-domiciled commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs).
Court Temporarily Shuts Down FMCSA’s Emergency Rule On Non-Domiciled CDLs
On Monday, November 10, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ordered an administrative stay on an FMCSA emergency interim final rule (IFR) issued in late September that limits the authority of State Driver’s Licensing Agencies (SDLAs) to issue and renew non-domiciled commercial learner’s permits (CLPs) and CDLs.
The FMCSA referred to recent deadly crashes as well as state non-compliance with federal CLP and CDL requirements as reasons for issuing the emergency rule effective immediately without a public comment period.
“The purpose of this administrative stay is to give the court sufficient opportunity to consider the emergency motions for stay pending review and should not be construed in any way as a ruling on the merits of those motions,” the court stated. FMCSA Rule Challenged By Lawsuit
The administrative stay on FMCSA’s IFR comes just weeks after a lawsuit was filed by the Public Citizen Litigation Group, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), and drivers Jorge Rivera Lujan and Aleksei Semenovskii.
The lawsuit alleges that the IFR threatens the jobs of 200,000 people and that FMCSA failed to follow proper rulemaking procedures by issuing the IFR without notice or public comment period.
Truckers Urge Lawmakers to Codify Non-Domiciled CDL Crackdown
The Owner Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) responded to the court’s decision by urging the passage of legislation that would codify the FMCSA’s IFR.
“OOIDA and truckers across America support the Trump Administration’s action to restore integrity to the issuance of non-domiciled CDLs. For too long, loopholes in this program have allowed unqualified drivers onto our highways, putting professional truckers and the motoring public at risk. While the policy itself is sound, it is now tied up in court over procedural technicalities in how the rule was issued, not its substance. Representative Rouzer’s Non-Domiciled CDL Integrity Act reflects the Trump Administration’s policy and would make it permanent. Passing this bill and getting it signed into law will protect these critical safety reforms from being undone by future court decisions or a new administration. Congress must act immediately to make President Trump’s non-domiciled CDL crackdown the law of the land,” said Todd Spencer, OOIDA President.
Published:
November 11, 2025
ByAshley
Court Temporarily Shuts Down FMCSA’s Emergency Rule On Non-Domiciled CDLs
On Monday, November 10, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ordered an administrative stay on an FMCSA emergency interim final rule (IFR) issued in late September that limits the authority of State Driver’s Licensing Agencies (SDLAs) to issue and renew non-domiciled commercial learner’s permits (CLPs) and CDLs.
The FMCSA referred to recent deadly crashes as well as state non-compliance with federal CLP and CDL requirements as reasons for issuing the emergency rule effective immediately without a public comment period.
“The purpose of this administrative stay is to give the court sufficient opportunity to consider the emergency motions for stay pending review and should not be construed in any way as a ruling on the merits of those motions,” the court stated. FMCSA Rule Challenged By Lawsuit
The administrative stay on FMCSA’s IFR comes just weeks after a lawsuit was filed by the Public Citizen Litigation Group, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), and drivers Jorge Rivera Lujan and Aleksei Semenovskii.
The lawsuit alleges that the IFR threatens the jobs of 200,000 people and that FMCSA failed to follow proper rulemaking procedures by issuing the IFR without notice or public comment period.
Truckers Urge Lawmakers to Codify Non-Domiciled CDL Crackdown
The Owner Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) responded to the court’s decision by urging the passage of legislation that would codify the FMCSA’s IFR.
“OOIDA and truckers across America support the Trump Administration’s action to restore integrity to the issuance of non-domiciled CDLs. For too long, loopholes in this program have allowed unqualified drivers onto our highways, putting professional truckers and the motoring public at risk. While the policy itself is sound, it is now tied up in court over procedural technicalities in how the rule was issued, not its substance. Representative Rouzer’s Non-Domiciled CDL Integrity Act reflects the Trump Administration’s policy and would make it permanent. Passing this bill and getting it signed into law will protect these critical safety reforms from being undone by future court decisions or a new administration. Congress must act immediately to make President Trump’s non-domiciled CDL crackdown the law of the land,” said Todd Spencer, OOIDA President.
Published:
November 11, 2025
ByAshley