Court puts FMCSA’s non-domiciled CDL crackdown on hold: Truckers and carriers wait for clarity

The fate of more than 200,000 non-domiciled commercial truck drivers remains uncertain after a federal court temporarily halted the FMCSA’s controversial new rule tightening CDL eligibility. The D.C. Circuit Court issued an administrative stay, pausing enforcement of the rule, which would restrict CDLs to U.S. citizens, green card holders, and a narrow set of visa categories. FMCSA justified the rule as a safety measure to improve license verification, but opponents argue it was rushed, discriminatory, and issued without public input. For now, non-domiciled drivers, including many on temporary or humanitarian visas, are in legal limbo, while permanent residents and U.S. citizens remain unaffected.

Both sides are now preparing legal briefs as the court decides whether to extend the pause or let the rule take effect. The first ruling on the stay could come within a few months, but a full decision on the rule’s legality may take six months to a year and a half, depending on whether appeals or a Supreme Court review follow. Until then, the trucking industry and affected drivers face deep uncertainty. Carriers warn that if the rule stands, driver shortages could worsen, freight rates could spike, and ripple effects could spread through the U.S. economy, all while thousands of non-domiciled truckers wait to learn if they’ll be allowed to stay behind the wheel.