Restoring Integrity to the Issuance of Non-Domiciled Commercial Drivers Licenses (CDL)

<RULE> DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION <SUBAGY>Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration</SUBAGY> <CFR>49 CFR Parts 383 and 384</CFR> <DEPDOC>[Docket No. FMCSA-2025-0622]</DEPDOC> <RIN>RIN 2126-AC98</RIN> <SUBJECT>Restoring Integrity to the Issuance of Non-Domiciled Commercial Drivers Licenses (CDL)</SUBJECT> <HD SOURCE="HED">AGENCY:</HD> Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), Department of Transportation (DOT). <HD SOURCE="HED">ACTION:</HD> Interim final rule; request for comments. <SUM> <HD SOURCE="HED">SUMMARY:</HD> FMCSA amends the Federal regulations for State Driver's Licensing Agencies (SDLAs) issuing commercial driving credentials to foreign-domiciled individuals. Through this interim final rule (IFR), FMCSA restores the integrity of the commercial driver's license (CDL) issuance processes by significantly limiting the authority for SDLAs to issue and renew non-domiciled commercial learner's permits (CLPs) and CDLs to individuals domiciled in a foreign jurisdiction. This change strengthens the security of the CDL issuance process and enhances the safety of commercial motor vehicle (CMV) operations. </SUM> <EFFDATE> <HD SOURCE="HED">DATES:</HD> This IFR is effective September 29, 2025. Comments must be received on or before November 28, 2025. </EFFDATE> <HD SOURCE="HED">ADDRESSES:</HD> You may submit comments identified by Docket Number FMCSA-2025-0622 using any of the following methods: • <E T="03">Federal eRulemaking Portal:</E> Go to <E T="03">https://www.regulations.gov/docket/FMCSA-2025-0622/document.</E> Follow the online instructions for submitting comments. • <E T="03">Mail:</E> Dockets Operations, U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West Building, Ground Floor, Washington, DC 20590-0001. • <E T="03">Hand Delivery or Courier:</E> Dockets Operations, U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West Building, Ground Floor, Washington, DC 20590-0001, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. To be sure someone is there to help you, please call (202) 366-9317 or (202) 366-9826 before visiting Dockets Operations. • <E T="03">Fax:</E> (202) 493-2251. To avoid duplication, please use only one of these four methods. See the “Public Participation and Request for Comments” portion of the <E T="02">SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION</E> section for instructions on submitting comments, including information collection comments for the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), Office of Management and Budget (OMB). <FURINF> <HD SOURCE="HED">FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:</HD> Philip Thomas, Deputy Associate Administrator, Office of Safety, FMCSA, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590-0001; (202) 366-9554; <E T="03">Philip.Thomas@dot.gov.</E> If you have questions on viewing or submitting material to the docket, call Dockets Operations at (202) 366-9826. </FURINF> <SUPLINF> <HD SOURCE="HED">SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:</HD> FMCSA organizes this IFR as follows: <EXTRACT> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">I. Public Participation and Request for Comments</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. Submitting Comments</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. Viewing Comments and Documents</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">C. Privacy</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">D. Comments on the Information Collection</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">II. Executive Summary</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">III. Abbreviations</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">IV. Legal Basis</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">V. Background</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. Existing Requirements for Issuance of Non-Domiciled CLPs and CDLs</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. The Need for Secure Identification</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">C. Annual Program Reviews (APRs) of SDLAs</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">D. Recent, Fatal Crashes Involving Drivers With Non-Domiciled CDLs</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">VI. Discussion of the Interim Final Rule</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. Justification for the IFR</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. Overview of the IFR</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">VII. International Impacts</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">VIII. Section-by-Section Analysis</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. Regulatory Provisions</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. Guidance Statements and Interpretations</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">IX. Regulatory Analyses</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2"> A. E.O. 12866 (Regulatory Planning and Review), E.O. 13563 (Improving Regulation and Regulatory Review), and DOT Regulatory Policies and Procedures </FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. E.O. 14192 (Unleashing Prosperity Through Deregulation)</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">C. Congressional Review Act</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">D. Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">E. Regulatory Flexibility Act (Small Entities)</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">F. Assistance for Small Entities</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">G. Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">H. Paperwork Reduction Act</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">I. E.O. 13132 (Federalism)</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">J. Privacy</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">K. E.O. 13175 (Indian Tribal Governments)</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">L. National Environmental Policy Act of 1969</FP> </EXTRACT> <HD SOURCE="HD1">I. Public Participation and Request for Comments</HD> <HD SOURCE="HD2">A. Submitting Comments</HD> If you submit a comment, please include the docket number for this IFR (FMCSA-2025-0622), indicate the specific section of this document to which your comment applies, and provide a reason for each suggestion or recommendation. You may submit your comments and material online or by fax, mail, or hand delivery, but please use only one of these means. FMCSA recommends that you include your name and a mailing address, an email address, or a phone number in the body of your document so FMCSA can contact you if there are questions regarding your submission. To submit your comment online, go to <E T="03">https://www.regulations.gov/docket/FMCSA-2025-0622/document,</E> click on this IFR, click “Comment,” and type your comment into the text box on the following screen. If you submit your comments by mail or hand delivery, submit them in an unbound format, no larger than 8 <FR>1/2</FR> by 11 inches, suitable for copying and electronic filing. FMCSA will consider all comments and material received during the comment period. <HD SOURCE="HD3">Confidential Business Information (CBI)</HD> CBI is commercial or financial information that is both customarily and actually treated as private by its owner. Under the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552), CBI is exempt from public disclosure. If your comments responsive to the IFR contain commercial or financial information that is customarily treated as private, that you actually treat as private, and that is relevant or responsive to the IFR, it is important that you clearly designate the submitted comments as CBI. Please mark each page of your submission that constitutes CBI as “PROPIN” to indicate it contains proprietary information. FMCSA will treat such marked submissions as confidential under the Freedom of Information Act, and they will not be placed in the public docket of the IFR. Submissions containing CBI should be sent to Brian Dahlin, Chief, Regulatory Evaluation Division, Office of Policy, FMCSA, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590-0001 or via email at <E T="03">brian.g.dahlin@dot.gov.</E> At this time, you need not send a duplicate hardcopy of your electronic CBI submissions to FMCSA headquarters. Any comments FMCSA receives not specifically designated as CBI will be placed in the public docket for this rulemaking. <HD SOURCE="HD2">B. Viewing Comments and Documents</HD> To view any documents mentioned as being available in the docket, go to <E T="03">https://www.regulations.gov/docket/FMCSA-2025-0622/document</E> and choose the document to review. To view comments, click this IFR, then click “Browse Comments.” If you do not have access to the internet, you may view the docket online by visiting Dockets Operations on the ground floor of the DOT West Building, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590-0001, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. To be sure someone is there to help you, please call (202) 366-9317 or (202) 366-9826 before visiting Dockets Operations. <HD SOURCE="HD2">C. Privacy</HD> In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 553(c), DOT solicits comments from the public to better inform its regulatory process. DOT posts these comments, including any personal information the commenter provides, to <E T="03">www.regulations.gov</E> as described in the system of records notice DOT/ALL 14 (Federal Docket Management System (FDMS)), which can be reviewed at <E T="03">https://www.transportation.gov/individuals/privacy/privacy-act-system-records-notices.</E> The comments are posted without edits and are searchable by the name of the submitter. <HD SOURCE="HD2">D. Comments on the Information Collection</HD> Written comments and recommendations for the information collection discussed in this IFR should be sent within 60 days of publication to <E T="03">www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain.</E> Find this information collection by clicking the link that reads “Currently under Review—Open for Public Comments” or by entering OMB control number 2126-0087 in the search bar and clicking on the last entry to reach the “comment” button. <HD SOURCE="HD1">II. Executive Summary</HD> This IFR revises the regulations that allow SDLAs to issue and renew non-domiciled CLPs and CDLs to individuals domiciled in a foreign jurisdiction. The changes strengthen the security of the CDL issuance process and enhance the safety of CMV operations by revising to whom an SDLA may issue a non-domiciled CLP or CDL, what the requirements are for issuance, and when a non-domiciled CLP or CDL must be canceled or revoked. Non-domiciled CDL holders have been involved in several r ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Preview showing 10k of 128k characters. Full document text is stored and available for version comparison. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━