Sacramento, California — March 6, 2026 A major change affecting thousands of commercial drivers across California is now taking effect after a federal directive ordered the cancellation of approximately 13,000 commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) issued to certain non-domiciled drivers. According to the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), the action is being enforced by the federal government and took effect Friday, March 6, 2026. Officials say the affected drivers had previously been notified that their licenses could be canceled.

Non-domiciled drivers are individuals who do not hold U.S. citizenship or permanent residency, but may be living and working in the United States under legal statuses such as visas, refugee status, or asylum protections. Under federal law, many of these individuals had been legally authorized to work and were eligible to obtain a commercial driver’s license at the time they applied. However, the new federal requirement has forced the DMV to cancel those licenses, preventing thousands of drivers from continuing to operate commercial vehicles. DMV Director Steve Gordon says the decision could significantly impact California’s workforce. “This action removes many qualified and hardworking drivers from the commercial workforce,” Gordon stated. “These drivers met safety standards and language requirements and had been authorized to work legally when their licenses were issued.

” Drivers May Still Operate Regular Vehicles While affected drivers will no longer be able to operate commercial trucks, they may still continue driving passenger vehicles or light-duty trucks if they apply for a Class C California driver’s license. State officials are encouraging impacted drivers to begin the application process online through the DMV website before scheduling an in-office appointment. Drivers will need to pay an application fee, complete a vision test, and take a new driver’s photo. To help those affected, the DMV says priority appointments are being offered through a special hotline. Court Rulings Add More Complications In a related legal development, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit recently denied a request from California officials to temporarily allow corrected commercial licenses to be reissued. As a result, the state remains blocked from issuing new non-domiciled CDLs. At the same time, a separate ruling from the Alameda County Superior Court states that drivers whose licenses were canceled must be allowed to reapply for a CDL. However, federal restrictions currently prevent the DMV from approving or issuing those licenses.

Applications submitted under this ruling will remain pending for up to one year until federal authorities allow the process to move forward. What Drivers Should Do Now For now, officials say impacted drivers must either: • Apply for a regular Class C driver’s license to continue driving personal vehicles • Or submit a new CDL application, which will remain pending until federal restrictions are lifted The DMV is also reminding Californians that many services can be completed online without visiting an office. ⸻