A federal audit found that nearly 1 in 5 of the nondomiciled commercial driver’s licenses reviewed in Illinois were issued in violation of federal requirements.
The audit prompted the U.S. Transportation Department to give the state 30 days to revoke the licenses or risk losing federal highway money.
In a letter dated Feb. 17, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration said it sampled 150 nondomiciled commercial driver's license records issued by the Illinois secretary of state’s office and found 29 that did not comply with federal rules, which the agency described as evidence of systemic errors in policy, procedure, and programming.
The letter, addressed to Gov. JB Pritzker and driver services director Kevin Duesterhaus, said Illinois reported having issued 10,088 non-domiciled commercial learner permits or CDLs that remain unexpired.
FMCSA said the sampled records included cases where a license validity extended beyond the expiration date of documents showing lawful presence, and cases where Illinois could not provide evidence it had verified lawful presence as required.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy said the department ordered Illinois to immediately pause issuing new or renewed non-domiciled commercial credentials until FMCSA accepts and confirms implementation of a corrective action plan.
"I need our state partners to understand that they work for the American people, not illegal immigrants who broke the law illegally entering our country and continue to break it by operating massive big rigs without the proper qualifications," Duffy said in the Transportation Department release.
"Biden and Buttigieg forced Americans to share their roads with unqualified and unvetted foreign drivers, but the Trump Administration is putting the needs of American families first, where they belong."
FMCSA’s letter is a preliminary determination.
It says Illinois has 30 calendar days to respond, including by explaining corrective steps taken or planned, or by arguing the agency’s finding is incorrect under the applicable procedure.
The agency said a final determination of noncompliance could lead to withheld federal highway funds and decertification of the state’s CDL program.
FMCSA estimated that the state could risk losing up to $64.3 million in fiscal 2027 and up to $128.6 million in the second and later fiscal years if noncompliance persists.
The dispute highlights why CDLs draw heavy federal oversight: they authorize drivers to operate large commercial vehicles in interstate commerce, and federal rules tie state licensing compliance to both safety goals and transportation funding.
FMCSA finalized a related rule this month that tightens eligibility requirements for non-domiciled CDLs held by foreign-domiciled individuals, with an effective date in mid-March.
Florida Highway Patrol said a semi-truck driver, Harjinder Singh, made an illegal U-turn on Florida's Turnpike in St. Lucie County in August, and the crash killed three people in a minivan.
Florida's highway safety agency said troopers and ICE determined Singh entered the United States illegally in 2018 and later obtained a commercial driver's license in California.
Of the 23 states on FMCSA's non-domiciled CDL review list, 14 have Democratic governors, and nine have Republican governors.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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