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

What it does

FMCSA amends the Federal regulations for State Driver's Licensing Agencies (SDLAs) issuing commercial driving credentials to non-domiciled individuals. This final rule reaffirms, with minor changes, the provisions of the interim final rule (IFR) published on September 29, 2025. Specifically, this final rule limits eligibility for non-domiciled Commercial Learner's Permits (CLPs) and Commercial Driver's Licenses (CDLs) for foreign-domiciled individuals to those who hold specific, verifiable employment-based nonimmigrant status. This rule reaffirms the IFR requirements, aligning the issuance of non- domiciled CDLs with FMCSA's statutory mandate to ensure the fitness of all drivers who operate a CMV. By limiting eligibility to statuses subject to enhanced consular vetting of driver history and interagency screening, FMCSA restores the integrity of the CDL system, closes a significant safety gap, and enhances the safety of the traveling public.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's summary, as published in the Federal Register.

What changed in the regulation

2 parts of Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations:

49 CFR 383, 49 CFR 384

Wording on eCFR: the day before it took effect and from the day it took effect (first part listed).

Compared with

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has published 21 final rules in 2026 so far, compared with 6 in all of 2025.

Counted by the Tribune from Federal Register records since Jan. 1, 2025.

Before this

2 earlier Federal Register documents under regulation identifier 2126-AC98 since Jan. 1, 2025.

• Oct. 2, 2025 Correcting amendments. Restoring Integrity to the Issuance of Non-Domiciled Commercial Drivers Licenses (CDL); Correction
• Sept. 29, 2025 Interim final rule; request for comments. Restoring Integrity to the Issuance of Non-Domiciled Commercial Drivers Licenses (CDL)

What happens next and when

This final rule is effective March 16, 2026.

The agency's dates, word for word.

Check it yourself

• The document in the Federal Register
• Docket FMCSA-2025-0622 on Regulations.gov
• Title 49 on eCFR

The record as published

Source: the Federal Register (public domain). The document in the Federal Register