The North Dakota Department of Transportation announced this week that it has received federal approval to resume issuing non-domiciled CDLs.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration confirmed with Land Line on Tuesday, April 14, that North Dakota has joined South Dakota, Iowa, Texas, Delaware, Utah, Rhode Island, Minnesota and New Jersey as states that are allowed to issue non-domiciled CDLs in accordance with the state’s corrective action plan and FMCSA’s final rule, which took effect on March 16. FMCSA previously took enforcement action against all nine states for the non-compliant issuance of non-domiciled CDLs.
“Effective immediately, NDDOT may once again issue new, renewed, transferred or upgraded non-domiciled CDLs following a temporary pause that began in December 2025,” the state DOT wrote in a news release. “
Citing several high-profile crashes, the U.S. Department of Transportation said states were compromising safety by handing out CDLs like they were candy.
Specifically, the administration began focusing on truck drivers who don’t meet English-proficiency standards and a surge in the utilization of non-domiciled CDLs.
“This is a license to operate a massive 80,000-pound truck that is being issued to foreign drivers who are not U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said during a news conference in September 2025. “The process for issuing these licenses is absolutely 100% broken. It has become a threat to public safety, and it is a national emergency that requires action right now.”
A DOT audit determined that states were improperly issuing non-domiciled CDLs. FMCSA then directed several states to pause issuance of non-domiciled CDLs and to take immediate corrective action.
Additionally, FMCSA’s final rule, which took effect on March 16, is expected to take nearly 200,000 non-domiciled CDL holders off the road.
Under the final rule, eligibility for a non-domiciled CDL is much more limited.
“Applicants seeking a non-domiciled CDL must complete all transactions in person and provide required documentation, including an unexpired foreign passport and valid immigration documentation,” the North Dakota DOT wrote. “Federal regulations limit eligibility to H-2A, H-2B, and E-2 specific nonimmigrant statuses and cap credential validity at one year.” LL
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