The U.S. Department of Transportation is sending another warning regarding the issuance of non-domiciled CDLs. This time, Pennsylvania is the recipient.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced on Thursday, Nov. 20, that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration will hold back $75 million in federal funding if the state doesn’t take immediate action.
Earlier this week, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced the arrest of Akhor Bozorov, who was wanted for allegedly belonging to a terrorist organization. According to DHS, Bozorov entered the U.S. illegally in 2023 and was issued a CDL by Pennsylvania in 2025.
“Under President Trump, this department is taking every measure to ensure dangerous foreign drivers aren’t illegally operating 40-ton vehicles on American roads,” Duffy said in a news release. “Joe Biden allowed tens of millions of illegals to pour into our country through open borders, including a suspected terrorist who Pennsylvania then allowed to get behind the wheel of a semitruck. I will continue to fight to get these dangerous drivers off our roads to protect American families and support our national security.”
According to DOT, the problem with CDLs in Pennsylvania isn’t isolated to the Bozorov incident. During an audit into non-domiciled CDLs, FMCSA said it found “numerous failures” by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Those alleged problems include issuing non-domiciled CDLs with expiration dates beyond the driver’s authorized stay in the United States and failing to require proof of lawful presence before issuing a CDL.
The DOT said it will withhold the federal funding unless Pennsylvania immediately revokes illegally issued licenses and corrects the failures identified in its CDL program.
Alexis Campbell, a spokesperson for PennDOT, told Land Line that the state fully cooperated with FMCSA’s audit and that the agency did not identify any CDLs issued to someone who was ineligible out of the 150 cases reviewed.
“All non-citizens who apply for driver’s licenses, including CDLs, must provide PennDOT with proof of identity and must have their legal presence in this country verified through the federal Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) database – a database maintained by the United States Department of Homeland Security,” Campbell said. “PennDOT follows the established federal process for confirming that the applicant was lawfully present using the SAVE database in every case. PennDOT’s top priority is safety on our roadways and ensuring that only those legally eligible can secure a license. The Department is reviewing FMCSA’s letter and will respond within the required timeline.”
Issuing warnings that it will withhold funding is not a new tactic for the DOT. The Transportation Department has issued numerous warnings to California about non-domiciled CDLs and the enforcement of English-proficiency regulations. Additionally, FMCSA issued warning letters to Colorado, South Dakota, Texas and Washington in October. LL
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