Colorado is the latest state to come under scrutiny as the U.S. Department of Transportation steps up enforcement of federal commercial driver’s license rules nationwide.

What’s Related

On Monday, Dec. 22, DOT Secretary Sean Duffy threatened to pull $24 million in federal funding from Colorado if the state does not immediately revoke commercial driver’s licenses that federal officials say were issued illegally. Duffy also warned that the department could decertify Colorado’s entire CDL program.

“Colorado doesn’t get to pick and choose what federal rules it follows – especially when the driving public is at risk,” Duffy said in a news release. “It’s been nearly two months since Colorado admitted that they knowingly broke the law and gave Mexican nationals trucking licenses. Colorado has two options: revoke the licenses immediately, or I will pull federal funding.”

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration said a nationwide audit conducted earlier this year found that about 22% of Colorado’s non-domiciled CDLs were issued in violation of federal regulations. According to FMCSA, many of the licenses were issued to Mexican nationals, which is prohibited under current federal rules.

The Associated Press reported that Gov. Jared Polis described the issue as a case of “crossed wires. It said letters were expected to be sent this week to drivers holding improperly issued licenses.

DOT officials, however, accused the state of moving too slowly. In its letter, the department said Colorado is allowing improperly credentialed drivers to continue operating 80,000-pound trucks while the issue remains unresolved.

A nationwide push

Colorado is far from alone. Federal officials say the audit uncovered widespread problems in how states issue non-domiciled CDLs, prompting a series of warning letters and funding threats.

• New York has been labeled the “worst offender” so far. DOT said 53% of the non-domiciled CDL records it sampled were issued unlawfully, putting up to $73 million in federal funding at risk.
• Minnesota received a warning letter tied to non-domiciled CDLs and compliance with federal licensing requirements, including English language proficiency standards.
• California’s audit found that more than 25% of non-domiciled CDLs were issued in ways federal officials said violated long-standing federal requirements, and the state has since revoked about 17,000–21,000 of those licenses amid pressure from DOT and FMCSA.
• Pennsylvania received a federal compliance letter connected to its handling of non-domiciled CDLs and licensing practices flagged during the audit.
• New Mexico paused issuance of non-domiciled CDLs to align with new federal requirements, and state officials have said they remain in compliance with federal law. There’s no public evidence that the state received a formal warning letter or compliance notice like some others. Truckinginfo
• South Dakota received a DOT letter raising concerns about CDL compliance, including requirements tied to non-domiciled drivers.
• Texas was among the states flagged during the audit and received a letter regarding non-domiciled CDL issuance, with federal officials warning of potential enforcement action.
• Washington was also notified by DOT over compliance concerns involving non-domiciled CDLs as part of the broader enforcement effort.

Federal officials have said additional states could be added as the review continues, signaling that the list of jurisdictions facing scrutiny may continue to grow in the coming months.