Minnesota Stops Issuing CDL's ToThose Not Living There

MINNEAPOLIS - The State of Minnesota has hit pause on issuing non-domiciled commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) after the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) threatened to withhold tens of millions in funding from the state.  On December 3rd, Minnesota Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS) announced that it “has immediately paused issuing non-domiciled CDLs” and is working on a plan to come into compliance with federal licensing guidelines.  “DVS takes our role in issuing commercial driver’s licenses and keeping Minnesota roads safe very seriously” said DVS Director Pong Xiong.   The state’s non-domiciled CDL pause come after U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said that Minnesota stands to lose $30.4 million in highway funding following a federal audit that showed that “one third of Minnesota’s non-domiciled CDLs reviewed by Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) were issued illegally.”  Minnesota DVS says that the state currently has 2,117 non-domiciled CDL holders.

In a December 1st letter, USDOT accused Minnesota DVS of acting improperly when it “issued non-domiciled CDLs that extend beyond the expiration of drivers’ lawful presence in the United States, issued non-domiciled CDLs to citizens of Mexico not present in the United States under the DACA program, issued non-domiciled CDLs to lawful permanent residents who should have been issued regular CDLs, and issued non-domiciled CDLs without providing evidence that it verified the driver’s lawful presence in the United States.”