UNITED STATES — A coalition of states has filed lawsuits seeking to block the U.S. Department of Transportation from accessing a nationwide database containing sensitive personal information for roughly 17 million commercial driver’s license holders.
The lawsuits name the U.S. Department of Transportation, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the Department of Homeland Security, and the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators.
At issue is the Commercial Driver’s License Information System, known as CDLIS, which is used by state driver licensing agencies to confirm CDL holders are properly licensed and not disqualified in another state.
Federal Agencies Seek CDL Database Access
According to the attorneys general suing, FMCSA demanded that AAMVA turn over CDLIS data covering the past five years.
The database includes personal information such as driver names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, driver’s license numbers, and the state that provided each record.
The states say DHS also issued a subpoena seeking access to the CDLIS database.
Attorneys general involved in the lawsuit argue the federal government does not have legal authority to seize the state-owned records and say the demand threatens driver privacy.
States Say Funding Threat Forced Emergency Lawsuit
The attorneys general said FMCSA threatened to cut federal grants and contracts to AAMVA if the organization did not comply.
AAMVA, a private nonprofit group that maintains CDLIS for the states, reportedly told states it would turn over the data unless a court intervened.
The coalition is asking the court to block the federal government from obtaining the records and prevent AAMVA from transferring the data while litigation continues.
Lawsuit Raises Privacy and CDL Program Concerns
The states argue CDLIS was created nearly 40 years ago as a state-to-state safety tool, not as a federal database.
They say states use the system to check whether CDL applicants already hold a commercial license elsewhere, have been disqualified, or have issues tied to identity, medical fitness, immigration status, or driving history.
The lawsuit claims losing access to a functioning CDLIS could disrupt state CDL programs and affect commercial driver licensing.
New York Attorney General Letitia James said New York relies on CDLIS about 30,000 times per day and that nearly 500,000 New York CDL holders could be affected.
State Officials Say Records Must Be Protected
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul said the database was created so states could share information to stop unsafe drivers from operating commercial vehicles.
“This database was created 40 years ago so states could share information with each other to stop unsafe drivers from operating commercial vehicles, and the federal government’s decision to ransack that database puts the whole system in jeopardy,” Raoul said.
James said the federal demand forces states to choose between protecting driver privacy and preserving the licensing system.
“I’m suing to stop the Trump administration from seizing millions of confidential state driving records without any lawful justification,” James wrote.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong also criticized the demand.
“States maintain driver records for important public safety purposes, and we take our obligation to safeguard that data seriously,” Tong said.
DOT Says Data Is Needed for Highway Safety
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said DOT needs access to the information to verify who is operating commercial vehicles and to support roadway safety enforcement.
Federal officials have pointed to recent enforcement efforts, including Operation Highway Shield, saying Homeland Security and DOT removed more than 800 dangerous truck drivers from the roads, including more than 50 who were in the country illegally.
The states, however, argue that the requested data transfer goes beyond what federal law allows and could expose drivers’ personal information to broader federal use without clear privacy limits.
States Involved in the Lawsuit
States listed in the litigation include Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.
Some filings and releases also list the District of Columbia as part of the coalition, while Pennsylvania is listed separately as a state participant.
The coalition argues the demand violates federal privacy protections and constitutional limits, including the Driver’s Privacy Protection Act, the Privacy Act, the Administrative Procedure Act, and the Spending Clause.
The case remains pending.
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