WASHINGTON, D.C. — Two Republican House members introduced legislation on May 1, 2026, that would close what they describe as a loophole allowing people in the country illegally to obtain commercial driver’s licenses by requiring federal immigration status verification for all non-domiciled CDL applicants.
Reps. Dave Taylor (OH-02) and Jefferson Shreve (IN-06) introduced H.R. 8640, the Non-Domiciled CDL Reporting Act. Under current law, states are not required to report non-domiciled CDL issuances to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, leaving no federal mechanism to verify whether applicants are lawfully present in the United States.
The bill would address that gap by directing USCIS to grant FMCSA access to the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements program — a USCIS online database that provides real-time immigration status and citizenship information to federal, state, and local agencies. States would be required to transmit non-domiciled CDL applicant data to FMCSA, which would then run each applicant through the SAVE system. If any non-domiciled CDL holder is found to have unlawful presence in the United States, FMCSA would be required to report that information to USCIS. The bill also requires a report to the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee detailing how many holders were flagged and in which states their licenses were issued.
“For too long, Democrat-run states have handed out non-domiciled CDLs to illegal aliens, demonstrating a complete disregard for the safety of American families on our roads,” Taylor said. “I’m proud to introduce this bill with Congressman Shreve to close the gaps in our reporting systems and identify illegal aliens who hold CDLs so law enforcement can get these dangerous drivers off our roads.”
Shreve said the bill is about basic accountability. “If someone is being issued a commercial driver’s license in the United States, we should know they are lawfully eligible to receive it. Closing this gap strengthens oversight, enforces the law, and helps keep our roads safe,” Shreve said.
The bill comes as multiple states — including New York, which recently lost $73.5 million in federal funding — have faced FMCSA enforcement actions following a nationwide audit that found they improperly issued non-domiciled CDLs.
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