SALEM, OREGON — Oregon has permanently stopped issuing temporary commercial driver’s licenses and learner’s permits to people who are lawfully present in the United States but are not permanent residents, state transportation leaders announced in March. The decision aims to protect approximately $23 million in annual federal highway funding that the Trump administration threatened to pull if states did not comply with new CDL rules.
About 900 people in Oregon currently hold these temporary licenses and learner’s permits. The Oregon DMV will not renew them when they expire, nor will it issue new or replacement licenses. Existing licenses remain valid until their expiration date, which is tied to the holder’s legal authorization to remain in the country.
Among those affected are DACA recipients, refugees, asylum seekers, and others who meet legal requirements to live in the United States.
Why Oregon Changed Course
The Trump administration has pushed states nationwide to tighten CDL standards, pointing to several fatal crashes involving drivers without legal status as justification. In Oregon, a fatal crash in Deschutes County involving a commercial truck driver from India drew federal attention. That driver, Rajinder Kumar, faces manslaughter charges with a trial scheduled for January 2027. Deadly crashes involving drivers from India also occurred in Florida and California. Washington state acknowledged in 2025 that it had inadvertently issued hundreds of CDLs to unqualified noncitizens over several years.
What Oregon’s Own Data Shows
Despite the policy change, Oregon does not have evidence that temporary license holders are unsafe drivers. ODOT spokesperson David House noted that a state review of fatal commercial vehicle crashes from 2020 to 2025 found none involved non-permanent residents with temporary licenses. He also pointed out that the federal government has not provided comparative crash-rate analysis to support its position. “The federal government has cited individual tragedies but has offered no comparative crash-rate analysis,” House said.
What the Industry Says
Jana Jarvis, president and CEO of the Oregon Trucking Associations, said she does not expect the changes to have a major short-term impact on the state’s trucking industry, which she described as currently oversupplied with drivers. The broader trucking industry is already in what leaders call a recession, with some companies parking trucks and laying off drivers due to low freight volumes.
Jarvis acknowledged that some temporary license holders were good drivers but supported the move on safety grounds. “If drivers can’t communicate in English, it’s difficult for them to understand some of the signage that will appear along the freeways or communicate with way station masters,” Jarvis said. “This is an effort to improve safety in our industry.”
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