California Delays Revocations of Commercial Driver's Licenses Amid Lawsuit

Wed Dec 31 2025 06:45:02 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

In response to a lawsuit filed by immigrant advocacy groups, California has announced a delay in revoking 17,000 commercial driver's licenses, allowing truckers and bus drivers more time to retain their qualifications.

California's decision to postpone the revocation of 17,000 commercial driver's licenses until March comes after legal action from immigrant groups. The revocation, initially prompted by concerns over illegal immigration, has sparked widespread debate surrounding the qualifications of immigrant drivers. DMV Director Steve Gordon emphasized the vital role commercial drivers play in the economy, and the state continues to work on ensuring compliance with federal regulations. Advocacy groups celebrate the delay as a positive step towards protecting the rights of immigrant truck drivers.

A week after immigrant groups filed a lawsuit, California said Tuesday it will delay the revocations of 17,000 commercial driver's licenses until March to allow more time to ensure that truckers and bus drivers who legally qualify for the licenses can keep them.

California decided to revoke the licenses after Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy pressured the state to ensure immigrants who are in the country illegally aren't granted the licenses. The Transportation Department has been prioritizing the issue ever since a truck driver who was unauthorized to be in the U.S. caused a crash in Florida that killed three people in August.

Duffy didn't immediately comment on the delay. California officials are focusing on making the federal Transportation Department satisfied with the reforms they have put in place. The state had intended to resume issuing commercial driver's licenses in mid-December, but the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration blocked that.

Commercial drivers are an important part of our economy — our supply chains don’t move, and our communities don't stay connected without them, said DMV Director Steve Gordon.

The Sikh Coalition and the Asian Law Caucus filed a class-action lawsuit on behalf of the California drivers, claiming immigrant truck drivers were unfairly targeted. The lawsuit comes in the context of recent traffic incidents involving Sikh drivers.

Immigrants constitute about 20% of all truck drivers, although licenses issued to non-domiciled immigrants represent only around 5% of all commercial driver's licenses. The Transportation Department proposed new restrictions that could severely limit noncitizens' eligibility for licenses but a court placed the new rules on hold.

Mumeeth Kaur, the legal director of the Sikh Coalition, stated that this delay is an important step towards alleviating the immediate threat that these drivers face to their lives and livelihoods. This delay coincides with Duffy's threats to withhold federal funds from states like California, Pennsylvania, and Minnesota due to issues with their commercial licensing programs.