Trucking group seeks to strip New York, California of CDL authority

The Small Business in Transportation Coalition filed a federal court petition on June 10 asking a U.S. Court of Appeals to revoke New York and California's authority to issue commercial driver's licenses, citing what it says is the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's own finding that both states are in substantial noncompliance with federal CDL regulations. The petition challenges FMCSA's April 16 final determination on New York and a January 7 determination on California. SBTC argues federal law requires the transportation secretary to prohibit states from issuing CDLs once such noncompliance is established, and that FMCSA has improperly failed to act on a May 2025 petition SBTC submitted requesting decertification of several states including New York and California. The filing centers on immigration-related licensing policies and English-language proficiency requirements. SBTC points to a May 29 fatal bus crash on Interstate 95 in Virginia that killed five people as evidence that stronger enforcement is needed. The bus driver held a New York-issued CDL, according to the coalition. Driver Jing S. Dong of Staten Island faces five felony involuntary manslaughter charges. FMCSA's nationwide audit of state CDL programs initially identified 24 states and the District of Columbia as substantially noncompliant with federal requirements. A successful decertification would block both states from issuing new CDLs and could force existing licensees to obtain credentials elsewhere, potentially disrupting driver hiring and operations for carriers relying on these credentials.