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California to reissue licenses for 17k truckers
The move offers relief to truck drivers facing license cancellations.
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Jeffin T. Kaleekal - Wed, 17, Dec 2025
- 03:08 EST
- 19
Representative image / Pexels
California will begin reissuing non-domiciled commercial driver’s licenses to truckers whose credentials were set to expire early next year, offering relief to thousands of immigrant drivers, including a significant number of Indians, advocacy groups said.
The California Department of Motor Vehicles will start the reissuance process following discussions with the Sikh Coalition, which said the move would prevent the cancellation of nearly 17,000 licenses scheduled for Jan. 5, 2026.
In November 2025, the CA-DMV notified about 17,000 holders of non-domiciled commercial driver’s licenses that their credentials no longer met federal requirements and would expire within about 60 days unless brought into compliance.
ALSO READ: 20 American states press Trump admin to drop rule curbing immigrant truck drivers
The notices followed a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration audit that found some licenses did not meet updated federal standards. The issues included cases in which CDL expiration dates extended beyond drivers’ lawful visa approvals. Federal authorities directed the state to correct or revoke the noncompliant licenses.
Reissuing the licenses would allow affected drivers to maintain valid credentials while addressing compliance issues, avoiding widespread cancellations that would have sidelined thousands of truckers.
Munmeeth Kaur, legal director of the Sikh Coalition, said the decision was an important step in protecting drivers’ livelihoods.
“States like California should be defending truckers’ rights against the federal government’s overreach, and providing a clear process for drivers to resolve these wrongful cancellation notices is setting things on the right course,” Kaur said.
She added that the outcome benefits both workers and the state’s economy.
“Drivers depend on trucking for their families’ livelihoods, and California depends on truckers to keep the economy moving, so we are encouraged by this outcome,” she said.
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