California, FMCSA argue non-domiciled CDL halt in court

In a Washington courtroom on Friday, California and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) engaged in a legal battle over the suspension of California's non-domiciled commercial driver's licenses (CDLs) and a reduction in transportation funding. The primary issue revolves around whether California fulfilled its cooperation requirements during the FMCSA's audit of CDL practices and if the federal agency's "pause" in issuing new non-domiciled CDLs was legally justified.

Non-domiciled CDL recipients predominantly consist of immigrants, a factor that subtly colors the case. While the potential loss of transportation funding was not extensively discussed during the oral arguments, it remains in the background. This funding was withheld due to the dispute over California's CDL practices and the issues FMCSA found during its audit of the state. The case is California Department of Motor Vehicles vs. U.S. Department of Transportation.