Colorado CDL program for immigrant truckers indefinitely suspended

Bruce Finley, The Denver Post on Dec 18, 2025

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

DENVER — Colorado’s program for issuing commercial driver licenses to immigrants with temporary legal status has been shut down for nearly two months and remains indefinitely suspended as state officials conduct an audit in response to a federal government crackdown on illegal trucking.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has ordered states to stop issuing CDLs to non-citizens and to revoke licenses that don’t comply with federal rules that prohibit licenses with expiration dates beyond the time immigrants are legally allowed to stay in the country.

A Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration letter sent to Colorado on Oct. 23 says a federal review found systematic errors, with 22% of CDLs issued to immigrants failing to comply with regulations. Licenses were issued to immigrants who did not qualify, and to those with dates beyond the drivers’ lawful presence in the United States, the letter said. Federal authorities sent similar letters to several other states — warning that failure to correct problems would lead to loss of federal highway funds and decertification of the state’s CDL program.

“We are auditing all of the term-limited CDLs to ensure compliance with federal issuance regulations and expect the audit to be complete by the new year,” Colorado Division of Motor Vehicles spokeswoman Elizabeth Kosar said.

Colorado officials defended their program, saying the time limit on CDLs issued here “is generally set” to align with the expiration of the applicant’s immigration documents. “This ensures the credential’s validity does not exceed the individual’s authorized temporary stay,” DMV spokeswoman Jennifer Giambi said.

State officials require CDL applicants to demonstrate lawful presence in the country and to provide identity documents, Giambi said. Immigration documents submitted by applicants are verified using the online Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements Program administered by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services officials.

Driver training and testing requirements, the same for all CDL applicants, include completion of a written test, a safety course, and a road skills test.

Federal officials have pointed to California, Pennsylvania, and Minnesota as offenders and threatened to withhold $73 million in federal funds from New York.

Nationwide, about 20% of truck drivers are immigrants. Trump administration officials have proposed restrictions limiting commercial driver’s licenses to non-citizens. A Nov. 10 federal appeals court decision blocked enforcement of those restrictions.

In Colorado, the audit covers all licenses and learning permits issued before Sept. 29. The DMV had issued 126,525 Colorado CDL credentials that were valid on Oct. 31, including 1,745 issued with time limits to drivers with temporary legal status, Kosar said.

----------