While exact, universally accepted figures are difficult to obtain, recent reports and estimates from late 2024 and 2025 suggest potentially around 100,000 to 190,000 undocumented immigrants (also referred to as "illegal aliens" in the search results) may hold or have held commercial driver's licenses (CDLs) in the U.S..
The specific numbers are complicated by state-level policies and recent federal crackdowns:
Federal Crackdown & Estimates: In late 2025, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) implemented and attempted to enforce new rules targeting the issuance of non-domiciled CDLs to non-citizens without specific employment-based visas. A document from the Texas Department of Public Safety projected that as many as 194,000 current CDL holders could be pushed out of the trucking workforce by these changes. Other estimates mention approximately 100,000 undocumented immigrants work as truck drivers.
State-Level Variances: Historically, some states have issued regular driver's licenses or non-domiciled CDLs to individuals regardless of their immigration status, leading to discrepancies in who holds what type of license. A federal audit in November 2025, for example, prompted California to cancel 17,000 CDLs that were illegally issued to foreign drivers.
Legal Status vs. CDL: Federal regulations require proof of legal presence and an employment authorization document to be eligible for a standard CDL or commercial learner's permit. Non-domiciled CDLs were an exception, but new rules effective in late 2025 significantly limit eligibility to only those with specific, valid employment-based visas. A federal court, however, has temporarily blocked the implementation of the newest, stricter rules as of November 2025.
Due to these ongoing legal battles and state-federal conflicts, precise statistics are not uniformly reported.
There is no precise, official count of the number of undocumented immigrants in the U.S. who hold commercial driver's licenses (CDLs). Federal regulations generally require applicants to demonstrate lawful presence and specific employment-based visa status, making it difficult for undocumented individuals to obtain them legally in most cases.
However, some data and estimates from 2025 shed light on the situation:
Recent federal audits have discovered systemic non-compliance in some state licensing agencies, leading to a significant number of CDLs being issued to individuals who were ineligible, including those whose legal presence had expired.
In November 2025, the state of California announced plans to revoke approximately 17,000 CDLs that were identified as being issued to immigrants who did not meet federal requirements. Other states have also been found to have similar issues.
Before new, stricter federal rules were implemented in September 2025, it was estimated that only about 10,000 out of 200,000 non-citizens with commercial licenses would qualify under the new, stricter eligibility criteria (limited to specific H-2A, H-2B, or E-2 visas). The remaining 190,000 were allowed to keep their licenses until renewal, at which point they would become ineligible.
It
is difficult to determine the exact number because:
"Undocumented"
status means these individuals are not part of official government counts or
databases.
State
laws varied in the past regarding non-commercial licenses for undocumented
individuals, but federal law governs CDLs and has become much stricter in late
2025, cracking down on previous "loopholes".
The numbers are dynamic due to recent changes in federal policy and ongoing state-level actions and court challenges.
https://www.google.com/search?q=how+many+illegals+in+us+have+commercial+drivers+licenses+2025
Comments
In Atlanta Metro, we already avoid using I-75, I-85, I-285 and G-400 to avoid “Express Toll Lanes” and daily wreck-related traffic jams.
Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader
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