Dariel Fernandez Issues Statement on New Federal CDL Rule: Protecting Residents and Securing Our Roads

Miami, FL – September 29, 2025 – The U.S. Department of Transportation has issued an emergency rule immediately changing the eligibility requirements for non-domiciled Commercial Driver’s Licenses (CDLs) and Commercial Learner’s Permits (CLPs).

Effective today, all noncitizen applicants except lawful permanent residents must present an unexpired foreign passport and a valid Form I-94/94A showing authorization under a specified employment-based non-immigrant category at every issuance, renewal, transfer, or upgrade. This new requirement removes eligibility for asylum seekers, refugees, DACA recipients, and others who previously qualified with Employment Authorization Documents (EADs).

This change strengthens the security of the CDL issuance process and enhances the safety of commercial motor vehicle (CMV) operations by ensuring that only individuals with verifiable and lawful status under federal immigration categories can obtain or renew these credentials. By narrowing eligibility, federal regulators seek to reinforce trust in the system, protect the traveling public, and create uniform standards across jurisdictions.

Commercial driver’s licenses allow someone to operate large and specialized vehicles including those used to transport passengers, hazardous materials, or equipment requiring special safety features. When these licenses are placed in the wrong hands, it puts every family on our roads at risk. I will not allow our community’s safety to be compromised. These changes are about closing the door to those who should never have been issued a license in the first place and ensuring that only qualified, lawful, and safe drivers are operating these massive trucks on our highways.

As your Miami-Dade County Tax Collector, my responsibility is not only to carry out this federal directive with clarity and fairness, but also to protect our residents by strengthening trust in the system and ensuring their safety always comes first. Our office will continue to act with transparency, accountability, and efficiency so that service to the people remains our highest calling. We will continue to update procedures in coordination with the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV) and provide timely guidance to ensure that everyone complies with the law.

Dariel Fernandez

Tax Collector, Miami-Dade County