CHANDIGARH: A week after immigrant groups filed a lawsuit, the California Department of Motor Vehicles has announced an extension for the cancellation of commercial driver's licenses for approximately 17,000 drivers.
Their licenses were set to terminate on January 5 this year, but will last until March 6, giving the authorities more time to ensure that truckers who legally qualify for the licenses can be retained.
In a statement, the California Department of Motor Vehicles stated that the DMV has extended the cancellation date of approximately 17,000 non-domiciled Commercial Driver’s Licenses (CDL) for an additional 60 days, while the state works with representatives of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to resolve their concerns with DMV’s CDL licensing process prior to March 6, 2026.
"Commercial drivers are an important part of our economy — our supply chains don’t move, and our communities don’t stay connected without them. We are hopeful that our collaboration with the federal government will give FMCSA confidence in our updated processes to allow California to promptly resume issuance of non-domiciled commercial driver’s licenses,’’ said DMV Director Steve Gordon.
The statement reads, "This 60-day extension allows the parties to find a solution that permits drivers to remain working to serve our communities. The affected drivers will be receiving letters shortly, informing them of the extension. DMV stands ready to resume issuing commercial driver’s licenses, including corrected licenses to eligible drivers.’’
The Sikh Coalition, a national civil rights group, and the San Francisco-based Asian Law Caucus filed a class-action lawsuit on behalf of affected California drivers, arguing that immigrant truck drivers were being unfairly targeted.
In a statement Sikh Coalition stated "As of today, the California Department of Motor Vehicles (CA-DMV) has agreed to provide interim relief by delaying the cancellation of many individuals’ commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs)."
"While roughly 20,000 drivers received notices in November and December that their CDLs would be cancelled early in 2026, the CA-DMV has extended that timeline to March 6, 2026, for all drivers whose licenses were set to terminate on January 5, 2026. This extension gives the parties more time to work towards a solution of reissuing corrected commercial driver’s licenses to all eligible drivers. During this period, drivers remain fully licensed to drive commercially, and we continue to strongly discourage drivers from taking any steps to downgrade or surrender their licenses, ‘’ it added.
The statement reads, "The news comes after Asian Law Caucus, Sikh Coalition, and Weil, Gotshal and Manges LLP filed a class-action lawsuit last week on behalf of five impacted drivers and the Jakara Movement to protect these drivers."
"This is an important step towards alleviating the immediate threat that these drivers are facing to their lives and livelihoods. We intend to remain fully engaged with the state of California to ensure that they find and publicize a permanent solution for these drivers and their families,” said Munmeeth Kaur, Legal Director of the Sikh Coalition.
Katherine Zhao, senior staff attorney at Asian Law Caucus, said, "We commend the California DMV for listening to the thousands of drivers who have been demanding an extension of the deadline. I am glad to know that our client – one of many impacted drivers across the state – can greet the students on her school bus after winter break and continue to provide for her family. The state must continue to uphold due process and protect these workers as the process moves forward.”
Immigrants make up about 20 per cent of all truck drivers, while non-domiciled licences available to immigrants account for about 5 per cent of all commercial driver’s licences, or roughly 200,000 drivers.
Secretary Sean Duffy wrote on X, "We’re backing aggressive enforcement and empowering states to keep unqualified, unvetted drivers off the road with over $118 MILLION in grants. 2026 is the year of safer roads!’’
The Transportation Department has been prioritising the issue ever since a truck driver who was not authorized to be in the U.S. made an illegal U-turn and caused a crash in Florida that killed three people in August.