California Revokes 17,000 Illegally Issued Commercial Driver’s Licenses, DOT Says

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said that the revocations are ’the tip of the iceberg.’

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford (R) hold a press conference at the U.S. Department of Transportation headquarters in Washington on Nov. 5, 2025. Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images

California has revoked thousands of driver’s licenses that were illegally issued, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) said on Nov. 12. The action was made following an order imposed by DOT Secretary Sean Duffy several weeks ago, officials announced.

The California Department of Motor Vehicles had issued 17,000 Commercial Driver’s Licenses (CDLs) to “dangerous foreign drivers” in violation of federal rules and is now revoking them, the DOT said.