U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy responded harshly after a coalition of states filed a lawsuit seeking access to a database containing the personal information of millions of commercial driver’s license (CDL) holders.
Several states sue the U.S. Department of Transportation for access to CDL driver data
On August 13, 21 states and the District of Columbia filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Transportation, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), after these agencies demanded access to the Commercial Driver’s License Information System (CDLIS) by August 17, under threat of losing federal funding.
The CDLIS contains information including the driver’s name, date of birth, Social Security number, driver’s license number, and the name of the state that issued the license.
The states argued that granting federal agencies access to the CDLIS violated the privacy rights of millions of commercial driver’s license holders. The states also noted that withholding federal funding over access to the database jeopardized the ability of state driver licensing agencies to administer commercial driver’s license programs in accordance with federal requirements.
The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) “will fight the lawsuit tooth and nail.”
Duffy responded to the lawsuit on Thursday, calling it a “radical legal initiative” aimed at “preventing the federal government from accessing the data it needs to keep U.S. roads free of dangerous illegal immigrant truck drivers.”
Duffy stated that the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA), a private nonprofit organization that manages the CDLIS, is “contractually and legally obligated to provide the requested records in accordance with FMCSA instructions, with federal protection against any state-level liability.”
“Every administration since 1988 has had access to this basic database, so let’s be clear about what this ridiculous lawsuit is really about. These radical state attorneys general want to make it harder for my Department to enforce traffic laws and make it easier for dangerous illegal immigrant truck drivers to operate heavy-duty trucks,” Duffy said. “They may not care about ensuring your safety and that of your families, but President Trump and I do. We will fight tooth and nail against this lawsuit to prevent more senseless accidents caused by unqualified drivers.”
Duffy highlighted the achievements made since April 2025 in enforcing regulations regarding commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) and English proficiency, including:
- The revocation of more than 30,000 commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) issued illegally in states that were in violation of the regulations.
- The removal of nearly 10,000 fraudulent or unqualified commercial driver’s license (CDL) training centers from the federal registry.
- Strict English proficiency standards have been enforced, resulting in the removal from the roads of more than 26,000 drivers who did not meet the requirements, in order to ensure that all drivers on U.S. roads can read traffic signs and communicate with law enforcement.
- The legal loophole regarding commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) for non-residents has been closed, preventing access for unvetted foreign operators linked to dozens of fatal accidents.
The lawsuit was filed by the attorneys general of the following states and districts:
- California
- Connecticut
- Colorado
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Hawaii
- Illinois
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Nevada
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- Oregon
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- Wisconsin
- The State of Pennsylvania
