California, FMCSA argue non-domiciled CDL halt in court

The larger issue of federal moves to strip commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) away from a significant chunk of those who hold them under various rules was in the background of a Washington courtroom Friday, as California and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration battled it out over the federal stoppage of the state’s ability to grant non-domiciled CDLs and a cutoff of some transportation funding. But arguments before a three-judge panel in the U. S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia were focused on more narrow issues. The heart of the issue is whether California cooperated adequately with FMCSA in its audit of Golden State practices, and whether the federal agency acted legally in its “pause” of new non-domiciled CDLs being issued.