Texas lawmakers are considering additional restrictions on foreign-issued commercial driver’s licenses as state officials and trucking industry representatives raise concerns about fraudulent credentials, driver qualifications, and highway safety.
The Texas House Transportation Committee held an information session on Monday focused on commercial driver’s licenses issued to non-U.S. residents and the circumstances under which those credentials are recognized in Texas.
Concerns Over Foreign CDL Fraud
Texas Department of Public Safety Maj. Omar Villarreal told lawmakers that the state began seeing an increase in questionable Mexican commercial licenses after Mexico transitioned to digital commercial licenses in 2021.
Villarreal said individuals who were not Mexican citizens could allegedly obtain the digital licenses through contacts in Mexico after sending money. He said DPS subsequently saw an increase in commercial vehicle crashes involving drivers with those credentials.
Texas lawmakers responded in 2023 by requiring drivers with a Mexican Licencia Federal de Conductor to also have a valid work visa for the license to be recognized in Texas. According to DPS and trucking industry representatives, the change significantly reduced the number of unqualified drivers operating on Texas roads.
The issue remains under scrutiny, however. The trucking industry told lawmakers that foreign-issued CDLs intended to facilitate international commerce can sometimes be used for operations entirely within the United States. Industry representatives urged the Legislature to consider prohibiting Canadian and Mexican license holders from performing intrastate operations in Texas while preserving legitimate cross-border transportation.
Crash Raises Additional Questions
The debate has also been fueled by serious crashes involving commercial vehicles.
One case discussed by officials involves Solomun Weldekeal-Araya, the driver of an 18-wheeler involved in a North Austin collision that left five people dead and multiple others injured. Federal regulators determined that DPS had erroneously issued Araya a regular CDL rather than a non-domiciled license after personnel incorrectly concluded that his employment authorization and refugee status qualified him for the regular credential. Araya is facing 22 charges, including five counts of manslaughter.
John Esparza, president and CEO of the Texas Trucking Association, said the issue is ultimately about whether drivers operating vehicles weighing 80,000 pounds or more are properly qualified.
“This is not about where someone was born or the language they speak at home,” Esparza said, KVUE reported. “It is whether the individual can safely perform that job.”
Critics of tighter restrictions, including State Rep. Christina Morales (D-Houston), have questioned whether the focus on foreign-issued licenses unfairly targets drivers based on their credentials.
Morales said during the hearing, per KVUE, “It seems like we’re targeting people just because they have the Mexican CDL.”
Texas Tightens English Testing
The discussion follows other changes to Texas’ CDL system. In June, DPS announced that it would administer commercial driver license and commercial learner permit knowledge exams in English only, saying the change aligns with federal English-language proficiency requirements and is intended to ensure drivers can communicate safely on Texas roads.
Gov. Greg Abbott also ordered DPS in September 2025 to strictly enforce existing English proficiency requirements for commercial drivers, including those holding intrastate licenses, The Dallas Express previously reported. Commercial Vehicle Enforcement troopers were directed to conduct English Language Proficiency reviews of commercial drivers on Texas roads.
Federal officials have separately reported that roughly 26,000 drivers were removed from the road over the past year for failing English proficiency requirements, while about 30,000 commercial licenses were canceled because they had been issued illegally. Federal regulators have also identified problems with CDL issuance in multiple states.
The trucking industry has argued that a national standard is necessary because a driver who receives an improperly issued CDL in another state can transfer the credential and operate in Texas.
No new legislation was under consideration during Monday’s hearing. The session was intended to gather information ahead of the next legislative session, which begins in January, when lawmakers are expected to consider additional measures addressing CDL eligibility and highway safety.
