USDOT to audit FMCSA’s oversight of national CDL Program compliance by states

Federal transportation officials announced the launch of an audit into the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) oversight of l Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) Program compliance by states.

On September 19, 2025, the U.S. Department of Transportation-Office of Inspector General (DOT-OIG) announced an investigation into FMCSA’s oversight of state’s CDL knowledge and skills testing programs.

The audit will begin in the coming weeks and will be conducted at FMCSA headquarters in Washington D.C. as well as FMCSA Division offices and state locations, “as necessary.”

Officials pointed to the fact that 4,909 people died in crashes involving large trucks and buses last year and noted that “a significant part of FMCSA’s safety mission is the national CDL Program, which aims to reduce the number and severity of crashes nationwide by verifying that only qualified drivers possess a CDL.”

As part of the audit, DOT-OIG will investigate FMCSA’s oversight of states as they administer the knowledge test and skills test to all CDL applicants, “the latter of which must be administered in English per Federal regulation.”

State’s CDL knowledge and skills testing programs are performed by either a State Driver’s Licensing Agency (SDLA) or State-approved third-party testers and examiners.

“Given the importance of the CDL Program in helping ensure the safety of the Nation’s roadways, we are initiating this audit. Our objective is to assess FMCSA’s oversight of States’ CDL program compliance with regulatory requirements related to CDL knowledge and skills tests,” DOT-OIG said.

In late August, the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) threatened to strip California, Washington, and New Mexico of federal transportation funding if they fail to enforce English Language Proficiency (ELP) requirements for commercial motor vehicle drivers.