Tennessee tells 8,800 CDL holders to provide proof of citizenship or face license downgrade

Tennessee officials notified thousands of Commercial Driver License (CDL) holders that they must provide proof of citizenship or lawful presence in the United States in order to ensure compliance with federal licensing requirements.

Approximately 8,800 of Tennessee’s 150,000 CDL holders will receive notice by mail that they must provide documentation of their citizenship status or proof of legal presence in the U.S. in order to comply with U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) requirements.

CDL holders who receive the letter but fail to provide the required documents by April 6, 2026, will be downgraded to a non-commercial driver license until proof is provided, state officials said.

“Federal rules require all CDL records to include proof of citizenship or lawful presence. Many long-standing CDL holders obtained their licenses before these requirements were in place.  As a result of the President’s executive order, the Department identified older files that need to be updated under the current federal and state standards,” the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security said.

Affected drivers will need to report to a state driver services center in person to provide the documentation, which could include a a U.S. passport, certified birth certificate, certificate of naturalization, or other approved documents.

Not all Tennessee CDL holders will receive the notices, and no action is needed if no letter is received.

“This action is designed to ensure that all CDL records meet today’s state and federal requirements and are in line with the Presidential directive. Drivers whose files predate modern documentation rules will receive instructions on how to complete their records,” said Russell Shoup, Assistant Commissioner of the Driver Services Division. “We appreciate the cooperation of Tennessee’s commercial driving community.” 

Tennessee’s move to ensure CDL compliance comes after USDOT threatened several states with the loss of millions in transportation funding over failure to comply with tighter federal standards for the issuance of CDLs to non-citizen drivers.

if you have questions about Tennessee’s proof of citizenship requirements for CDL drivers, you can contact cdl.division@tn.gov.