INDIANAPOLIS, IND. (WOWO) A new Indiana law requires all Commercial Driver’s Licenses held by illegal aliens to expire at midnight Wednesday unless the driver can show an approved work visa.
The legislation, passed and signed earlier this month, also requires non-citizen applicants to demonstrate English proficiency before obtaining a CDL. Employers who knowingly hire drivers without legal status face fines of up to $50,000, according to WSBT 22.
The Indiana Attorney General’s Office estimates approximately 2,000 CDL holders will be affected statewide. Lawmakers say the measure follows high-profile crashes involving drivers without legal residency and is intended to improve safety on Indiana roadways.
The law also sets requirements for future non-citizen CDL applicants, ensuring drivers hold one of three approved work visas before operating commercial vehicles. Enforcement begins immediately, with authorities warning employers to verify legal status to avoid penalties.
1 comment
Your story is a little misleading, as “Federal regulations require all CDL applicants to demonstrate a lawful presence in the U.S. and hold specific work authorization.” This rule is already in place.
Therefore, one cannot apply and receive a CDL, if they are undocumented.
The Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) mandates that all individuals seeking a CDL must prove legal status and work authorization in the U.S.
So, the catch really becomes… when they somehow lose their status, and continue to use their CDL.
Well, when you base your system on temporary items, you WILL have a problem. Our system for a Driver’s License is rather corny, anyways.
You can lose your license, and.. even though you lost it, ppl continue to drive. “Well, that’s illegal!”, you might say. But, citizens of the United States of America do it every day.
Say you’re having a tough time paying your bills, so you cut out all the “non-essentials”, dropping your insurance. Unless you’re in New Hampshire, you are now driving unlawfully as an Uninsured Motorists. “Well, that’s illegal!, in Indiana”, you might say. But, lawful residents of the state of Indiana do it daily.
How will we enforce these criminals to abide by our laws of the land? Well, that’s up to the Sherriff Departments, Police Departments and Highway Patrol Departments to identify them thru various means.
Through Technology, such as plate readers.
Through, sadly, a driving mishaps.
Through a traffic stop, when documents are reviewed.
I don’t have a means/answer to fix this issue that we have developed… but i have some ideas.
I think that we need MORE driving examinations throughout our time, as people have CLEARLY forgotten what they learned.
I think it needs to RETURN to the public school system.
I think it needs to be administered every 10 years, and count towards renewing your license.
I think that Insurance should NOTIFY the BMV/DMV when insurance is DROPPED or TRANSFERED.
I think that companies that DROP and employees status from Documented to Undocumented, should equally suffer if not properly REPORTED.
Maybe someone else has some better ideas??
Post them!