The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration on May 13, 2026, approved a five-year exemption that lets state driver’s licensing agencies issue non-domiciled commercial driver’s licenses to eligible citizens of the Freely Associated States. The notice is scheduled to be published in the Federal Register on Thursday, May 14.
The exemption applies to citizens of the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands and the Republic of Palau who live in the United States and can present a valid, unexpired passport issued by an FAS country along with a Form I-94 or I-94A. FMCSA said the change is consistent with congressional intent to allow FAS citizens to live and work in the United States as lawful non-immigrants, and said it has no data showing the exemption would hurt safety.
Hawaii had asked in 2024 for a limited exemption from CDL rules covering acceptable proof of citizenship or lawful permanent residency for FAS citizens living in the state who wanted commercial licenses. FMCSA denied Hawaii’s request to issue standard CDLs and commercial learner’s permits to those drivers, saying that would conflict with its non-domiciled CDL rule for people who are not domiciled in the United States.
The move comes after FMCSA used March to finish a broader cleanup of the non-domiciled CDL system, a final rule meant to ensure only legal, safe and vetted drivers receive licenses to operate commercial motor vehicles. FAS citizens were not included in the rule’s eligible categories, but the agency said their status could be handled through its exemption process.
The new approval also replaces an earlier exemption granted to the Oregon Department of Transportation, which had allowed standard CDLs for FAS citizens. Under the new arrangement, states may issue non-domiciled CDLs instead, closing the gap FMCSA left in March and giving eligible FAS citizens a federal route to commercial driving credentials without requiring a standard in-state license.
