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MAR 3, 2026
An additional update since last night’s ruling and this post’s publication: Drivers may call the DMV at 916-306-5153 to request a review of their legal presence documents on file to determine whether the expiration date on those documents exceeds the expiration date of their CDL. If the DMV determines the cancellation was sent in error, it will issue the driver a correction notice. Requests for a review must be made to the DMV prior to March 6, 2026.
March 3, 2026 (Oakland, CA) — After a series of hearings that began on February 25—resulting from the class action lawsuit filed by the Sikh Coalition and our partners against the California Department of Motor Vehicles (CA-DMV) late last year—an initial ruling has been issued with critical new information for commercial vehicle drivers in California.
As a reminder, this lawsuit was filed by the Sikh Coalition and our partners in December of 2025 in light of the CA-DMV’s plan to wrongfully cancel the commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) of roughly 20,000 immigrant truck drivers who are legally authorized to be and work in the United States. The major points of the ruling, issued late yesterday by the Superior Court of California, County of Alameda, affect different drivers in different ways:
For drivers whose expiration date on their CDL matches the expiration date of their work authorization document, the Court ordered the CA-DMV to create a process for those drivers to avoid the wrongful cancellation of their CDL before March 6.
For drivers who are still legally authorized to work in the United States but whose expiration date on their CDL does not match the expiration date of their work authorization document, the Court ordered: The CA-DMV to create a process for those drivers to immediately reapply for a CDL if/when they are cancelled on March 6.
That the fact that drivers have the right, under California law, to reapply for their CDL should be posted on the CA-DMV’s website as well as explained in letters sent to all drivers within two weeks.
That these CDLs should be re-issued to qualified drivers within a “reasonable time frame” of re-application.
We recognize that there is a critical gap in the Court’s order: It does not pause or delay the planned March 6 cancellation of 20,000 CDLs. As a result, truckers and other drivers may still be facing serious disruptions to their livelihoods as the CA-DMV develops the processes and shares the information ordered by the Court. We urge gurdwara leaders and others in the sangat to come together and support drivers and families who are in need in this moment.
Nonetheless, this ruling is a critical step towards stability and security for these drivers given the sudden and monumental policy changes of the past several months. It is also an essential reminder to state governments and agencies that they must abide by state laws when serving their constituents—even in the face of pressure from the federal government. In this case, while the Trump Administration’s threats to California are very real, they did not change the fact that the CA-DMV is required by law to allow drivers with cancelled CDLs to reapply, to process those re-applications in a reasonable timeline, and to issue CDLs to drivers who are qualified and legally authorized to work in the United States.
As events develop, the Sikh Coalition plans to share additional content via our emails, WhatsApp, and our social media channels to answer likely questions from drivers and provide additional information about the path forward. Additionally, you can find all of our resources, in English and Punjabi, for truckers at thesikh.co/truckers. Finally, we also encourage drivers to continue using our Punjabi language trucker helpline at 212-287-9169 to report issues with licensing and/or any instances of discrimination from fellow drivers, company owners, law enforcement officers, or the general public.
As always, the Sikh Coalition urges you to practice your faith fearlessly.
Updates from Legal Safety and Security’s efforts, posted on a regular basis.
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