Non-Domicile Commercial Driver License (CDL)

September 15, 2020

 

Individuals with a valid Social Security Number may be eligible for a Non-Domicile CDL.

To apply, you must:

  1. Meet all CDL requirements
  2. Be a resident of a country whose licensing standards do not meet the US testing and licensing standards. (Customers whose domicile is in Canada or Mexico are not eligible.)
  3. Present the following documents at the driver license office:
    1. A Social Security Card issued to you,
    2. A valid passport issued to you by the country of which you are a resident,
    3. Either:
      1. A form I-94, Arrival/Departure record or a successor document, or
      2. Unexpired employment authorization document; and
    4. Acceptable proof of Texas residency, if not previously provided
  4. Pay the required $121 fee

NOTE: A non-domicile is not eligible for a hazardous material endorsement.
 

Residents of Mexico and Canada

The countries of Mexico or Canada have reciprocity with the U.S., therefore, individuals who hold a commercial driver license from those countries may use that license to operate a commercial motor vehicle in Texas. Since Mexico and Canada are countries whose licensing standards meet the U.S. testing and licensing standards, individuals from those countries do not qualify for a non-domicile CDL.

 

Effective September 1, 2023, a Mexican CDL holder (Licencia Federal De Conductor), operating a commercial motor vehicle outside the State's border counties, will be required to possess a federally issued work visa for the license to be valid. (Transporation Code §522.015)