Washington, D.C. – Congressman Darin LaHood (IL-16) introduced the Licensing Individual Commercial Exam-Takers Now Safely and Efficiently (LICENSE) Act of 2025. This bipartisan piece of legislation will help address persistent supply chain shortages and increase the number of truck drivers transporting goods in America.
Rep. LaHood was joined by U.S. Representatives Troy Balderson (R-OH), Dusty Johnson (R-SD), Henry Cuellar (D-TX), Jim Costa (D-CA), Josh Harder (D-CA), and U.S. Senators Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) and Mark Kelly (D-AZ).
“Illinois and America’s truck drivers are essential to securing our supply chains and supporting our economy,” said Rep. LaHood. “Unfortunately, we are experiencing an unprecedented shortage of qualified truck drivers because of bureaucratic red tape. The LICENSE Act will streamline the process for future commercial drivers to get their licenses while maintaining high safety standards. This commonsense legislation will strengthen Illinois’ economy and support supply chains while allowing companies to hire qualified drivers in a timely manner.”
“When the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) provided flexibility on several regulatory requirements during the COVID-19 public health emergency, drivers and motor carriers gained new operational efficiencies without compromising safety,” said American Trucking Associations Senior Vice President of Regulatory & Safety Policy Dan Horvath. “The LICENSE Act leverages the lessons learned during the pandemic and makes permanent two commonsense waivers that were reissued numerous times since 2020 to reduce administrative burdens for Americans pursuing rewarding careers in the trucking industry. The incorporation of these waivers into law by enactment of the LICENSE Act will provide certainty to the trucking industry and strengthen our supply chain by permanently removing these unnecessary bureaucratic barriers. This represents an important step toward making it more efficient and simpler for drivers to obtain their CDLs while keeping our roadways safe.”
“DOT has repeatedly renewed these waivers for one simple reason: they work. Over the past several years that they have been in effect, they have been proven to preserve robust safety standards while simultaneously reducing administrative burdens placed on truck drivers,” said Illinois Trucking Association Executive Director Matthew Hart. “By making these waivers permanent, the LICENSE Act would implement a commonsense change to streamline the process for obtaining a CDL, helping more people to obtain rewarding, good-paying careers in the trucking industry. We commend Congressman LaHood for once again standing up for truckers and growing Illinois’ economy.”
"CVTA members are pleased to see swift reintroduction of the LICENSE Act," said Danny Bradford, Chairman of the Commercial Vehicle Training Association (CVTA). "This bill reduces bureaucratic barriers that delay new drivers from receiving their Commercial Driver's License (CDL). We urge Congress to quickly pass this bill as part of an agenda to unleash record growth in the U.S. economy."
Ryan Streblow, President & CEO of the National Tank Truck Carriers, stated, "The LICENSE Act streamlines the CDL testing process by allowing states to test applicants regardless of their residency or training location. This efficiency is a commonsense solution that aims to address tank truck workforce shortages and strengthen our supply chain."
Background:
The LICENSE Act will streamline burdensome licensing regulations by making several permanent waivers implemented by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The bill allows state and third-party examiners who have maintained a valid commercial driver’s license (CDL), test examiner certification, and have previously completed a CDL skills test examiner training course to administer the CDL knowledge test without completing a CDL knowledge test training course. This will streamline the testing process and help get additional drivers on the road faster without compromising safety.
To make the process more efficient and streamlined, the bill allows a state to administer a driving skills test to any out of state CDL applicant, regardless of where the applicant received driver training. This waiver provides more flexibility to applicants seeking to obtain their CDLs and will modernize the credentialing process for drivers navigating the highly mobile nature of the trucking industry.
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