ICYMI: Congressman Pat Harrigan Leads Letter to Governor Stein After Federal Audit Exposes Dangerous CDL Failures in North Carolina
Contact: Lexi Kranich (814) 380-4408
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, Congressman Pat Harrigan (NC-10) is leading a letter to North Carolina Governor Josh Stein after a federal audit revealed widespread failures in the state’s commercial driver’s license program that put public safety at risk and threaten millions in federal transportation funding.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration found that approximately 54 percent of non-domiciled commercial driver’s licenses reviewed in North Carolina were improperly issued, including licenses granted without proper verification of lawful presence or issued beyond the expiration of legal status. Federal officials warned that the deficiencies are severe enough to jeopardize nearly $50 million in federal highway funds beginning in fiscal year 2027.
The full letter to Governor Stein can be read HERE.
“When over half of the licenses reviewed don’t meet basic federal requirements, that’s a clear breakdown in oversight,” said Congressman Harrigan. “Commercial trucks are on our roads every day, alongside parents driving kids to school and people heading to work. North Carolinians should be able to trust that the system responsible for licensing those drivers is doing its job. Right now, that trust has been damaged, and state leadership needs to move quickly to restore it.”
In the letter, Harrigan and his colleagues urge the Governor to immediately revoke improperly issued licenses, conduct a comprehensive audit of the CDL program, strengthen verification procedures, and bring North Carolina back into full compliance with federal safety standards.
Weeks before the federal audit findings were made public, Congressman Harrigan introduced the SAFE Drivers Act, legislation designed to close longstanding enforcement gaps by creating a uniform English proficiency test for commercial driver’s license applicants nationwide. While English proficiency has long been required under federal law, inconsistent enforcement across states has allowed dangerous loopholes to persist, a problem the SAFE Drivers Act aims to correct.