Court Rules
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Enforcement ActionLow RiskMultistate

Coalition of State AGs Sue Federal Agencies Over Unlawful Demand for Commercial Driver Data

U.S. Department of TransportationAugust 13, 2026Colorado Attorney General

Consumers Affected

17,000,000

Summary

Attorney General Phil Weiser joined a coalition of 22 attorneys general and Pennsylvania in filing two lawsuits against the Trump administration for demanding a database of state-owned records containing sensitive personal information of 17 million commercial drivers. The lawsuits allege violations of federal privacy laws and the Administrative Procedure Act, and seek an emergency order to prevent the data from being turned over by the August 17 deadline.

Remedy

The lawsuits seek an emergency order to prevent the transfer of the CDLIS database to federal agencies, and a motion to quash the DHS administrative subpoena. No monetary penalty is sought.

Injunction

Contract Impact

In-house legal teams should review contracts with government entities and data custodians, particularly any agreements involving state-owned databases or personal information. Key clauses to examine include data processing and sharing provisions, obligations to respond to government requests or subpoenas, notice requirements for data disclosures, and limitations on data use. Vendor agreements with entities like AAMVA should be scrutinized for provisions that could allow unauthorized transfer of sensitive data, and contracts should include clear safeguards for personal information such as Social Security numbers. Additionally, review any clauses related to compliance with federal privacy laws and the Administrative Procedure Act.

Contract Search Terms

government data requestsubpoena compliancedata sharing agreementpersonal informationSocial Security numbercommercial driver's licensedata retentionnotice to publicfederal agency data accessstate-owned data

Laws Cited

Administrative Procedure ActFederal privacy laws

Violation Types

Entity Details

Entity

U.S. Department of Transportation

Industry

Other

Multistate Coalition

Official Sources

Source Evidence

Entity Name
"the U.S. Department of Transportation, the Federal Motor Safety Carrier Administration (FMSCA), and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security"
Violation Types
"violating multiple federal privacy laws by secretly setting up their own database with records extorted from the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) with no guardrails on the use or sharing of drivers’ Social Security numbers and other personal information, and no notice to the public"
Laws Cited
"The demand violates the Administrative Procedure Act"
Consumers Affected
"17 million commercial drivers"
Is Multistate
"joined a coalition of 22 attorneys general and the state of Pennsylvania"

Related Enforcement Actions

NY

U.S. Department of Transportation

New York Attorney General Letitia James and a coalition of 21 other attorneys general and Pennsylvania sued the U.S. Department of Transportation and Department of Homeland Security to block the federal government from seizing the personal data of 17 million commercial drivers from the CDLIS database. The coalition argues the demands violate federal privacy laws and the Constitution, and seeks an injunction to prevent the data transfer.

NJ

U.S. Department of Transportation

A coalition of 21 state attorneys general and Pennsylvania filed lawsuits against the Trump Administration, DOT, FMCSA, DHS, and AAMVA to prevent the unlawful demand for a database containing personal information of 17 million commercial driver's license holders. The lawsuits allege violations of federal privacy laws and the Administrative Procedure Act, and seek an emergency order to block the data transfer.

VA

U.S. Department of Transportation

A coalition of 21 attorneys general and the Governor of Pennsylvania filed lawsuits against the U.S. Department of Transportation, FMCSA, DHS, and AAMVA to prevent the federal government from obtaining a database of personal information of 17 million commercial driver's license holders. The lawsuits allege the federal government violated federal privacy laws and the Administrative Procedure Act by demanding the data without notice or guardrails, and threatening to withhold $10 million in federal funding if AAMVA refused.

CT

U.S. Department of Transportation

Attorney General Tong and a coalition of 21 attorneys general and Pennsylvania filed lawsuits against the U.S. Department of Transportation, FMCSA, and DHS to block demands for the personal information of 17 million CDL drivers. The lawsuits allege violations of federal privacy laws and the Administrative Procedure Act, and seek an emergency order to prevent the data transfer.

OR

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Attorney General Dan Rayfield and a coalition of 21 attorneys general and Pennsylvania filed lawsuits against the U.S. Department of Transportation, FMCSA, and AAMVA to block demands for a database containing personal information of 17 million commercial drivers. The federal government threatened to withhold $10 million in funding unless the data was turned over, which the coalition argues violates privacy law.

CO

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