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Enforcement ActionLow RiskMultistate

Multistate Lawsuit Against Trump Administration for Unlawful Demand for Driver Data

U.S. Department of TransportationAugust 13, 2026New Jersey Attorney General

Consumers Affected

17,000,000

Summary

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.

Remedy

The coalition seeks an emergency order to prevent the federal government from obtaining the CDLIS database and to declare the demand unlawful.

Injunction

Contract Impact

In-house legal teams should review any contracts with government agencies, data sharing agreements, and agreements with AAMVA or similar data repositories. They should ensure that data processing clauses clearly define data ownership, permitted uses, and restrictions on sharing personal information. Additionally, they should include robust notice requirements and mechanisms to challenge unlawful data demands, such as subpoenas, and ensure compliance with federal privacy laws. Contracts should also address data security and breach notification obligations.

Contract Search Terms

data sharing agreementgovernment subpoenadata transferprivacy policynotice requirementsSocial Security number handlingdata securitycompliance with federal privacy lawsAAMVA contractCDLIS data

Laws Cited

Federal Privacy LawsAdministrative Procedure Act

Violation Types

Entity Details

Entity

U.S. Department of Transportation

Industry

Other

Multistate Coalition

ArizonaCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareDistrict of ColumbiaHawaiiIllinoisMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganNevadaNew MexicoNew YorkOregonVermontVirginiaWashingtonWisconsinPennsylvania

Official Sources

Source Evidence

Entity Name
"the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and AAMVA"
Laws Cited
"violating multiple federal privacy laws"
Laws Cited
"violates the Administrative Procedure Act"
Violation Types
"no guardrails on the use or sharing of drivers’ Social Security numbers and other personal information, and no notice to the public."

Related Enforcement Actions

VA

U.S. Department of Transportation

Attorney General Jay Jones and a coalition of 24 attorneys general obtained a preliminary injunction blocking the Trump administration from demanding a database of state-owned records containing personal information of 17 million CDL drivers from AAMVA and from terminating over $10 million in federal funding. The lawsuits allege DOT, FMCSA, and DHS violated federal privacy laws by secretly creating a database with no guardrails on use or sharing of Social Security numbers and no public notice.

VA

U.S. Department of Transportation

Attorney General Jay Jones and a coalition of 21 attorneys general obtained a temporary restraining order blocking the Trump administration from demanding a database of state-owned records containing sensitive personal information of 17 million commercial drivers from AAMVA. The lawsuits allege the federal agencies violated federal privacy laws and the Administrative Procedure Act by seeking to acquire the data without guardrails or public notice.

NY

U.S. Department of Transportation

New York Attorney General Letitia James and a coalition of 22 attorneys general plus Pennsylvania secured a temporary restraining order blocking the Trump administration from seizing the names, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers of 17 million commercial drivers nationwide, including nearly 500,000 New Yorkers. The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia granted the TRO, preventing the federal government from accessing the data or cutting off access to the critical database.

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.

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.

OR

U.S. Department of Transportation

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.