Court Rules
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Enforcement ActionLow RiskMultistate

Virginia AG Blocks Federal Demand for CDL Drivers' Personal Information

U.S. Department of TransportationAugust 21, 2026Virginia Attorney General

Consumers Affected

17,000,000

Summary

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.

Remedy

The court granted a temporary restraining order blocking the U.S. Department of Transportation from demanding the production of the CDLIS database and from terminating more than $10 million in federal funding to AAMVA. The AGs plan to seek a preliminary injunction to prevent the data transfer for the duration of the case.

Injunction

Contract Impact

In-house teams should review their data sharing agreements and contracts with government entities, particularly any provisions governing the production of personal data in response to government demands. Review data processing agreements with vendors like AAMVA to understand data ownership, use restrictions, and security obligations. Consider adding clauses requiring notice to data owners before responding to government requests, and ensure contracts address data breach notification and liability for unauthorized data disclosures.

Contract Search Terms

data sharing agreementpersonal informationSocial Security numbergovernment recordsdata securitydata retentionsubpoenarecords request

Laws Cited

Administrative Procedure ActDriver's Privacy Protection Act

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 (DOT) and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA)"
Violation Types
"no guardrails on the use or sharing of drivers’ Social Security numbers and other personal information"
Consumers Affected
"17 million drivers"
Remedy Types
"a temporary restraining order that blocks the Trump administration from demanding the production of a database of state-owned records"
Is Multistate
"a coalition of 21 attorneys general"

Related Enforcement Actions

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.

CO

U.S. Department of Transportation

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.

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.

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.

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

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.