Commercial trucks can be seen in the lane towards the Ambassador Bridge to Windsor, Ontario, in Detroit, Michigan, U.S., February 1, 2025. REUTERS/Rebecca Cook/File Photo

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Transportation Department said Friday it was issuing an emergency regulation to drastically restrict commercial driver licenses to non-U.S. citizens after a fatal crash in Florida and a government audit.

Non-citizens will not be eligible for a truck-driving license unless they meet new stricter rules, including an employment-based visa, and undergo a mandatory federal immigration status check.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is also launching an enforcement action against California, requiring it to pause issuing some commercial driver licenses to non-U.S. citizens.

(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama )