DRIVING ACADEMY • CDL DATA & STATISTICS
CDL Records by State: 2025 FMCSA Data
How many commercial driver records are associated with each U.S. state? Explore federal CDLIS data for all 50 states and Washington, D.C., including a complete state-by-state comparison and an explanation of what the figures actually measure.
Important: CDLIS records are not the same as currently valid CDL holders or employed truck drivers.
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STATE-BY-STATE COMPARISON
CDLIS Records for All 50 States and Washington, D.C.
The table lists each jurisdiction's Commercial Driver's License Information System (CDLIS) Master Pointer Records as of January 2025, as published by FMCSA in May 2026. Use the A–Z links to jump directly to a state.
Source: FMCSA, Federal Register, Table 1 (May 18, 2026) ↗ · Figures are records, not confirmed active CDL credentials.
| State / District | CDLIS records | Share of listed records | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| AlabamaAL | 238,063 | 1.4% | 25 |
| AlaskaAK | 64,177 | 0.4% | 46 |
| ArizonaAZ | 402,167 | 2.3% | 13 |
| ArkansasAR | 251,466 | 1.5% | 24 |
| CaliforniaCA | 1,681,772 | 9.8% | 1 |
| ColoradoCO | 325,273 | 1.9% | 16 |
| ConnecticutCT | 109,900 | 0.6% | 38 |
| DelawareDE | 68,385 | 0.4% | 45 |
| District of ColumbiaDC | 13,088 | 0.1% | 51 |
| FloridaFL | 1,088,315 | 6.3% | 3 |
| GeorgiaGA | 480,740 | 2.8% | 8 |
| HawaiiHI | 39,952 | 0.2% | 48 |
| IdahoID | 147,510 | 0.9% | 34 |
| IllinoisIL | 426,735 | 2.5% | 12 |
| IndianaIN | 371,391 | 2.2% | 14 |
| IowaIA | 224,881 | 1.3% | 28 |
| KansasKS | 199,789 | 1.2% | 31 |
| KentuckyKY | 225,234 | 1.3% | 27 |
| LouisianaLA | 284,020 | 1.7% | 23 |
| MaineME | 78,537 | 0.5% | 42 |
| MarylandMD | 206,170 | 1.2% | 30 |
| MassachusettsMA | 298,748 | 1.7% | 21 |
| MichiganMI | 370,209 | 2.2% | 15 |
| MinnesotaMN | 316,902 | 1.8% | 19 |
| MississippiMS | 191,343 | 1.1% | 32 |
| MissouriMO | 436,642 | 2.5% | 9 |
| MontanaMT | 87,576 | 0.5% | 39 |
| NebraskaNE | 114,804 | 0.7% | 37 |
| NevadaNV | 147,285 | 0.9% | 35 |
| New HampshireNH | 44,512 | 0.3% | 47 |
| New JerseyNJ | 434,339 | 2.5% | 10 |
| New MexicoNM | 125,235 | 0.7% | 36 |
| New YorkNY | 963,752 | 5.6% | 4 |
| North CarolinaNC | 772,448 | 4.5% | 6 |
| North DakotaND | 71,094 | 0.4% | 43 |
| OhioOH | 809,948 | 4.7% | 5 |
| OklahomaOK | 237,688 | 1.4% | 26 |
| OregonOR | 222,900 | 1.3% | 29 |
| PennsylvaniaPA | 736,421 | 4.3% | 7 |
| Rhode IslandRI | 27,595 | 0.2% | 50 |
| South CarolinaSC | 301,438 | 1.8% | 20 |
| South DakotaSD | 87,430 | 0.5% | 40 |
| TennesseeTN | 298,714 | 1.7% | 22 |
| TexasTX | 1,678,054 | 9.8% | 2 |
| UtahUT | 183,551 | 1.1% | 33 |
| VermontVT | 36,839 | 0.2% | 49 |
| VirginiaVA | 432,138 | 2.5% | 11 |
| WashingtonWA | 317,972 | 1.9% | 18 |
| West VirginiaWV | 85,017 | 0.5% | 41 |
| WisconsinWI | 320,935 | 1.9% | 17 |
| WyomingWY | 70,930 | 0.4% | 44 |
*Percentages and ranks are calculated from the sum of the 51 state/district rows in FMCSA's published table (17,150,024). These percentages are not a statement about the share of currently valid CDL holders. The source notice also cites a different nationwide MPR figure; see the methodology below.
Which States Have the Most CDLIS Records?
California and Texas have the largest reported state CDLIS record counts, with 1,681,772 and 1,678,054 records, respectively. Florida, New York and Ohio round out the top five. These are record counts, not a ranking of truck-driver employment or currently valid CDL licenses.
Top 5 states by CDLIS records
Based on January 2025 MPRs reported by FMCSA. Bar lengths are scaled to California.
What these numbers tell us
The five states above account for approximately 36.3% of the records in the 51 jurisdiction rows. States with large populations and substantial commercial vehicle activity often have large counts, but this dataset alone cannot establish why a state's count is higher.
For New Jersey, FMCSA lists 434,339 CDLIS records. That doesn't mean all 434,339 people hold an active CDL or currently work as truck drivers.
To research job earnings rather than licensing records, compare occupational wage statistics separately.
What Is CDLIS, and What Do These Records Mean?
What is a Master Pointer Record?
CDLIS stands for the Commercial Driver's License Information System, a system used by state driver licensing agencies to exchange commercial driver status and history. A Master Pointer Record (MPR) identifies a driver and points an authorized user to the state holding the underlying driver history.
The number of MPRs associated with a state is useful for understanding the size of its CDLIS record population, but it does not show how many people are currently working in trucking.
Why CDLIS records aren't active CDL holders
CDLIS data can include records associated with commercial learner's permits as well as CDL histories. A pointer record does not, by itself, confirm that a driver's CDL is currently valid or that they are employed as a driver.
For an exact count of active CDL credentials, a state licensing agency's current credential statistics would be a more appropriate source, where available.
National total clarification: Adding the 51 published state and district rows gives 17,150,024 MPRs. In a separate fee-calculation passage of the same May 2026 FMCSA notice, the agency cites 18,340,985 MPRs. The notice doesn't reconcile those two figures. This page uses the published state-by-state rows for comparisons and does not treat either figure as a verified active-CDL count.
Our sources and methodology
Driving Academy transcribed the state-by-state counts from Table 1 of FMCSA's May 18, 2026 Federal Register notice. The underlying counts are identified as January 2025 CDLIS MPRs. We sorted the state names alphabetically and calculated each jurisdiction's share and rank from the sum of the 51 rows. The percentages and ranking are Driving Academy calculations, not separate measurements from FMCSA.
To learn more about how CDLIS works, see AAMVA's CDLIS overview and FMCSA's state CDL guidance.
Frequently Asked Questions About CDL Holders by State
How many CDL holders are there in the United States?
The federal state-level table provides CDLIS Master Pointer Record counts, not a confirmed total of people with currently valid CDLs. The sum of its 51 rows is 17,150,024; a separate passage in the same publication states 18,340,985 MPRs. Neither should be relabeled as an exact active CDL-holder count.
Which state has the most CDLIS records?
California leads the January 2025 table with 1,681,772 CDLIS records, followed very closely by Texas with 1,678,054. Florida is third, with 1,088,315 records.
Are CDLIS records the same as truck-driver jobs?
No. CDLIS is a driver-licensing records system. Some people with CDL-related records may not be employed in trucking, and the system can encompass commercial driving categories beyond tractor-trailers. For employment numbers, use a source such as BLS occupational employment statistics.
Does the CDLIS dataset include commercial learner's permits?
Yes, CDLIS supports CLP and CDL licensing records. A Master Pointer Record alone doesn't establish the current privilege, license status or employment of the person associated with it.
Why is the data from 2025 when the article was published in 2026?
FMCSA published the state-by-state table in a May 18, 2026 proposed rule, using MPR counts dated January 2025. The publication year and the data reference date are different.
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Talk to a CDL Advisor →Data reference date: January 2025. Federal source published: May 18, 2026. Page research checked: October 28, 2026. Driving Academy is not a government agency and is not affiliated with FMCSA or AAMVA.
