Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown joined a coalition of 21 states in filing two federal lawsuits challenging the Trump administration’s demand for a database containing sensitive personal information of millions of commercial driver’s license holders.
The administration threatened to withhold more than $10 million in federal funding from the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators unless the state-owned records are turned over.
What the Lawsuits Claim
The coalition filed suits against the U.S. Department of Transportation, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the Department of Homeland Security, and AAMVA.
The complaints allege the federal agencies violated multiple privacy laws by attempting to build their own database using records obtained under threat, with no safeguards on how Social Security numbers and other personal information would be used or shared, and without public notice or consultation with states.
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What Happens Next
The cases were filed today in federal court. Additional details on the legal arguments and requested relief appear in the full press release below.
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**FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:**
August 13, 2026
**Media Contacts:**
press@oag.state.md.us
410-576-7009
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**Attorney General Brown Sues Trump Administration for Unlawfully Demanding Personal Information of CDL Drivers**
*Administration Threatens to Withhold $10 Million in Federal Funding Unless Sensitive Information of Millions of Drivers is Turned Over*
BALTIMORE, MD – Attorney General Anthony G. Brown joined a coalition of 21 attorneys general and the state of Pennsylvania today in filing two lawsuits against the Trump administration for demanding production of a database of state-owned records containing the sensitive personal information of millions of drivers and threatening to terminate more than $10 million in federal funding to the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) if it refuses.
Attorney General Brown and the coalition filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), which is an administration of the DOT and AAMVA, as well as a second, related lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The lawsuits claim the DOT, FMSCA, and DHS are violating multiple federal privacy laws, among other federal laws, by secretly setting up their own database with records extorted from AAMVA, with no guardrails on the use or sharing of drivers’ Social Security numbers and other personal information, and no notice to the public.
“Once again, the Trump administration is trying to unlawfully seize Marylanders’ personal data with no legitimate purpose, no safeguards to protect it, and no warning to the public or consultation with the states,” said Attorney General Brown. “We are joining this lawsuit because this data belongs to the states, and the federal government cannot force another party
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