Northern Michigan University's CDL Truck Driving program is closed after the Michigan Secretary of State ordered the Marquette school to stop training drivers, NMU confirmed Friday, Aug. 7.

The university said it complied with the cease-and-desist order but plans to fight it.

NMU said in a written statement to TV6/WLUC that it respectfully disagrees with the findings and intends to challenge the action through all available channels. The dispute centers on record-keeping practices specific to the trucking program, according to the statement. The university did not detail which records were at issue or how long the problems persisted.

The Secretary of State's office had not responded to media requests for comment as of Friday evening. The specific findings in the order have not been made public.

About the program

NMU's CDL program ran five weeks, Monday through Friday, at 1401 Presque Isle Ave. in Marquette, according to the university's program listing. Students had to be at least 18 and hold a valid Class A Commercial Learner's Permit before training began. NMU said the program graduated hundreds of well-qualified graduates who went on to careers as truck drivers.

Why record-keeping matters

Under Michigan's Driver Education Provider and Instructor Act, the Secretary of State regulates truck driver training schools and can deny, suspend or revoke a provider's certification for failing to meet record-keeping and program requirements. Penalties range from written warnings to fines to full suspension.

Separately, federal Entry-Level Driver Training rules that took effect in February 2022 require CDL schools to maintain accurate records and register on the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's Training Provider Registry. Nationally, the U.S. Department of Transportation has removed nearly 3,000 CDL training providers from that registry in 2026 for issues including falsified data and incomplete documentation. Another 4,000 were placed on notice.

Whether NMU's closure is connected to the federal crackdown or solely a state-level enforcement action is unclear.

What's next

NMU has not identified a timeline or legal avenue for its planned challenge. No hearing date has been set.

Students currently enrolled in or registered for the program face uncertainty. NMU has not publicly stated how many students are affected or what options they have.