When “No Name Given” Appears on a CDL or Green Card: What It Really Means
- SafetyLane Editorial Team
- 4 days ago
- 4 min read
By the SafetyLane Editorial Team
October 2025 |
After Operation Guardian, Questions Exploded
After a heated debate on social media about commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) marked “No Name Given” or “FNU” (First Name Unknown) — sparked by immigration sweeps under Operation Guardian — we at SafetyLane decided to dig deeper.
Rumors were spreading fast: Are these drivers undocumented? Are they unverified? Is this a loophole in the federal system?
To separate fact from fiction, our team spoke with several immigration and transportation attorneys, compliance experts, and former DMV staff. The truth, as it turns out, has far more to do with software, naming traditions, and bureaucracy than with illegal immigration.
So here’s what we found out.
A Name That Isn’t There
More and more carriers across the U.S. are noticing driver’s licenses, work permits, or green cards marked with phrases like “No Name Given,” “FNU” (First Name Unknown), or “LNU” (Last Name Unknown).
At first glance, this might raise red flags — as if the individual’s identity is incomplete or unverified. In truth, these phrases represent a cultural and bureaucratic collision — not a case of fraud, and not a sign of an undocumented immigrant.
The Origin of “No Name Given”
The phrase “No Name Given” doesn’t mean the driver is unidentified — it means the federal database couldn’t process a single name.
U.S. government systems — from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to state DMVs and FMCSA — are built on a Western naming structure that requires two fields:
First Name (Given Name)
Last Name (Family Name or Surname)
But millions of people worldwide simply don’t have a last name. When such individuals immigrate legally regardless of the type of visa to the U.S. and applies for a work permits, Social Security numbers, and/or CDL, the system refuses to save the record unless both fields are filled.
To fix that, federal databases automatically assign a placeholder like:
FNU – First Name Unknown
LNU – Last Name Unknown
No Name Given – Field intentionally filled to meet database requirements
Countries and Cultures Without Surnames
The issue arises primarily from cultural naming systems that don’t use hereditary family names.
When such individuals apply for a U.S. visa or green card, consular officers must fill in both name fields. If only one name exists, it’s usually formatted as:
Surname (Last Name): [Actual name]Given Name (First Name): FNU or No Name Given
Or the other way around.
That same format transfers to the USCIS record, then to Social Security, and finally into the state DMV system, producing CDLs that show “No Name Given” or “FNU.”
Example: How It Looks in Practice
Let’s say a Burmese driver named Aung immigrates to the U.S. with a valid work permit.
His passport only lists “Aung.”
His visa application in the DS-160 form requires both names, so the officer enters:
Last Name: Aung
First Name: FNU
When the driver later applies for a CDL, the DMV imports this same data through SAVE verification, generating:
Name on CDL: FNU Aung or Aung, No Name Given
To a dispatcher or insurance auditor, that might look odd — but legally, it’s correct and fully vetted.
We asked: "Are These People “Unverified” or “Illegal”?
Absolutely not.
Every legally present person regardless of the type of visa whose document lists “FNU” or “No Name Given” has gone through complete background screening, including:
Fingerprinting and biometric verification,
SAVE (Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements) checks,
I-94 or Employment Authorization (EAD) verification,
And cross-matching through DHS and USCIS databases.
The placeholder name doesn’t mean “unknown person. ”It means “known person with only one legal name.”
They are not undocumented, and they are not outside the system.
Why It Matters to the Trucking Industry
For carriers and safety managers, confusion often begins when data from one system (like the Clearinghouse or PSP) doesn’t match exactly with another (like the DMV or SSA).
A driver listed as FNU Aung in one record and Aung, No Name Given in another can cause red flags in background checks, even though both refer to the same person.
That’s why FMCSA and state DMVs stress that:
The name on the CDL must exactly match federal records.
Non-domiciled CDLs must clearly indicate the driver’s lawful presence.
The CDL expires when the driver’s visa or work authorization expires — whichever comes first.
FMCSA’s Current Stance
According to recent FMCSA guidance:
A CDL marked “Non-Domiciled” is fully legal if the driver has verifiable legal presence.
Only holders of H-2A, H-2B, and E-2 visas are now eligible for a non-domiciled CDL.
The “No Name Given” format is accepted as long as the driver’s identity matches their SAVE record.
If SAVE cannot verify status, or if the immigration document expires, the license must be downgraded or revoked.
In short:
It’s not the name that’s the issue — it’s the status behind the name.
What Carriers Should Do
✅ Verify identity exactly as listed. Match the CDL spelling, punctuation, and format when registering drivers in Clearinghouse or insurance databases.
✅ Retain supporting documents. Keep copies of I-94, EAD, visa, or green card in the driver qualification file.
✅ Track expiration dates. Non-domiciled CDLs cannot outlive the driver’s lawful stay.
✅ Train your staff. Dispatchers, recruiters, and safety personnel should understand that “FNU” and “No Name Given” are standard placeholders — not warning signs.
The Real Takeaway
The words “No Name Given” on a CDL don’t signal an immigration violation — they signal a cultural mismatch translated into computer code.
These drivers are known, verified, and fully documented under FMCSA and DHS oversight.
As one immigration attorney told us:
“It’s not that the driver has no name. It’s that the U.S. database insists on two.”
So next time you see a CDL or green card with “FNU” or “No Name Given,” remember — it’s not a red flag; it’s a reminder that America’s transportation workforce is as global as the freight it moves.
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