Autonomous vehicles will start getting traffic tickets on California streets

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A Waymo robotaxi drives along California Street on December 08, 2025 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Law enforcement officials in California will soon be able to issue traffic tickets to autonomous vehicles that violate the rules of the road, voiding an exemption that the tech-heavy cars have previously long enjoyed.

New rules

What we know:

According to the Department of Motor Vehicles, the new rules will go into effect on July 1, and will allow law enforcement to give "notices of noncompliance" to the companies that operate driverless vehicles when their cars break traffic laws.

The DMV added that repeated or severe instances of noncompliance by driverless car companies may result in "incremental enforcement actions," up to and including suspension or revocation of their licenses to operate.

What they're saying:

"California continues to lead the nation in the development and adoption of AV technology, and these updated regulations further demonstrate the state’s commitment to public safety," said DMV Director Steve Gordon. "These updates support the growth of the AV industry by enhancing public safety and transparency while adding additional accountability for AV manufacturers."

A response to previous troubles

Dig deeper:

The new guidelines come after years of autonomous vehicles on Bay Area streets performing illegal or unsafe street maneuvers and posing safety risks to the public, seemingly with little that law enforcement officials could do to cite or stop their operations.

Under the new rules, driverless companies will be required to respond to first responder calls within 30 seconds and authorize local emergency officials to and clear vehicles from active emergency zones within two minutes of receiving orders to disperse. 

The companies will also be required to provide details of any incident involving their cars to the DMV within 72 hours, or within 24 hours if a serious case is marked for "priority review."

The other side:

Additionally, the new directives also remove a prohibition on operating autonomous vehicles that weigh over 10,000 pounds, opening the door for companies to start testing "heavy-duty autonomous vehicle technology" – or driverless big rigs – on California roads.