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California Lets Police Cite AV Manufacturers for Driverless Car Violations Starting July 1

The move closes an enforcement gap that left officers with no one to ticket when a car drove itself.

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A white autonomous robotaxi driving on a city street with the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco Bay in the background. There are cars parked on the side of the street.

Overview

  • California’s DMV adopted new autonomous vehicle rules that take effect July 1, 2026, enabling police to issue a Notice of AV Noncompliance to a manufacturer when a driverless car breaks traffic laws.
  • Once a notice is filed, the DMV investigates and can order fixes or restrict, suspend, or revoke a company’s operating permit if the problem is not remedied.
  • AV operators must answer calls from police or other emergency officials within 30 seconds, and agencies can use electronic geofencing to clear driverless cars from active emergency zones under threat of penalties.
  • Vehicles must provide a manual override that first responders can access and support two-way communication between remote operators and on-scene officials.
  • The package adds phased testing standards, with reported thresholds of 50,000 miles for light-duty and 500,000 miles for heavy-duty AVs with safety drivers, a shift that could affect rollout plans for companies such as Waymo.