Overview
- Beginning July 1, 2026, officers can issue a formal “notice of autonomous vehicle noncompliance” when a driverless car breaks traffic laws while its self-driving system is active.
- Manufacturers must file that notice with the DMV within 72 hours, and the agency can investigate and order fixes or suspend permits if violations persist.
- To support emergencies, companies must staff a hotline that connects first responders to a human operator within 30 seconds, enable two-way voice in the car, and clear fleets from geofenced zones within two minutes.
- Before getting a commercial permit, light-duty AV makers must log 50,000 miles of safety testing, and remote operators must meet California licensing, permitting, and training rules.
- The rules implement a 2024 law pushed after high-profile failures in San Francisco and other cities, and they track moves in states like Arizona and Texas to put on-road responsibility on AV companies.