California Is Making New Rules for Self-Driving Cars

California is updating how it oversees self-driving cars. The state's Department of Motor Vehicles is writing new rules to keep better track of autonomous vehicles as companies prepare to put more of them on the road starting in 2025 and beyond.

Three new state laws are taking effect that change how police deal with self-driving cars. These laws are part of California's effort to be ready for the growing number of autonomous vehicles on its roads.

How Police Will Enforce Rules

AB 1777 lets police officers write citations directly to car companies when their self-driving cars break traffic laws. Instead of ticketing a driver, officers can now hold the manufacturer responsible. This shifts the focus from individual drivers to the companies that built the cars.

Starting January 1, 2025, AB 1978 gives police the power to take away cars that are used to block highways or parking areas for illegal racing. The law is not just for self-driving cars, but it shows California is trying to manage road safety by controlling vehicles rather than only punishing drivers.

California is also getting ready for a change in how cars are identified. Beginning January 1, 2027, the state will allow cars to use special digital license plates instead of the traditional metal ones. These new plates will include location technology, making it easier for the state to track and manage how self-driving cars operate on the road.

Cities Get a Say

SB 915 gives larger California cities new power to control how self-driving cars work in their areas. Cities can now set limits on fares, cap how many autonomous vehicles can operate in their city, and require companies to share data about how their cars are performing. Before this law, cities had little say in how self-driving cars operated on their streets.

Cities can now set rules about where self-driving cars can go, when they can operate, and what safety standards they must meet. This adds a local layer of control on top of the state's oversight.

Rules for Self-Driving Trucks

California is working on new rules for self-driving trucks. On August 30, 2024, the state issued a draft set of regulations for autonomous trucks. Currently, California only allows testing of self-driving trucks that weigh 10,001 pounds or less. The new rules would keep this weight limit while adding more oversight requirements.

Under the draft rules, trucks would still need a human operator inside, even if the vehicle is driving itself. Companies would also have to report any crashes or traffic violations to the state. This shows California is being cautious about putting fully self-driving trucks on the road, especially for heavy commercial work.

How Companies Must Follow the Rules

To operate a self-driving car on California roads, companies must first get permission from the state. The DMV requires that manufacturers get specific approval before they can test or deploy autonomous vehicles. This means there is a clear path from testing new technology to putting it in regular use on public roads, and the state checks off each step.

The regulatory approach California is taking here echoes something we saw with cell phones and early internet deployment in the 1990s. Back then, states had to figure out how to let new technology grow while keeping public safety in mind. The answer was to separate the rules into layers: one for testing whether the technology works, and another for allowing it to be used by regular people. That same approach is working for self-driving cars.

The DMV is asking for public feedback on the new rules. Rather than completely overhauling how self-driving cars are regulated, the state appears to be refining what already exists. The focus is on giving police better tools to enforce rules and making companies report more information, not on stopping companies from testing or deploying autonomous vehicles.

What These Changes Mean

The new laws address three main issues: holding car companies responsible when their vehicles break traffic laws, giving cities control over how self-driving cars operate in their areas, and setting safety standards for commercial vehicles.

The shift to holding manufacturers responsible for traffic violations could push companies to program their vehicles to drive more conservatively. Combined with cities having local control, this creates a system with checks at two levels: the state makes sure the cars are safe and can work, while cities make sure the cars fit into local transportation plans.

California has set these rules with a timeline in mind. Digital license plates will not be required until 2027, giving the state time to set up the technology needed to track cars. The new enforcement tools are available right away to handle any problems with self-driving cars that are already on the road.

For companies building self-driving cars, these changes mean they have to meet new requirements in three areas: following state traffic enforcement rules, meeting rules that individual cities set, and sharing more information with regulators. Manufacturers have to build systems that can talk to police databases, share information with city governments, and report accidents and violations automatically.

Other states are paying attention to what California does. As more self-driving cars hit the road across the country, other states will likely copy parts of California's approach. The emphasis on making companies take responsibility and letting cities have some control suggests a model that could spread beyond California.