California's New Rules for Autonomous Vehicles: How Robotaxis Will Be Ticketed

Mon, 04 May 2026 16:46:00 +0200

The California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) recently issued new rules for autonomous vehicle (AV) testing and deployment, sparking strong reactions within the AV industry. One of the most interesting aspects of these new regulations involves how robotaxis will be held accountable for traffic violations. Under the new rules, law enforcement can issue citations to AV companies for violations committed by their vehicles, and the manufacturers must report the violation to the DMV within 72 hours. However, these citations will not involve monetary fines but will serve as data to help the DMV identify systemic issues. This rule has been met with mixed reactions from insiders, many of whom believe data collection is more valuable than financial penalties. Meanwhile, new regulations also ease the process for deploying heavy-duty autonomous vehicles, like self-driving trucks. However, the industry has expressed concerns about the burdensome requirements for data collection and sharing, es