California Will Soon Begin Ticketing Driverless Cars for Traffic Violations
Key takeaways
- Assembly Bill 1777 allows police to issue citations to robotaxis and hold driverless car companies accountable.
- Ever since driverless cars became more common, one question has hovered over the road: who gets the ticket when no one is behind the wheel of a vehicle cited for a traffic violation?
- As Road & Track reports, the measure lays out how robotaxis and other driverless vehicles can be penalized for speeding, illegal turns, rolling through stop signs, and the same range of infractions human drivers face.
Why this matters: an automotive development that could shape industry direction or buying decisions.
Assembly Bill 1777 allows police to issue citations to robotaxis and hold driverless car companies accountable.
Ever since driverless cars became more common, one question has hovered over the road: who gets the ticket when no one is behind the wheel of a vehicle cited for a traffic violation? Beginning on July 1, 2026, California will begin implementing its answer. Under Assembly Bill 1777, police and traffic officers will have a clear framework for citing Waymo, Tesla, Uber, and other autonomous vehicle operators when their vehicles break the law.
As Road & Track reports, the measure lays out how robotaxis and other driverless vehicles can be penalized for speeding, illegal turns, rolling through stop signs, and the same range of infractions human drivers face. Once the law takes effect, officers will be able to issue notices of autonomous vehicle noncompliance that identify the operator and list the alleged violations. Those notices will include the same basic details as a standard traffic citation: date, time, location, the laws allegedly broken, and the vehicle’s license plate number. The one obvious omission is a driver’s license number, because there is no driver.