Autonomous cars are nothing new in San Francisco, and many San Franciscans regularly use them to get around the city. The new mode of transport is also expanding around the Bay Area (and even to other cities across the country). While driverless cars are already a common sight in San Francisco, laws governing them are still developing, and this summer a key bill took effect in California, regulating the vehicles.
Driverless cars can now get tickets
Assembly Bill No. 1777 took effect in California on July 1, 2026. The bill details various regulations for driverless cars—like Waymo and Zoox—including allowing officers to issue notices of noncompliance for traffic violations. Then, the manufacturer of the vehicle is required to provide the ticket to the Department of Motor Vehicles within 72 hours of the ticket being issued.
The bill also requires manufacturers to respond to emergency alerts that put a geofence around a particular area. Manufacturers are required to respond within 2 minutes of the emergency alert and direct their vehicles to avoid the particular area.
The new bill comes as autonomous vehicles continue to expand their range, with Zoox adding more neighborhoods to its service map. This summer, Waymo received approval to expand its service area in the Bay Area, including the East Bay and north of San Francisco.
Check out Assembly Bill No. 1777 for more details about the new regulations regarding autonomous vehicles in San Francisco.