4 States, DC Enacted Robotaxi Laws This Year

As autonomous carmakers deploy self-driving cars in more cities, states are scrambling to regulate the technology.

1 minute read

August 15, 2025, 8:00 AM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


White Waymo self-driving car at intersection in San Francisco with pedestrians taking photos from sidewalk.

Iv-olga / Shutterstock

State lawmakers around the country are enacting legislation aimed at self-driving vehicles as the technology is rapidly deployed on urban streets, reports Madyson Fitzgerald in Governing.

“While much of the legislation aims to update existing law to include new definitions for autonomous vehicles, other measures put rules in place regarding insurance, permitting, licensing and road testing.” To date, lawmakers in 25 states have introduced 67 bills related to autonomous cars. Governors in Colorado and Virginia vetoed bills. This year, Arizona, Louisiana, Montana, Nevada and the District of Columbia passed laws regulating AVs.

Waymo is currently operating robotaxi service in Atlanta, Austin, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and San Francisco. Tesla says it plans to roll out a driverless taxi in Austin this year. “Between 2021 and 2024, there were 696 accidents reported that involved a Waymo vehicle, according to an analysis by California-based law firm DiMarco | Araujo | Montevideo.”

Thursday, August 14, 2025 in Governing

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