California · SB 1246 · State law

California expands autonomous-vehicle emergency-response rules

EnactedRecorded action: September 30, 2026

Waymo Jaguar I-Pace robotaxi photographed at night in July 2024. — Related automated-driving technology: a Waymo Jaguar robotaxi in 2024. The photograph is not an emergency incident or evidence of compliance with California’s 2028 requirements. Image: Votpuske / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 4.0 · 4000 × 2568 · Downsampled where needed to 4K or larger and WebP optimized; smaller card preview. No upscaling.

What happened

Approved by the governor and chaptered as Chapter 1021, Statutes of 2026. Its substantive provisions become operative July 1, 2028.

What the law does

The law adds requirements for remote-driver licensing, communications capacity, incident-technician dispatch, fleetwide failure notifications, emergency control of commercial autonomous vehicles, quarterly response reporting, and law-enforcement training.

The measure is enacted, but the new operational requirements do not take effect until July 1, 2028. The statute provides exemptions and enforcement limits that depend on vehicle type and circumstance.

Verified October 27, 2026. This is a RobotMe summary of the official record; it is not legal advice.