California, United States

Robotaxis in San Francisco

San Francisco, United States: Public driverless rides: Waymo, Zoox. Public rides with a safety operator: Tesla Robotaxi. 2 more entries in testing, announced or ended.

Sacramento, United States - Waymo (announced)SacramentoLas Vegas, United States - Waymo (paid driverless), Zoox (paid driverless), Motional (public, with operator), Tesla Robotaxi (announced)Las VegasLos Angeles, United States - Waymo (paid driverless)Los AngelesSan Diego, United States - Waymo (paid driverless)San DiegoSan Francisco, United States - Waymo (paid driverless), Zoox (driverless, free), Tesla Robotaxi (public, with operator), Nuro (testing), Cruise (ended)San Francisco

How to ride here

  • Waymo Open to the public - book in the Waymo app.
  • Zoox Join the waitlist in the Zoox app.
  • Tesla Robotaxi Open to the public - book in the Tesla Robotaxi app. A safety operator rides along.
  • Nuro Not open to the public - employees or invited riders only.
  • Cruise No longer running.

Services

Waymo

Paid driverless service
  1. Testing
  2. Driverless tests
  3. Staff and invitees
  4. Public, with operator
  5. Driverless, free
  6. Paid driverless

Open to the public - book in the Waymo app.

Who can ride
Open to the public
App
Waymo
Service area
Bay Area: Unified area from San Francisco down the Peninsula to San Jose; more San Jose and Campbell destinations added May 2026
Area size
more than 260 sq mi
Airport
San Jose Mineta (curbside, since Nov 2025); SFO Rental Car Center only (since 2026-01-29), AirTrain to terminals
Highways
Bay Area freeways since Nov 2025, not yet for all riders
Fleet (official)
not published
Fares
not published
Public driverless since

History

  1. Public rides with a safety operator - Consumer testing program launched source
  2. Driverless rides for employees or invitees - Driverless rides for staff source
  3. Paid driverless service - CPUC approved fares for driverless passenger service in San Francisco source
  4. Paid driverless service - Service opened to everyone source

Announced next

  • Announcement CPUC approval covers 12 Northern California counties; rollout to be gradual Target: not given. Announced . source
  • Announcement Plans direct SFO terminal routes, no timeline Target: not given. Announced . source
Sources (4)
  1. Waymo begins operating at SFO - The San Francisco Standard, 29 Jan 2026
  2. Waymo robotaxis are now giving rides on freeways in these 3 cities - TechCrunch, 12 Nov 2025
  3. Waymo gets CPUC approval for 18 counties - Electrek, 14 Aug 2026
  4. Waymo - Wikipedia, 10 Oct 2026

Last checked - last change

Zoox

Public driverless rides (free)
  1. Testing
  2. Driverless tests
  3. Staff and invitees
  4. Public, with operator
  5. Driverless, free

Join the waitlist in the Zoox app.

Who can ride
Public via waitlist
App
Zoox
Service area
Eastern half of San Francisco after a fourfold expansion announced March 2026
Area size
not published
Airport
not published
Highways
not published
Fleet (official)
not published
Fares
Free (Zoox Explorers program)
Public driverless since

History

  1. Public driverless rides (free) - Zoox Explorers public launch with free rides and a waitlist source
Sources (2)
  1. Zoox - Wikipedia, 10 Oct 2026
  2. Zoox brings its robotaxis to Austin and Miami - TechCrunch, 24 Mar 2026

Last checked - last change

Tesla Robotaxi

Public rides with a safety operator
  1. Testing
  2. Driverless tests
  3. Staff and invitees
  4. Public, with operator

Open to the public - book in the Tesla Robotaxi app. A safety operator rides along.

Who can ride
Open to the public
App
Tesla Robotaxi
Service area
Bay Area
Area size
not published
Airport
Serves SFO (July 2026)
Highways
not published
Fleet (official)
not published
Fares
not published
Public driverless since
not published

History

  1. Public rides with a safety operator - Ride-hailing with a safety driver under a California charter-party carrier (TCP) permit source
Sources (3)
  1. Tesla Robotaxi passes 2.4 million paid miles, unsupervised rides live in six metros - EVwire, 22 Jul 2026
  2. Tesla Robotaxi Launches Unsupervised Rides in Orlando, Tampa - Not a Tesla App, 21 Jul 2026
  3. Tesla confirms Robotaxi expansion plans - Teslarati, 29 Jan 2026

Last checked - last change

Nuro

Testing with safety driver
  1. Testing

Not open to the public - employees or invited riders only.

Who can ride
Employees only
App
not published
Partner
Uber, Lucid
Service area
Bay Area
Area size
not published
Airport
not published
Highways
not published
Fleet (official)
not published
Fares
not published
Public driverless since
not published

History

  1. Testing with safety driver - Autonomous on-road testing of Lucid Gravity robotaxis announced at CES 2026 source
  2. Testing with safety driver - Uber employee test rides began source
  3. Testing with safety driver - CPUC drivered pilot permit for passenger service testing source

Announced next

  • Announcement First Uber-native robotaxis available in late 2026, exclusively on Uber Target: 2026. Announced . source
Sources (3)
  1. Nuro Lucid Uber Robotaxi - Nuro, 10 Oct 2026
  2. Nuro Secures CPUC Permit for Testing Robotaxi Passenger Service in California - Nuro, 8 May 2026
  3. Uber, Nuro, and Lucid to Bring Robotaxi Service to Houston in 2027 - Nuro, 17 Jun 2026

Last checked - last change

Cruise

Ended

No longer running.

Who can ride
No riders
App
not published
Service area
not published
Area size
not published
Airport
not published
Highways
not published
Fleet (official)
not published
Fares
not published
Public driverless since

History

  1. Driverless rides for employees or invitees - DMV permit for driverless rides without safety drivers source
  2. Public driverless rides (free) - Driverless service opened to the public source
  3. Paid driverless service - First California driverless deployment permit allowed paid rides source
  4. Paid driverless service - CPUC approved 24/7 paid service citywide source
  5. Suspended - DMV suspended driverless permits; CPUC suspended revenue permit source
  6. Ended - GM ended Cruise as a robotaxi business source
Sources (2)
  1. Cruise (autonomous vehicle) - Wikipedia, 10 Oct 2026
  2. Autonomous Vehicle Programs - CPUC, 10 Oct 2026

Last checked - last change

Rules in this country

  • Arizona, United States - Fully autonomous vehicles may operate without a human driver if the operator files a law enforcement interaction plan with ADOT and DPS and a written statement that the vehicle meets federal standards, can reach a minimal risk condition, follows traffic laws and is titled, registered and insured. The ADS counts as the driver; ADOT may issue a cease and desist if filings are missing. No separate AV ride-hail permit.
  • California, United States - Two-layer system: the DMV issues testing (with driver), driverless testing and deployment permits; the CPUC runs drivered and driverless pilot (no fares) and deployment (fares) programs. Waymo holds driverless deployment authority and in August 2026 the CPUC approved paid driverless service across 18 counties incl. Sacramento and San Diego. Nuro holds a CPUC drivered pilot permit (May 2026). Tesla operates under a charter-party carrier permit with human drivers, not as an AV service.
  • District of Columbia, United States - A 2020 law created an AV testing program and required a DDOT deployment report due late 2022 that was not completed; passenger service needs new Council legislation, which had not passed as of October 2025. Waymo, Zoox and Nuro have tested in DC.
  • United States (federal) - No federal AV statute; vehicles must meet FMVSS or hold NHTSA exemptions. Vehicles without manual controls (Zoox, Tesla Cybercab) rely on exemptions or self-certification: Zoox got an AV exemption in August 2025 and a temporary commercial exemption for up to 2,500 vehicles a year in July 2026, enabling paid rides. NHTSA opened an audit query into Tesla's Cybercab FMVSS self-certification in September 2026 and investigates AV crashes through recalls and probes.
  • Florida, United States - Fully autonomous vehicles may operate with or without a human on board; the engaged ADS is deemed the operator and no licensed human driver is needed. No state AV permit is required, and local governments may not impose taxes, fees or for-hire requirements on AVs (airports and seaports may set facility fees and pickup zones).
  • Nevada, United States - Nevada passed the first AV law (AB 511, 2011). Developers register with the DMV testing registry (bond, insurance, fees) and receive a Certificate of Compliance; for operations manufacturers self-certify compliance with NRS 482A/482B per make, model and year. Waymo, Zoox, Motional and others operate in Las Vegas under this framework.
  • New York, United States - State law requires a human driver behind the wheel; testing needs a state DMV permit and, in NYC, city permits. Governor Hochul withdrew a proposal in February 2026 to allow robotaxis outside NYC; Waymo's NYC testing permits expired on 2026-03-31.
  • Texas, United States - SB 2807 (signed 2025-06-20, effective 2025-09-01) requires TxDMV authorization to carry passengers or goods commercially in automated vehicles with no human driver, plus a first-responder interaction plan filed with DPS. Rules were due by 2025-12-01, with compliance 90 days after they take effect. TxDMV can suspend, revoke or restrict authorizations for unsafe operation; local governments cannot add their own rules.