California Will Fine Robotaxi Operators That Block First Responders

California will fine autonomous vehicle companies whose robotaxis block police or firefighters for more than 30 minutes, under a law signed by Governor Gavin Newsom.

Senate Bill 1246 imposes a series of new requirements on AV operators such as Tesla, Waymo, and Zoox. The companies must provide first responders with local, on-the-ground support when their robotaxis cause problems, and they must staff the state with "local incident technicians" who can assist with AV accidents and obstructions.

The law follows a string of high-profile incidents in California in which robotaxis broke down and disrupted traffic, drove into crime scenes, or impeded first responders.

Waymo, the largest robotaxi operator in the U.S., accounted for the bulk of those incidents. The Alphabet-backed company runs about 4,000 autonomous vehicles in its commercial fleet nationwide. Roughly 1,200 of them operate in the San Francisco Bay Area. A TechCrunch investigation earlier this year identified multiple incidents in which Waymo relied on first responders to manually drive its vehicles when the cars encountered problems.

Those episodes prompted state and federal lawmakers to demand stricter rules governing robotaxis, particularly around how the vehicles behave near emergency crews. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) went as far as sending a letter to AV developers demanding that they come up with "solutions" to the problem.

"California has embraced autonomous vehicles, but we cannot embrace innovation at the expense of public safety," said state Senator Dave Cortese, who introduced the bill. "When an autonomous vehicle crashes, breaks down, blocks a roadway in an emergency, or gets in the way of law enforcement or first responders, there must be clear accountability."

U.S.-based remote drivers only

The law also restricts how AV companies can use remote operations. Under the new rules, AV developers may only employ remote drivers based in the United States, and those drivers must hold a U.S. driver's license. The requirement targets growing concerns about how companies intervene remotely when autonomous vehicles run into trouble.

The distinction matters. "Remote operations" has been interpreted very broadly, and little is known publicly about the methods AV companies actually use. The law's "remote drivers" term is far more specific: it refers to a human who directly operates or drives the vehicle from afar. Tesla is the only company that has publicly stated it has remote operators who can take direct control of its robotaxis.

Other companies, including Waymo, say they use forms of remote assistance in which the self-driving system remains in control while a human employee provides guidance or sends software commands when needed. Waymo runs a global network of remote assistance staff, including in the Philippines, and operates command centers in Arizona and Michigan. Zoox says its remote operations teams are based in the United States.

Notification duties and penalties

The law adds another obligation: AV companies must notify cities, towns, and other local jurisdictions about the location and status of their vehicles during system-wide failures. Fines apply when an AV blocks first responders during an emergency for longer than 30 minutes.

Companies including Waymo and Zoox have said they will comply.

"We are grateful for the amendments made to the bill, which ensure autonomous vehicle operators can still feasibly serve Californians," a Waymo spokesperson said in an emailed statement. "Waymo is committed to making roads safer in California and continually improving our service."

The law takes effect in July 2028. The California Department of Motor Vehicles, which regulates autonomous vehicles in the state, will set guidelines on certain aspects of the new rules, including required response times — a detail that will determine how costly compliance, and non-compliance, becomes for operators.