California SB 1298 — Autonomous Vehicles (Testing and Deployment)
California · Cal. Veh. Code §§ 38750 et seq.
California's foundational autonomous-vehicle statute. SB 1298 directed the DMV to adopt regulations for testing and eventual deployment of AVs on California roads, including an autonomous-vehicle tester permit, insurance and bonding rules, and the framework later used for the Cruise and Waymo robotaxi authorizations.
Technical detail
Cal. Veh. Code §§ 38750 et seq. (added by SB 1298, Stats. 2012, ch. 570); implementing regulations at 13 CCR §§ 227.00–227.54 (Testing) and §§ 228.00–228.28 (Deployment).
Who is protected: California motorists and pedestrians sharing roads with AVs
Who must comply: AV manufacturers, testers, and deployment operators on California public roads
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | California |
|---|---|
| Level | State |
| Status | In effect |
| Protection strength | Limited protection |
| Effective date | 2013-01-01 |
| Enacted | 2012-09-25 |
| Citation | Cal. Veh. Code §§ 38750 et seq. |
| Enforced by | California Department of Motor Vehicles; California Public Utilities Commission (passenger service) |
| Private right of action | No — agency enforcement only |
| Penalties | Permit suspension/revocation; civil penalties; CPUC enforcement for passenger AVs |
| Topics | government use of AI · consumer protection · automated decision-making |
| Last verified | 2026-06-17 |
| Official source | California Legislative Information: SB 1298 (2011–2012) ↗ |
More AI rules in California
- CA EO N-6-26 (AI Workforce) · In effect
- California AB 489 (AI healthcare chatbot misrepresentation ban) · In effect
- X.AI v. Bonta (AB 2013 training-data disclosure) · Blocked / in litigation
- CA AB 856 (2015 drone trespass) · In effect
- California Bot Disclosure Act (bots must self-identify in sales/election messaging) · In effect
- California AB 302 (state must inventory its high-risk automated decision systems) · In effect
Related government use of AI rules elsewhere
- WA SB 5982 (Data Center / Clean Energy) · In effect
- Arkansas public entity AI/ADS policy mandate (Act 848, 2025) · In effect
- One-year moratorium on data center development (Inver Grove Heights MN) · In effect
- FERC order directing PJM and other grid operators to reform · Enacted (not yet in effect)
- San Marcos citywide data center ban (Land Use Matrix amendme · In effect
- Washington County (MD) 12-month data center moratorium · Enacted (not yet in effect)
See something wrong or out of date? Submit a correction — every entry must carry a verifiable official source.