NY AV testing pilot
New York Autonomous Vehicle Testing Pilot Program (Vehicle and Traffic Law § 1226)
New York · Part FF, Ch. 55, Laws of 2017 (uncodified session law)
- Status
- In effect
- Took effect
- April 20, 2017
- Applies to
- AV manufacturers and testers operating on New York public roads
- Enforced by
- New York Department of Motor Vehicles; New York State Police
New York requires AV operators to obtain DMV pilot-program authorization, maintain a licensed human safety driver behind the wheel, post a $5 million insurance bond, and coordinate with State Police for each test deployment. New York remains one of the most restrictive states — fully driverless operation is not authorized as of 2026.
Who is protected: New York motorists and pedestrians; AV operations limited to supervised testing
Legal detail
N.Y. Veh. & Traf. Law § 1226 (originally a budget-bill rider, Part FF of Ch. 55 of the Laws of 2017); reauthorized annually; DMV implementing requirements include State Police escort.
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | New York |
|---|---|
| Level | State |
| Strength | Limited |
| Enacted | April 20, 2017 |
| Citation | Part FF, Ch. 55, Laws of 2017 (uncodified session law) |
| Private right of action | No, agency enforcement only |
| Penalties | Pilot-program suspension; traffic and motor-vehicle code penalties |
| Topics | government use of AI · consumer protection · automated decision-making |
| Agency page | NY DMV — Autonomous Vehicle Technology Testing |
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