Texas SB 2205 — Automated Motor Vehicles
Texas · Tex. Transp. Code §§ 545.451–545.456
Texas's main autonomous-vehicle law explicitly authorizes AVs to operate on Texas roads without a human driver, defines the 'owner' of an automated driving system as the legal operator for liability and traffic enforcement, and preempts local AV bans. It set the framework that later allowed Waymo, Cruise, and Aurora freight to operate in Texas.
Technical detail
Tex. Transp. Code Ch. 545, Subch. J (Automated Motor Vehicles), added by SB 2205, 85th Leg., R.S. (2017); preempts local AV-specific regulation; assigns rule-of-the-road compliance to the ADS.
Who is protected: Texas motorists and pedestrians sharing roads with AVs
Who must comply: Owners and operators of automated driving systems on Texas public roads
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | Texas |
|---|---|
| Level | State |
| Status | In effect |
| Protection strength | Limited protection |
| Effective date | 2017-09-01 |
| Enacted | 2017-06-15 |
| Citation | Tex. Transp. Code §§ 545.451–545.456 |
| Enforced by | Texas Department of Motor Vehicles; Texas Department of Public Safety |
| Private right of action | No — agency enforcement only |
| Penalties | Traffic and motor-vehicle code penalties; civil liability under common law |
| Topics | government use of AI · consumer protection · automated decision-making |
| Last verified | 2026-06-17 |
| Official source | Texas Legislature Online — SB 2205 (85R, 2017) ↗ |
More AI rules in Texas
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- Texas Gov. Abbott data center grid-connection audit freeze · In effect
- Texas SB 6 (Data Center Grid Law) · In effect
- TX HB 912 (2013 drone privacy) · In effect
- TX HB 2700 — AI/Altered CSAM · In effect
- TX SB 1361 — Deepfake Intimate Video · In effect
Related government use of AI rules elsewhere
- CA EO N-6-26 (AI Workforce) · In effect
- 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
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