California’s SB 1246 authorizes courts to impose a civil penalty of up to $10,000 per covered commercial autonomous vehicle when specified emergency or law-enforcement interference lasts more than 30 minutes after an emergency response official requests a local incident technician. The penalty is a maximum, not an automatic ticket. The law’s new provisions take effect July 1, 2028.
When can a robotaxi operator face a penalty?
SB 1246, Chapter 1021, was approved September 30, 2026. Under its terms, a court may impose a civil penalty of up to $10,000 per commercial autonomous vehicle for obstruction or other interference with an emergency event, emergency operation, or law-enforcement operation lasting more than 30 minutes. The 30-minute clock begins when an emergency response official requests a local incident technician—not simply when a vehicle first stops or blocks a road. The enacted bill describes a civil penalty a court may impose, not a fixed fine issued automatically.
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In deciding the amount, a court may consider the violation’s severity and duration, its consequences, how it interfered with emergency response or public safety, whether it was repeated, and relevant mitigating or aggravating circumstances.
What is the separate technician-dispatch penalty?
The statute also authorizes a civil penalty of up to $5,000 for each violation of Section 38801, which covers local incident technician dispatch and related responses. This is distinct from the up-to-$10,000-per-vehicle penalty tied to prolonged interference with emergency or law-enforcement operations. Specified civil actions may be brought by local city attorneys or county counsel.
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What must manufacturers do during an emergency?
Dispatch a local incident technician
Manufacturers must ensure a local incident technician is immediately dispatched after notice of specified crashes, immobilizations, obstructions, roadway hazards, or a request from an emergency response official or 911 dispatch center. A technician can coordinate on the manufacturer’s behalf and manually move or tow a vehicle. The DMV must adopt reasonable technician response-time guidelines by July 1, 2028. The statute does not set one statewide arrival-time limit; the guidelines must account for factors such as geography, incident type and severity, road and traffic conditions, fleet concentration, and public-safety needs.
Respond to fleetwide emergencies
If a fleetwide emergency or system failure may create a traffic hazard or impede emergency response, manufacturers must immediately notify affected jurisdictions about the fleet’s location and status. They must deploy technicians where appropriate when vehicles cannot be recovered remotely.
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Follow emergency geofencing directions
Officials may send emergency geofencing messages directing a fleet to leave or avoid an area. Manufacturers must direct the fleet to comply within two minutes. This direction is separate from sending a technician to a vehicle at an incident.
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How do remote operators and emergency communications fit in?
SB 1246 distinguishes a remote driver from a remote assistant. A remote driver performs real-time parts of the driving task, such as steering or braking. A remote assistant may offer advice or revised goals but does not remotely drive. Remote drivers must be in the United States and hold a California-valid license of the appropriate class, including any required endorsements.
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Manufacturers must maintain emergency communications and the capacity for concurrent remote assistance or teleoperations sessions. Emergency lines and in-vehicle two-way communication must provide access to a remote human operator within 30 seconds. The statute also requires manufacturers to keep quarterly records, while the DMV must publish quarterly summary statistics.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Who and what does the law cover?
The law’s obligations apply through its defined manufacturer and vehicle categories; the rule is not limited to a named robotaxi company. TechCrunch’s October 1, 2026 report names Waymo, Tesla, and Zoox, and says Waymo and Zoox stated they would comply. It also reports that Tesla has described remote operators able to take direct control of its robotaxis. Those company details are attributed to the report, not additional requirements or findings in the statute.
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TechCrunch describes the legislation as following incidents in which robotaxis broke down, disrupted traffic, entered crime scenes, or impeded responders. It does not provide an incident count or rate, so the examples do not establish how frequently such events occur. The report also gives estimates of about 4,000 autonomous vehicles in Waymo’s U.S. commercial fleet and about 1,200 in the San Francisco Bay Area; these are reported fleet figures, not numbers stated in SB 1246. TechCrunch’s report includes the company and incident context.
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