Self-driving technology developers Aurora Innovation and Kodiak AI have secured regulatory approval from the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to begin testing autonomous heavy-duty trucks on public roads, marking a significant policy shift for the state. Kodiak has already initiated preliminary operations using a small fleet centered around its Mountain View headquarters.
The permits follow a regulatory update finalized by the California DMV on April 28, which ended a longstanding prohibition against testing driverless commercial vehicles weighing over 10,000 pounds. The revised framework establishes a formal path for tech firms to test and eventually commercialize heavy-duty autonomous fleets across California highways.
Under the state’s guidelines, both companies demonstrated compliance with mandatory standards covering vehicle registration, safety protocols, driver credentials, and insurance coverage. Current operational terms dictate that a licensed human safety driver must remain behind the wheel at all times. Additionally, test vehicles are restricted from traveling on roads with speed limits of 25 mph or lower, except when following direct transit routes to designated facilities.
Despite these regulatory safeguards, the expansion of autonomous trucking faces growing opposition from labor unions and safety advocates. Teamsters California recently filed a lawsuit in Alameda County Superior Court against the DMV, alleging that the agency bypassed state requirements to analyze and disclose the potential economic impacts and safety risks associated with heavy-duty autonomous transport.
For autonomous vehicle manufacturers based in California, the updated rules represent a critical milestone, allowing them to advance real-world testing within their primary operational base.
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