CALIFORNIA — The California Department of Motor Vehicles announced new regulations on autonomous vehicles that include a process for police to issue a notice of AV noncompliance directly to a vehicle's manufacturer. The rules will take effect on July 1.

Under the new framework, police can cite autonomous vehicle companies when their vehicles commit moving violations. The rules also require companies to respond to calls from police and other emergency officials within 30 seconds, and they impose penalties if autonomous vehicles enter active emergency zones. The regulations are part of a 2024 law that imposed deeper regulation on autonomous vehicle technology. The DMV called the new rules "the most comprehensive AV regulations in the nation."

"California continues to lead the nation in the development and adoption of AV technology, and these updated regulations further demonstrate the state's commitment to public safety," DMV Director Steve Gordon said.

Driverless cars have become more common in some California cities. Waymo is one of the main operators of fully self-driving robotaxis in the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles County, and several companies, including Tesla, hold permits to test their autonomous vehicles in some California cities.

The new enforcement process follows incidents in which police were unable to take action against driverless vehicles. In September, according to the San Bruno Police Department, officers observed a Waymo autonomous vehicle making an illegal U-turn at a light directly in front of them. Officers stopped the vehicle but could not issue a ticket because there was no driver to give it to. The officers contacted the company about the "glitch."

In December, a sudden blackout in San Francisco left a number of Waymo vehicles stalled in the middle of busy intersections. There were also reports of autonomous vehicles breaking traffic laws during the blackout. San Francisco Fire Department officials have complained that robotaxis have interfered with emergency responses.