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Legal act · California, United States

California Vehicle Code § 38750 – Autonomous vehicles: definitions, testing and deployment

Legal state as of
Not recorded
Last source check
2026-09-07
Verification scope
The earlier detailed check concerns a previous version of this record. The date shown is recorded in the catalogue; verification of the current record is not documented.

Earlier source check — record changed

Checked 2026-09-07 · record updated 2026-09-07

The source record has changed since this check. These findings refer to the earlier record.

Source check 2026-09-07 (Codex): current official § 38750, particularly subsections (b)-(e), and amendment note. The in-vehicle driver requirement describes the subsection (b) pathway, not a universal prohibition on driverless testing. The current text includes SB 480 effective 1 January 2026. Historical 2012/2013 dates were not reverified in this check.

Changes record updated
Summary
Section 38750 defines autonomous vehicles and operators. Subsection (b) permits a testing pathway with a licensed driver in the driver's seat, monitoring and able to take control. Other operation requires DMV approval under subsection (c); subsections (d)(2) and (e)(2) also address operation without a driver inside the vehicle.
Citation
Cal. Veh. Code § 38750, as amended by Stats. 2025, ch. 415, § 2 (SB 480), effective 1 January 2026.

Review date records the check described above, including its stated limits.

source record

Record provenance
Published source library
Organisation
California State Legislature
Jurisdiction
California, United States
Publication date
2012-09-25
Legal status
In force
Effective from
2013-01-01
Summary
Section 38750 defines autonomous vehicles and operators. Subsection (b) permits a testing pathway with a licensed driver in the driver's seat, monitoring and able to take control. Other operation requires DMV approval under subsection (c); subsections (d)(2) and (e)(2) also address operation without a driver inside the vehicle.
Význam
The section is the statutory anchor of the California safety-driver and testing-permit roles and the legal basis of the DMV regulations on autonomous-vehicle testing and deployment in title 13 of the California Code of Regulations.
Citation
Cal. Veh. Code § 38750, as amended by Stats. 2025, ch. 415, § 2 (SB 480), effective 1 January 2026.
Recorded review date
2026-09-07
Official source
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=VEH&sectionNum=38750

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Slovenský glossary

California Vehicle Code § 38750

English glossary

California Vehicle Code § 38750