DMV to Hold Public Hearing on Light-Duty Autonomous Delivery Vehicles

Contact:  Office of Public Affairs
2415 First Avenue
Sacramento, CA 95818
(916) 657–6437 | dmvpublicaffairs@dmv.ca.gov

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 24, 2019

Sacramento – The California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) will hold a public hearing Thursday, May 30, at its Sacramento headquarters to gather and discuss input on proposed regulations that establish a path for companies to test or deploy light-duty autonomous motor trucks (delivery vehicles) on the state’s public roads.

When:Thursday, May 30, 2019
10 a.m.
WhereDepartment of Motor Vehicles Headquarters
Assembly Room (6th floor)
2415 First Avenue
Sacramento, CA  95818
(Note: Attendees must check in with security and provide identification)

A livestream of the hearing will be available on the DMV’s Facebook page (subject to network connectivity). Public comments cannot be submitted via the livestream.

Those who would like to speak at the hearing will be required to check in at the table outside of the Assembly Room. Written and verbal comments will be accepted at the public hearing.

Under the proposed regulations, companies can test autonomous delivery vehicles weighing less than 10,001 pounds with an approved permit from the DMV – provided they do not charge a delivery fee. Companies must apply for a deployment (public use) permit to make their autonomous technology commercially available. The DMV’s regulations continue to exclude the testing or deployment of autonomous vehicles weighing more than 10,001 pounds.

The proposed regulations were published in the Office of Administrative Law’s California Regulatory Notice Register on April 12, marking the start of a 45-day public comment period that ends May 27. Written comments may be submitted to LADRegulations@dmv.ca.gov during the comment period. The proposed regulations are available on the DMV Autonomous Vehicles webpage.

After the public hearing, the DMV will continue the formal rulemaking process. The department is targeting to finalize the regulations by the end of the year.

Currently, 62 companies have valid permits to test autonomous vehicles with a safety driver on California public roadways. One company has a permit for driverless testing.


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