13 Cal. Code Regs. § 227.26: Vehicles Excluded from Testing and Deployment
[in effect]California · operational restriction · operational restriction
Jurisdiction
California
Classification
operational restriction
Status
in effect
Effective Date
Apr 2, 2018
Primary Sources
3 audited
Statutory Scope & Summary
Governs vehicles excluded from autonomous-vehicle testing and deployment. As amended (effective April 28, 2026, OAL File 2025-0415-04), removes California's prohibition on operating autonomous vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,001 pounds or greater, creating a regulatory path for heavy-duty/commercial AV testing and deployment, while continuing to exclude household movers, transport of passengers, oversize loads, hazardous materials, and bulk liquids requiring a tank endorsement. Part of California's broader autonomous-vehicle framework (see california-av-regulations, the comprehensive DMV plus CPUC entity).
Covered Sectors & Application Domains
Regulatory Analysis & Inquiries
6 entriesWhat does 13 Cal. Code Regs. § 227.26: Vehicles Excluded from Testing and Deployment cover?
Governs vehicles excluded from autonomous-vehicle testing and deployment. As amended (effective April 28, 2026, OAL File 2025-0415-04), removes California's prohibition on operating autonomous vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,001 pounds or greater, creating a regulatory path for heavy-duty/commercial AV testing and deployment, while continuing to exclude household movers, transport of passengers, oversize loads, hazardous materials, and bulk liquids requiring a tank endorsement. Part of California's broader autonomous-vehicle framework (see california-av-regulations, the comprehensive DMV plus CPUC entity).
Where does 13 Cal. Code Regs. § 227.26: Vehicles Excluded from Testing and Deployment apply?
13 Cal. Code Regs. § 227.26: Vehicles Excluded from Testing and Deployment is recorded as a operational_restriction applying in California on the DEPLOY registry.
When did 13 Cal. Code Regs. § 227.26: Vehicles Excluded from Testing and Deployment take effect?
13 Cal. Code Regs. § 227.26: Vehicles Excluded from Testing and Deployment is recorded as effective April 2, 2018 on the DEPLOY registry.
Is 13 Cal. Code Regs. § 227.26: Vehicles Excluded from Testing and Deployment still in effect?
13 Cal. Code Regs. § 227.26: Vehicles Excluded from Testing and Deployment is currently in effect and applies to covered operators in the named jurisdiction.
What types of robots does 13 Cal. Code Regs. § 227.26: Vehicles Excluded from Testing and Deployment apply to?
13 Cal. Code Regs. § 227.26: Vehicles Excluded from Testing and Deployment is recorded as applying to autonomous vehicles on the DEPLOY registry.
Which robot models on the DEPLOY registry fall under 13 Cal. Code Regs. § 227.26: Vehicles Excluded from Testing and Deployment?
8 robot models on the DEPLOY registry match the form-factor scope of 13 Cal. Code Regs. § 227.26: Vehicles Excluded from Testing and Deployment: Apollo RT6, Argo AI Self-Driving System, Aurora, Aurora Driver and 4 others. Form-factor scope match does not by itself establish compliance status; review the underlying primary sources for each operator.
Primary Sources & Legal Instruments
3 documents- OAL Notice Register 2025 No. 17-Z (Apr 25, 2025): DMV Autonomous Vehicles, Notice of Proposed Action (OAL File Z2025-0415-04): Informative Digest describing removal of the 10,001-lb prohibition (§ 227.26)Official Source
https://oal.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/166/2025/04/2025-Notice-Register-No.-17-Z-April-25-2025.pdf
- California DMV adopted regulatory text: 13 CCR Article 3.7 (Testing of Autonomous Vehicles), OAL File 2025-0415-04, effective April 28, 2026Official Source
https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/file/adopted-regulatory-text-article-3-7-2025-0415-04-pdf
- Cornell LII: 13 CCR § 227.26 (section number/title verification; shows pre-amendment text)Official Source
https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/california/13-CCR-227.26