Tesla Robotaxi Operations Expand in Texas with Limited Unsupervised Vehicles; California Testing Remains Supervised

Tesla has begun limited commercial robotaxi operations in select Texas cities using its Full Self-Driving technology, with some vehicles operating without safety drivers following state-level permitting. In California, Tesla’s robotaxi-related activities remain under supervised testing permits that require a human safety driver.

Current Operations by Region

Texas (Austin, Dallas, Houston): Tesla’s primary robotaxi activity is concentrated here. The company’s robotaxi page states that autonomous rides are currently being offered in these three cities. Texas granted Tesla Robotaxi LLC a TNC permit allowing automated vehicle operations with or without safety drivers. Early operations in Austin started with safety drivers or monitors; subsequent updates indicated a small number of vehicles began running unsupervised for employee trips and limited service. Fleet size for the pilot has been described in reports as small (on the order of dozens of vehicles in the initial Austin program).

California (Bay Area / San Francisco): Tesla Robotaxi LLC appears on the California DMV list of Autonomous Vehicle Testing Permit holders (with a driver), as of May 2026. The company has not obtained driverless testing or deployment permits. Public reporting has described Bay Area activities as supervised FSD operations or “chauffeur” style services with a human in the vehicle. DMV data has shown zero miles of driverless autonomous testing reported by Tesla in California in recent years.

Vehicle Numbers and Safety Driver Status

Exact real-time fleet counts for Tesla’s robotaxi service are not published in detail. Available information points to a limited pilot rather than large-scale deployment:

• Texas operations involve a small number of vehicles in active pilot service across Austin, Dallas and Houston.
• A subset of these have operated without a safety driver or monitor on board in geofenced areas under the Texas permit.
• Most historical and current testing in both Texas and California has included a safety driver or supervisor.
• Broader unsupervised expansion (including purpose-built Cybercab vehicles) is anticipated but depends on additional state approvals and scaling of the dedicated robotaxi fleet.

Regulatory Framework

Regulation of automated vehicles in the US is split between federal and state authorities.

State level: Texas has taken a relatively permissive approach for TNC operators using automated driving systems, issuing Tesla a permit that covers both supervised and unsupervised operation. California maintains a multi-tier permitting system through the DMV (Testing with Driver, Driverless Testing, and Deployment) plus CPUC authority for passenger services. Tesla currently operates under the “with driver” testing tier in California.

Federal level (NHTSA): The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does not issue operating permits for robotaxi services but sets federal motor vehicle safety standards (FMVSS) and oversees safety through reporting and exemptions. Key resources include:

• NHTSA Automated Vehicles for Safety – official federal guidance and resources on ADS.
• Standing General Order on crash reporting for ADS and Level 2 advanced driver assistance systems.
• Automated Vehicle Exemption Program (recently expanded to domestically manufactured vehicles), which provides a pathway for vehicles like the Cybercab that lack traditional manual controls.

NHTSA’s Automated Vehicle Exemption Program now includes domestically produced vehicles, creating a clearer federal pathway for U.S.-built purpose-designed robotaxis that may not meet all traditional FMVSS requirements for manual controls.

— NHTSA Automated Vehicle Exemption Program updates (2025 framework expansion)

Developers must still comply with state permitting for actual public road testing and passenger service deployment.

Current Status and Outlook

Tesla’s robotaxi presence is currently most advanced in Texas under the state’s TNC/AV framework, with limited unsupervised operations in Austin, Dallas and Houston. California activity is more restricted to supervised testing. Broader scaling, including dedicated Cybercab production and wider city launches, will depend on further state approvals and federal exemption processes where applicable. Subscribe to the mailing list for updates.