Florida Self-Driving Car Laws: Robotaxis and Insurance (2026)

Yes, Florida law expressly allows a fully autonomous vehicle to operate with no human on board and no licensed driver, and it requires no state permit to do so. The vehicle must meet the equipment rules in section 319.145 of the Florida Statutes, and a driverless car that gives rides through an app must carry at least $1 million in liability insurance and personal injury protection, plus uninsured motorist coverage unless the named insured rejects it in writing.

Are self-driving cars legal in Florida?

Yes, for vehicles that meet the statute's conditions. Section 316.85 of the Florida Statutes states that "a fully autonomous vehicle may operate in this state regardless of whether a human operator is physically present in the vehicle." A separate subsection adds that, "notwithstanding any other law, a licensed human operator is not required to operate a fully autonomous vehicle."

Florida's approach is permissive. Neither section 316.85 nor section 319.145 requires a company or an owner to obtain a state permit to test or deploy an autonomous vehicle, and neither sets up an application, a fee or a state approval for driverless service. The conditions are written into the statutes themselves.

What counts as a self-driving car under Florida law

The definitions in section 316.003 control:

• An automated driving system is the hardware and software "collectively capable of performing the entire dynamic driving task of an autonomous vehicle on a sustained basis," even if it works only within a limited operating area.
• An autonomous vehicle is any vehicle equipped with an automated driving system.
• A fully autonomous vehicle is a vehicle with an automated driving system "designed to function without a human operator."

The distinction matters. The no-driver and no-license rules in section 316.85 are written for fully autonomous vehicles. An autonomous vehicle that is not fully autonomous, such as a system designed to hand control back to a person, must have a way to alert a licensed human operator physically present in the car when the system fails.

A driver-assist feature that needs a person watching the road and ready to take over at any moment is not performing the entire driving task, so it does not appear to meet the definition of an automated driving system at all. The person at the wheel of such a car is driving it. The levels of driving automation guide explains the difference between driver assistance and true self-driving.

Requirements a self-driving car must meet in Florida

Under section 319.145, an autonomous vehicle registered in Florida must:

1. When federal law requires it, be certified under federal regulations (49 C.F.R. part 567) as complying with applicable federal motor vehicle safety standards, and bear the required certification label, including a reference to any federal exemption.
2. Be capable of being operated in compliance with Florida's traffic and motor vehicle laws, whether or not the automated driving system is engaged.

The fallback rules depend on the type of vehicle:

The statute defines a minimal risk condition as "a reasonably safe state, such as bringing the vehicle to a complete stop and activating the vehicle's hazard lamps." Section 319.145 also provides that federal regulations adopted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration supersede it where the two conflict. See federal self-driving car laws for the national layer.

Remote operation (teleoperation)

Section 316.85(5) allows an autonomous vehicle or fully autonomous vehicle equipped with a teleoperation system to operate "without a human operator physically present in the vehicle when the teleoperation system is engaged." Such a vehicle must still meet section 319.145.

Florida's definition sets two conditions on the remote human operator: that person "must be physically present in the United States and be licensed to operate a motor vehicle by a United States jurisdiction." A remote operator may supervise the vehicle, perform some or all of the driving, or bring it to a minimal risk condition.

Who is the "operator" of a self-driving car in Florida?

Section 316.85(3)(a) provides that, "for purposes of this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires, the automated driving system, when engaged, shall be deemed to be the operator of an autonomous vehicle, regardless of whether a person is physically present in the vehicle."

"This chapter" is Chapter 316, the Florida Uniform Traffic Control Law. The rule tells courts and police whose conduct to measure when the car is driving itself: the system's. Section 316.85(3)(b) adds that, unless otherwise provided by law, Florida traffic laws may not be read to prevent the system from being deemed the operator, or to require a licensed human operator for a fully autonomous vehicle.

The rule has limits worth knowing:

• It does not allocate civil liability. It is a traffic-law rule. Who pays for injuries in a crash is still decided by negligence, product liability and insurance law. See who is liable in a self-driving car accident.
• It does not make a passenger the operator. It makes the system the operator, whether or not anyone is aboard.
• It is qualified. It applies "unless the context otherwise requires," and only while the system is engaged. Once a person takes over, ordinary rules apply to that person.

Can a driverless car get a ticket in Florida?

Florida's autonomous vehicle statutes do not say. Section 316.85 deems the driving system the operator for the traffic chapter, but it does not name a person or company to receive a citation when an engaged system commits a violation, and it creates no special notice or citation procedure for driverless vehicles. Sections 319.145 and 627.749 are silent on the question too.

One general rule does not depend on who was driving: a red-light camera violation notice goes to the vehicle's registered owner under section 316.0083.

That is different from states that answer it directly. Texas, for example, directs that the citation be issued to the vehicle's owner or to the company holding a state authorization. The page can a self-driving car get a ticket compares the approaches.

Silence is not the same as immunity. The statute does not say a driverless vehicle cannot be cited, and Florida law still requires every autonomous vehicle to be capable of obeying traffic laws.

Robotaxi rules in Florida

Florida calls a robotaxi service an on-demand autonomous vehicle network: a passenger transportation network that uses an app or other digital means to connect passengers to fully autonomous vehicles, alone or alongside other vehicles, including for hire.

Under section 316.85(4), such a network "shall operate pursuant to state laws governing the operation of transportation network companies," the rideshare law in section 627.748. Any provision of that law that "reasonably applies only to a human driver" does not apply to a fully autonomous vehicle logged on to the network with its system engaged. The rideshare law's zero-tolerance drug and alcohol policy, for example, is framed around a driver's conduct.

Three consequences follow from the rideshare law:

• Statewide rules only. Section 627.748(17) says rideshare companies and their vehicles are "governed exclusively by state law," and bars local governments from imposing taxes, licenses or operating requirements on them. Airports and seaports may charge reasonable pickup fees and designate pickup areas.
• No state operating permit. Section 627.748 does not require the rideshare company itself to obtain a state permit or license, unlike Texas, which requires both a rideshare permit and a driverless authorization.
• A conditional liability shield. Section 627.748(18) protects a rideshare company from vicarious liability only if there is no negligence under that section or criminal wrongdoing on its part, it has met its obligations under the section, and it "is not the owner or bailee of the motor vehicle" that caused the harm. By its terms, a network that owns or is bailee of the driverless vehicle involved does not meet that last condition.

Insurance requirements for self-driving cars in Florida

Section 627.749 applies to a fully autonomous vehicle with its automated driving system engaged "while logged on to an on-demand autonomous vehicle network or engaged in a prearranged ride." That vehicle must be covered by an automobile insurance policy that provides:

The coverage may come from the vehicle owner's policy, the network's policy, or a combination of the two.

One detail sets the robotaxi rule apart from the rule for human rideshare drivers: the $1 million minimum applies both while the vehicle is logged on and waiting and during a ride. A human rideshare driver who is logged on but has not accepted a ride needs lower limits under section 627.748(7) ($50,000 per person, $100,000 per incident and $25,000 for property damage) and moves to $1 million only during a prearranged ride.

What PIP pays. Florida's standard PIP benefit under section 627.736 is $10,000 in medical and disability benefits and $5,000 in death benefits, and it can reach passengers and pedestrians struck by the vehicle. Medical benefits depend on receiving initial care within 14 days after the crash.

The uninsured motorist caveat. Section 627.749 requires uninsured motorist coverage "as required by s. 627.727." That section lets a named insured reject the coverage, or choose lower limits, in writing on an approved form. So the $1 million figure is a floor for liability coverage, not a promise that the robotaxi's policy includes uninsured motorist benefits at any particular amount.

A self-driving car that is not logged on to a ride network, such as a privately owned vehicle, falls under Florida's general motor vehicle insurance rules. Section 627.749 adds no special amount for it. For a comparison of how other states handle this, see self-driving car insurance.

Can Miami or other Florida cities regulate self-driving cars?

Not with their own rules. Section 316.85(6) states the Legislature's intent "to provide for uniformity of laws governing autonomous vehicles throughout the state." A local government "may not impose any tax, fee, for-hire vehicle requirement, or other requirement on automated driving systems or autonomous vehicles or on a person who operates an autonomous vehicle," including a person providing passenger transportation.

The exception is narrow. An airport or seaport may charge reasonable fees, consistent with those it charges companies providing similar services, and may designate locations for staging, pickup and similar operations. A city cannot impose its own permit, fee or operating rules on robotaxis, but the airport can tell them where to pick up passengers.

Manufacturer protection when a car is converted to self-driving

Florida gives original manufacturers a specific defense. Under section 316.86, when a third party converts a vehicle into an autonomous vehicle, the original manufacturer "is not liable in, and shall have a defense to and be dismissed from," a lawsuit by an injured person over a defect caused by the conversion or by equipment the converter installed.

The shield has one exception: it does not apply if the alleged defect "was present in the vehicle as originally manufactured." It also protects only the original manufacturer. It does not protect the company that did the conversion or the company that built the driving system. Those parties can still face product liability claims under ordinary Florida law.

Other Florida traffic rules adjusted for driverless vehicles

Several traffic rules were written with a person behind the wheel in mind, and Florida carved out vehicles with the automated driving system engaged:

• Leaving a vehicle unattended. The rule requiring a driver to stop the engine, lock the ignition and remove the key before leaving a vehicle unattended "does not apply to a fully autonomous vehicle operating with the automated driving system engaged" (section 316.1975).
• Video screens. Florida bars moving video visible from the driver's seat while a vehicle is in motion "unless the vehicle is being operated with the automated driving system engaged" (section 316.303). This exception covers any vehicle with an engaged automated driving system, not only fully autonomous ones.
• Crash information and reporting. Some post-crash duties do not apply to a driverless vehicle when the owner reports the crash to police, as explained below.

A vehicle running under an engaged teleoperation system is treated as fully autonomous for these same provisions.

Driverless trucks in Florida

Florida's autonomous vehicle definitions cover "any vehicle equipped with an automated driving system," and section 316.85 does not limit driverless operation to passenger cars. The autonomous vehicle sections do not create a separate state approval for driverless trucks. Federal motor carrier rules sit on top of state law for commercial trucks. The autonomous truck laws page covers them, and a crash with a large commercial vehicle is covered under truck accident law.

Can you get a DUI in a self-driving car in Florida?

Florida's statutes do not expressly decide it. Florida's DUI law, section 316.193, applies to a person "driving or in actual physical control of a vehicle" while impaired or over the legal limit. Chapter 316 defines an "operator" as a person in actual physical control of a motor vehicle, and section 316.85 deems the engaged system the operator, which points away from treating a rider as in actual physical control. But the DUI statute does not mention autonomous vehicles, and no Florida statute expressly says whether a person riding in an engaged fully autonomous vehicle is in "actual physical control" of it.

The practical line is clearer for cars that are not fully autonomous. If you are behind the wheel of a car with a driver-assist system that you must supervise, you are the driver, and Florida DUI law applies to you. Riding as a passenger in a driverless robotaxi with no controls to take over is a different situation, but the statute does not settle it. See DUI in a self-driving car and Florida DUI laws.

What to do after a crash with a self-driving car in Florida

Florida's post-crash rules apply to you as in any collision, but a driverless vehicle has exemptions that change what you can expect at the scene. The duty to give name, address and registration and to render aid (section 316.062), the duty after hitting an unattended vehicle (section 316.063), and the duty to notify police of a reportable crash (section 316.065) do not apply to a fully autonomous vehicle with its system engaged if "the vehicle owner, or a person on behalf of the vehicle owner, promptly contacts a law enforcement agency to report the crash" or if the vehicle can alert police to the crash itself.

In other words, nobody may step out of the robotaxi to hand you insurance information. Plan for that:

1. Stop and check for injuries. Your own duty to stop and remain at the scene still applies. Call 911 if anyone is hurt.
2. Call police yourself. Do not assume the robotaxi company has reported the crash. Florida requires a driver to notify police immediately of a crash involving injury, death, or apparent property damage of at least $500, rising to $2,000 on October 1, 2026 under chapter 2026-39, Laws of Florida. An officer who investigates a crash involving death, injury or complaints of pain, a DUI, leaving the scene of a crash that damaged an attended vehicle or property, a vehicle disabled so that a wrecker had to remove it, or a commercial vehicle must complete a long-form crash report.
3. Record the vehicle. Photograph the car, its plate, its markings and any fleet or vehicle number, and note the time and location. Ask the officer for the owner's information and insurer.
4. Get medical care within 14 days. Florida PIP medical benefits depend on initial treatment within 14 days after the crash.
5. Preserve the evidence. Driverless vehicles collect camera and sensor data. A lawyer can send a preservation letter early. See do robotaxis record you and Waymo robotaxi accidents for how claims against a robotaxi company typically work.

Deadlines and fault rules

Under section 95.11, an action founded on negligence must generally be filed within two years, and a wrongful-death action within two years. An action for injury founded on the design, manufacture, distribution or sale of personal property, which covers many product claims, has a four-year limit. The two-year negligence period applies to causes of action that accrued after March 24, 2023, when chapter 2023-15 took effect; older claims fall under the prior law.

Florida also changed its fault rule in chapter 2023-15. Under section 768.81(6), in a negligence action "any party found to be greater than 50 percent at fault for his or her own harm may not recover any damages." The statute defines a negligence action to include strict liability and products liability claims, so the bar can apply to a claim against a vehicle manufacturer too. The change applies to cases filed after March 24, 2023.

For the rest of the claim process, see Florida car accident laws, Florida statutes of limitations and wrongful death. Claims involving Tesla's driver-assist systems are covered in Tesla Autopilot and FSD lawsuits.

Where robotaxis operate in Florida (as of September 2026)

As of September 2026, Waymo's website lists Miami, Orlando and Tampa among the cities where it is "serving riders," and its help center says it is gradually adding riders in Tampa. Because Florida issues no state permit for driverless service, there is no state list of approved operators to check. Service areas change often, so confirm current coverage on the operator's own site.

Recent changes to Florida's self-driving car law

Florida's core autonomous vehicle sections have been stable for years. Section 316.85 and section 319.145 were last amended in 2019 by chapter 2019-101, the same law that created the robotaxi insurance rule in section 627.749. Section 627.749 was last amended in 2024 (chapter 2024-3). No 2026 law amended these sections.

The one 2026 change that touches self-driving car crashes is general: chapter 2026-39 raised the property damage amount that triggers the duty to notify police of a crash from $500 to $2,000, effective October 1, 2026.

How Florida compares with other states

Florida pairs a broad grant of permission with almost no state gatekeeping: no testing permit, no deployment permit, no license requirement and a flat bar on local rules. What it adds is a high insurance floor for ride networks and a handful of traffic-law adjustments. It leaves open questions that some states have answered, most visibly who receives a traffic ticket.

The self-driving car laws by state hub compares every state. Neighboring profiles include Georgia, Texas and Arizona.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it legal to ride in a driverless car in Florida?

Yes, if the vehicle meets Florida law. Section 316.85 of the Florida Statutes says a fully autonomous vehicle may operate in Florida regardless of whether a human operator is physically present, and that a licensed human operator is not required. A vehicle giving rides through an app must carry at least $1 million in primary liability coverage plus PIP, and uninsured motorist coverage as required by section 627.727, which a named insured may reject in writing (section 627.749).

Do you need a driver's license to use a self-driving car in Florida?

Not for a fully autonomous vehicle. Section 316.85(1) says a licensed human operator is not required to operate one. The exemption does not cover a car that expects a person to take over: an autonomous vehicle that is not fully autonomous must be able to alert a licensed human operator physically present in the vehicle, and a car with a driver-assist system still needs a licensed driver at the wheel.

Does Florida require a permit for self-driving cars?

No state permit is required to test or deploy them. Florida instead writes the conditions into the statutes: a registered autonomous vehicle must meet federal safety certification when federal law requires it, be able to obey Florida traffic laws, and, if its system fails, either reach a minimal risk condition or, for a vehicle that is not fully autonomous, alert a licensed human operator on board to take control (section 319.145).

Who gets the ticket if a Waymo breaks a traffic law in Florida?

Florida's autonomous vehicle statutes do not say. Section 316.85 deems the engaged driving system the operator for Florida's traffic chapter, but it does not name a person or company to receive a citation and creates no notice procedure for driverless vehicles.

How much insurance does a robotaxi need in Florida?

At least $1 million in primary liability coverage for death, bodily injury and property damage, plus PIP benefits meeting Florida's minimums and uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage as required by section 627.727. The requirement applies while the vehicle is logged on to the network or on a prearranged ride, and the owner, the network or both may carry it. Section 627.727 lets a named insured reject uninsured motorist coverage in writing.

Can Miami ban Waymo or other robotaxis?

Not through local rules. Section 316.85(6) bars local governments from imposing any tax, fee, for-hire vehicle requirement or other requirement on autonomous vehicles or the people who operate them. Airports and seaports may still charge reasonable fees and designate pickup and staging locations.

Is Tesla Full Self-Driving legal in Florida?

Florida law does not name any product. Its self-driving rules apply to vehicles with an automated driving system capable of performing the entire driving task. A driver-assist system that requires a person to supervise it and be ready to take over does not appear to meet that definition, so the person at the wheel remains the driver, subject to all ordinary traffic and DUI laws.

Who is at fault if a self-driving car hits me in Florida?

The operator rule in section 316.85 is a traffic-law rule and does not decide civil liability. Fault is decided under Florida negligence and product liability law. Under section 768.81, as amended in 2023, a person found more than 50 percent at fault for their own harm recovers nothing in a case filed after March 24, 2023.

How long do I have to sue after a self-driving car crash in Florida?

Generally two years for negligence and two years for wrongful death under section 95.11, for claims that accrued after March 24, 2023. Injury claims founded on the design or manufacture of a product have a four-year limit. Deadlines can vary by claim, so confirm yours early.