Self-Driving Car Laws Around the World: By Country (2026)

As of September 2026, no country lets you buy a car that drives itself everywhere with nobody responsible. What the law allows is narrower. A handful of countries have laws that allow Level 3 "conditional" automation, where the car drives within set conditions and the person in the seat must take back control on request. Some also allow driverless (Level 4) vehicles, but only under a permit, on approved routes or in approved areas.

Tesla's FSD (Supervised) is a Level 2 driver-assistance system everywhere it is offered, so the driver stays legally responsible.

Scope and date: This page compares national laws on automated driving outside the United States, as of 30 September 2026. Status on this subject changes monthly. A cell marked "Not assessed" means we have not verified that country's position against a primary source; it does not mean the country has no law or forbids anything. For US law, see self-driving car laws in the United States. This is general legal information, not legal advice.

Self-driving car laws by country (September 2026)

The table covers the countries where the law or the regulator's own statement could be checked. "Level 3" means conditional automation with a driver ready to take over. "Driverless" means operation with no one in the driver's seat performing the driving task.

For a country-by-country view of where FSD (Supervised) is offered and on what legal basis, see the Tesla FSD legal status tracker.

What the automation levels mean for the driver

The industry scale most laws borrow is the SAE J3016 standard, which runs from Level 0 (no automation) to Level 5 (full automation everywhere). For legal purposes, three steps matter most.

Level 2: the car assists, you drive

A Level 2 system steers, brakes and accelerates, but you must watch the road the whole time. The UK Department for Transport describes these driver control assistance systems as providing "greater support in the driving tasks" while they "do not completely take over control from the driver."

Tesla FSD (Supervised), Autopilot, and most hands-off highway assistants sit here. The Czech transport ministry, recognising FSD (Supervised) in September 2026, put it plainly: the driver must stay focused on driving, supervise the system and be ready to take over immediately. Phone and screen rules for ordinary drivers still apply.

Level 3: the car drives within conditions, you stand by

At Level 3 the system drives on its own within defined conditions, such as a motorway traffic jam, and asks you to take over when those conditions end. The laws written for this level do two things: they let you turn your attention away, and they keep you on the hook to respond.

Germany's StVG section 1a(4) states that the person who activates an automated driving function and uses it to control the vehicle is still the driver, "even if" they do not steer by hand. France's L123-1 requires the driver to stay "constantly" in a state and position to respond to a takeover request.

Level 4: no driver within a defined area

At Level 4 nobody in the vehicle has a driving task, but only inside an approved operating area or route. Japan's National Police Agency describes its Level 4 permit system as covering automated driving "equivalent to SAE Level 4" in a state where there is no driver. Level 4 laws therefore regulate the operator, the route and the remote supervisor, not a driver.

The international layer: UN and EU rules

Vehicle approval and road use are regulated separately. Approval rules decide whether a car or system may be sold; national traffic law decides how it may be used and who is responsible.

UN Regulation 157 (ALKS). This UN regulation covers Automated Lane Keeping Systems, a Level 3 approval route. The UK's Vehicle Certification Agency describes ALKS as technology designed to control the vehicle's lateral and longitudinal movement "for an extended period without further driver command," and says that vehicles approved to R157 with the UK in their operating domain should meet the threshold for listing as self-driving.

UN Regulation 171 (DCAS). This regulation sets general functional requirements for Level 2 driver control assistance systems, including system safety and driver interaction. Great Britain consulted in 2026 on requiring R171 compliance for vehicles fitted with such systems.

The UN regulation for automated driving systems. On 24 June 2026, the UNECE World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations adopted the first global rules for automated driving systems. According to UN News, they require manufacturers to run audited safety management systems, test rigorously, monitor real-world performance, and show that the system performs at least as well as a competent human driver. UN News said the rules were "expected to enter into force in roughly one month". Other reporting gives a later date, so treat the in-force date as unconfirmed until the depositary notice is published.

EU type-approval of driverless vehicles. Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/1426 of 5 August 2022 sets the procedure for EU type-approval of the automated driving system of fully automated vehicles. Germany's KBA describes three use cases: passenger or goods transport within a specified area, transport on a fixed route between fixed start and end points, and automated parking in predefined parking facilities. KBA's page describes these as small-series approvals: for fully automated vehicles of categories M and N, the number of units of a vehicle type registered in the EU each year is limited to 1,500.

National approvals inside the EU. A single country can approve a new technology provisionally, and other member states can recognise that approval one by one, before any EU-wide decision. That is how FSD (Supervised) reached the Netherlands, Denmark, Czechia and several other European countries, and it is why approval in one EU country does not make a system usable in the others.

Germany

Germany has the most developed statute for both Level 3 and Level 4. The Road Traffic Act (StVG) section 1a declares: "Der Betrieb eines Kraftfahrzeugs mittels automatisierter Fahrfunktion ist zulässig, wenn die Funktion bestimmungsgemäß verwendet wird" (operating a vehicle with an automated driving function is permitted when the function is used as intended).

For driverless vehicles, section 1e lets the Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) grant an operating permit (Betriebserlaubnis) on the manufacturer's application, for use in an operating area approved by the competent federal or state authority. The KBA's own page on these national permits describes the application process but does not list any permit granted.

On Tesla, the KBA told a freedom-of-information requester on 8 July 2026 that it was still examining the documents and the national acceptance of the Dutch provisional approval, and could not name a date for a decision.

Details, including liability caps and data recording, are on the Germany self-driving car laws page.

United Kingdom

Great Britain has two statutes, only partly in force. Under the Automated and Electric Vehicles Act 2018, the government keeps a list of vehicles that can safely drive themselves. The government's list page states: "At present, there are no self-driving vehicles listed for use in Great Britain." That page was last updated in April 2022.

The Automated Vehicles Act 2024 is being brought in by stages. Part 5, which creates permits for automated passenger services, came into force on 15 May 2026 (SI 2026/437). Part 4, which restricts marketing terms such as "self-driving" and "driverless," comes into force on 7 January 2027 (SI 2026/731).

The core regime is not yet in force, including section 47, which would stop the "user-in-charge" of a self-driving vehicle from being liable for the manner of driving. The Department for Transport says it is implementing the Act "in 2027." For more, see the UK self-driving car laws page.

France

France built Level 3 into its road code in 2021. Under Code de la route L123-1, in force since 16 April 2021, the driver is not criminally responsible for offences resulting from a manoeuvre of a vehicle whose driving functions are delegated to an automated system, while that system has dynamic control. Liability returns once the driver takes back control, if the driver fails to take over after the system's request, or if the driver ignores police instructions or priority emergency vehicles.

The other side of that rule is L123-2, amended with effect from 11 July 2025 by Law 2025-622. During periods when the automated system controls the vehicle within its conditions of use, the manufacturer or its representative is criminally responsible for offences of unintentional harm to life or physical integrity, including road homicide and road injury offences, where fault is established.

For driverless services, the Code des transports (articles R3151-1 onward) regulates "automated road transport systems" deployed on predefined routes or zones. The service organiser decides on entry into service based on the design file and the opinions of approved qualified bodies.

Japan

Japan regulates Level 3 and Level 4 in its Road Traffic Act. Article 71-4-2 forbids a driver from using an automated operation device when its conditions of use are not met; within those conditions, the driver may look at a screen only while able to notice at once that the conditions have ended and take over. These provisions took effect in April 2020. On 11 November 2020 the transport ministry (MLIT) granted what it called the world's first type designation for a vehicle with an automated operation device, the Honda Legend.

Since April 2023, Level 4 driverless operation has needed a permit under article 75-12 from the public safety commission of the prefecture where it will run. The first permit was dated 11 May 2023, for a service in Eiheiji Town, Fukui Prefecture.

South Korea

South Korea's Autonomous Vehicles Act (current version in force 18 June 2026) lets the transport ministry designate pilot operation zones. Article 9 allows autonomous vehicles to carry passengers for payment inside a designated pilot zone, as an exception to the Passenger Transport Act, with a permit.

For cars on sale, the vehicle safety rule (article 111) classifies automated driving systems into partial, conditionally full and full systems, and article 111-3 sets a safety standard for partial automated driving systems in passenger cars. A partial system drives within designated conditions but requires the driver to intervene when needed.

China

China has no single national self-driving statute yet. On 25 August 2026 a draft revision of the Road Traffic Safety Law was submitted to the NPC Standing Committee for first review, with a new chapter of special provisions on autonomous vehicles. Under the draft, when a traffic violation occurs with the autonomous function active, the manufacturer or importer would answer for it. This is a draft, not law.

On 15 December 2025, state news agency Xinhua reported that the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology had approved two Level 3 conditional automated driving products, from Changan and BAIC's Arcfox, for single-lane automated driving on named expressways and urban expressways in Chongqing and Beijing, operated by designated operators.

Cities write their own rules. Shenzhen's regulation, as amended with effect from 1 July 2026, makes the driver liable for accidents when a conditionally automated vehicle is running with its system active, and the owner or manager liable for highly or fully automated vehicles. Separately, the national standard GB 47955-2026 for combined driver assistance (Level 2) takes effect on 1 January 2027 and assumes the driver continuously watches traffic and controls the car.

Other countries with automated driving rules

Switzerland. Since 1 March 2025, three uses are possible: a motorway pilot, driverless vehicles on approved routes supervised by a remote operator, and automated parking. The federal roads office (ASTRA) states that no automated vehicle is yet approved for Swiss roads.

Canada. Vehicle safety is federal; driving rules are provincial. Since 5 April 2024, British Columbia's Motor Vehicle Act has prohibited driving, or permitting the driving of, a Level 3, 4 or 5 automated vehicle unless a pilot or future regulation allows it. Penalties run from $368 and 3 points up to $2,000 and six months in jail. Ontario's automated vehicle pilot, which allows testing of driverless vehicles under conditions, has been extended until 13 October 2027.

Dubai. Dubai Law No. 9 of 2023 provides that "No Autonomous Vehicle may travel on a Road unless it is licensed by the RTA," excludes ordinary driver-assistance systems from the definition, and makes the operator liable for damage the vehicle causes. Dubai's RTA began a commercial autonomous taxi rollout of 100 vehicles on 30 March 2026.

Hong Kong. A regulatory framework for autonomous vehicles took effect on 1 March 2024. As of March 2026 the Transport Department had issued six pilot licences covering 62 vehicles at six locations, and a trained backup operator must be able to control the vehicle when necessary.

Netherlands and Spain. Dutch law requires a ministerial permit for road experiments where the driver is not in the vehicle (Wegenverkeerswet art. 149aa). Spain's traffic authority runs a framework programme (ES-AV, June 2025) for authorising and supervising road tests of automated and remotely driven vehicles.

Australia and New Zealand. Not assessed on this page. Check the position with the relevant state, territory or national road authority.

Tesla FSD (Supervised) in Europe

The Dutch vehicle authority RDW granted Tesla's FSD (Supervised) a type approval with provisional validity on 10 April 2026. RDW's own page says the approval "is currently valid only in the Netherlands," that the driver "remains responsible," and that hands need not be on the wheel but must be able to take over immediately.

Other countries have since recognised it nationally. Denmark's road traffic authority accepted the Dutch approval on 9 June 2026, noting that if the European Commission rejects the system, the Dutch provisional approval becomes invalid after six months. Czechia's transport ministry recognised it on 21 September 2026 under Article 39 of Regulation (EU) 2018/858, saying it was joining the Netherlands and five other European states that had done so.

Sweden's Transport Agency says general activation for consumers "is not yet permitted" and that the driver bears legal responsibility. It has allowed Tesla limited tests with trained test drivers on selected routes.

An EU-wide approval needs a vote of member states in the responsible committee. Press reports say the committee's 6 October 2026 meeting lists the item for discussion only, with a vote no earlier than December 2026. The FSD tracker follows each country.

Who is liable when a self-driving car crashes?

The answer depends on the automation level and the country.

Level 2. Every regulator decision cited on this page keeps the driver responsible.

Level 3. Several laws shift some responsibility while the system drives. France exempts the driver from criminal liability for offences from the system's manoeuvres while it drives, and can make the manufacturer criminally liable for resulting deaths or injuries where fault is established. Shenzhen keeps civil liability with the driver.

Level 4. Liability generally attaches to the operator or owner. Dubai's law makes the operator liable, and Shenzhen names the owner or manager.

Ordinary insurance and product liability rules continue to apply alongside these. For how this works in the US, see who is liable in a self-driving car accident and Tesla Autopilot and FSD lawsuits.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which countries allow Level 3 self-driving cars?

Germany (StVG section 1a), France (Code de la route L123-1) and Japan (Road Traffic Act article 71-4-2) have statutes that allow Level 3 automated driving within the system's conditions of use. South Korea has a vehicle safety standard for partial automated driving systems (Korea's term for systems that drive within set conditions and ask the driver to intervene, comparable to Level 3), and China approved its first two Level 3 products for pilot use on named roads in December 2025. In each case the person in the driver's seat must take back control when the system asks.

Where are fully driverless cars legal?

No country allows driverless cars everywhere. Driverless (Level 4) operation is allowed under a permit in specific areas or routes, for example in Japan (public safety commission permits since April 2023), Germany (KBA operating permits for approved operating areas), Dubai (RTA licences) and Chinese cities under local rules. Since 15 May 2026, Great Britain has had permits for automated passenger services, which lift taxi, private hire and bus licensing for passenger services in self-driving or trial vehicles; its regime for authorising vehicles to drive themselves is not yet in force.

Is Tesla FSD legal in Europe?

As of September 2026 there is no EU-wide approval. The Dutch authority RDW gave FSD (Supervised) a provisional national type approval on 10 April 2026, and Denmark and Czechia have recognised it; the Czech ministry said it was joining the Netherlands and five other European states. Sweden says consumer activation is not yet permitted and Germany's KBA was still examining it in July 2026. The driver remains responsible wherever it is used.

Is Tesla FSD a self-driving car under the law?

No. The regulators that have approved or recognised FSD (Supervised) in the decisions cited here treat it as a driver-assistance system: the driver must supervise it and stay ready to take over immediately, and remains legally responsible.

Can I sleep or use my phone in a self-driving car?

Not in a Level 2 car, where ordinary driving rules apply. Level 3 laws such as Germany's and Japan's let the driver turn attention away only while the system operates within its conditions, and the driver must stay able to take over at once when asked. Sleeping is incompatible with that duty.

Is there a global law for self-driving cars?

The UNECE World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations adopted the first global rules for automated driving systems on 24 June 2026. They are vehicle approval rules, not traffic laws, and each country still decides how automated vehicles may be used on its roads. The date they take effect has not been confirmed.

Are self-driving cars banned anywhere?

British Columbia, Canada, prohibits driving or permitting the driving of a Level 3, 4 or 5 automated vehicle since 5 April 2024, unless a pilot project or future regulation allows it. Most other places regulate rather than ban, allowing automated driving only within approved conditions or under a permit.