Tesla has officially received approval from the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to begin testing its robotaxis on public roads in the state. The news was confirmed today by longtime Tesla watcher @sawyermerritt, who contacted the DMV directly to check on the automaker’s application status.
According to the Nevada DMV, Tesla’s application for a Testing Registry certification was approved by the Office of Business Licensing on Tuesday. Autonomous plates and the official registry certificate have already been sent back to Tesla. This marks a key milestone in Tesla’s efforts to bring its Robotaxi service to Nevada, a process the company has been in talks with state authorities about since at least July.
The next step before Tesla can officially roll out a commercial robotaxi service in Nevada will be completing the state’s “Self-Certification for Operations” process. This involves meeting the requirements outlined in Chapter 482A and 482B of the Nevada Revised Statutes, which govern autonomous vehicles and alternative electronic transportation systems. Among the requirements are $5 million in insurance, compliance with safety controls, and crash reporting for damages over $750.
One key consideration is that Nevada law requires a human safety operator inside any autonomous vehicle that does not qualify as fully autonomous (Level 4 or 5). Since Tesla’s Robotaxi platform has not yet been certified at that level, it remains unclear whether Tesla will need to have a safety driver behind the wheel, as it currently does in the Bay Area, or if it will be allowed to operate with just a Tesla Safety Monitor in the passenger seat, like in its Austin pilot program.
Tesla’s autonomous ambitions continue to expand across the U.S. The company is reportedly in talks to offer Robotaxi service at major Bay Area airports and was recently spotted testing a Robotaxi validation vehicle in Tempe, Arizona. Elon Musk has also said Tesla plans to phase out human safety drivers by the end of 2025.
With Nevada’s approval now in hand, Tesla is one step closer to making its driverless ride-hailing vision a reality in another state.
