Autonomous Vehicles

Mission

The Autonomous Vehicles Act of 2012 was amended to establish the Autonomous Vehicles Testing Program Act of 2020 to be administered by the District Department of Transportation (DDOT). This act authorizes and restricts testing under certain conditions, establishes operational standards for autonomous vehicles (AVs), requires an AV testing entity to report certain data and crash information, and to requires DDOT to provide a report with recommendations and a timeline to safely accommodate the full deployment of autonomous vehicles.

A proposed rulemaking by DDOT is being established for an AV testing program in the District of Columbia. This will create a process by which an AV testing entity may apply for a public right-of-way occupancy permit to test AVs in the District of Columbia and establish a framework under which AVs can be tested. Notably, these rules would allow for important safety and operational oversight of AVs in a testing framework. They do not propose full commercial deployment of AVs at this stage.

Procedures & Services

DDOT is the lead agency in regulating autonomous vehicle testing in the District. Proposed rules are currently being finalized.

See Related