Tesla has applied to test and operate autonomous vehicles in Arizona in order to bring its robotaxi services to the Metro Phoenix Area, according to TechCrunch.
Tesla contacted the Motor Vehicle Division (MVD) under the Arizona Department of Transportation on June 26 to begin the certification process, a spokesperson of the state’s department of transportation said.
Tesla, which launched a limited robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, last month, has applied for autonomous vehicle testing, operating with a driver, and testing or operating without a driver. A decision is expected at the end of the month.
This news comes shortly after CEO Elon Musk revealed via X that he has plans to expand its robotaxi services to the San Francisco Bay area within “a month or two,” depending on regulatory approvals. However, it needs to be noted that Texas, Arizona, and California have vastly different regulations, some of which might be a hurdle for the company.
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California has the most regulations — to operate there, Tesla would have to obtain a series of permits from the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). In March, the CPUC gave Tesla the first in a series of approvals required to eventually launch the service.
A California DMV spokesperson told TechCrunch that Tesla has held an autonomous vehicle testing permit for public road testing with a safety driver since 2014. “If Tesla intends to conduct driverless testing or deploy autonomous technology, it must apply for the appropriate permit,” the Californian DMV statement reads. “To date, Tesla has not applied for either a driverless testing or deployment permit.”
The process is less complicated in Arizona, though there are significant steps to complete. Under Arizona statute, autonomous vehicle companies are required to follow a self-certification process for either testing with or without a driver, as outlined on the ADOT website. Aside from that, any company that wants to operate a ride-hailing service, human or robot driven, must apply for a Transportation Network Company permit.
The expansion of autonomous vehicles is considered particularly important for Tesla’s future. The company had faced a number of setbacks due to Musk’s various controversies, as well as his recent falling out with President Donald Trump.
READ: Tesla plans to expand robotaxis to San Francisco within two months (July 10, 2025)
Meanwhile, Alphabet-owned Waymo operates a driverless robotaxi service in about 315 square miles of the Metro Phoenix area which includes downtown, Tempe, Scottsdale, Chandler, parts of Mesa, and trips to and from the Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport. The company also recently launched a program that allows teens to hail robotaxis in Phoenix, with parental permission.
Waymo holds the appropriate AV and TNC permits in Arizona. It also has the required permits to deploy and operate a robotaxi service in Los Angeles and the Bay Area, along with numerous Silicon Valley cities, in California. The company also operates a robotaxi service in partnership with Uber in Austin and Atlanta. It also plans to launch this service in Washington DC by 2026.