California’s SB 1246 was signed into law on September 30, 2026, according to the Office of Senator Dave Cortese. The announcement says local penalties will apply when an autonomous vehicle blocks first-responder operations during an emergency for more than 30 minutes. It does not specify a fine amount; the provisions are to apply by July 1, 2028.
What SB 1246 says about penalties
The measure concerns an autonomous vehicle (AV) obstructing first-responder operations during an emergency for more than 30 minutes. The sponsor’s announcement describes the consequence as “local penalties,” not one statewide fine amount. It does not explain how individual localities will set or administer those penalties.
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The scope matters: the announcement does not say that every traffic obstruction, disabled vehicle, or delay automatically triggers a penalty. Its description is limited to an AV blocking first-responder operations during an emergency beyond the stated time threshold.
When the provision takes effect
The Office of Senator Dave Cortese says the SB 1246 provisions are to apply by July 1, 2028. The governor’s signing of the bill was announced September 30, 2026. The 2028 date is distinct from California DMV requirements announced for 2026.
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How this differs from California DMV rules
The DMV’s April 28, 2026 summary describes a separate regulatory framework for AV companies. Its clocks and enforcement tools address calls, traffic violations, and emergency-zone directives; they are not the same as SB 1246’s more-than-30-minute obstruction trigger.
| Rule | Trigger or requirement | Timing | Authority and consequence |
|---|---|---|---|
| SB 1246 | An AV blocks first-responder operations during an emergency | More than 30 minutes; provisions to apply by July 1, 2028 | Local penalties, according to the senator’s office announcement; no dollar amount is stated there |
| DMV AV regulations | AV company response to first-responder calls | Respond within 30 seconds | DMV regulations; its summary says violations of restrictions may lead to permit restrictions or suspension, depending on circumstances |
| DMV AV regulations | Electronic direction to leave an identified active emergency area | Fleet must leave within two minutes of receiving the geofencing message | DMV regulations; additional AVs may not enter the designated area |
| AB 1777 requirements summarized by DMV | Two-way communication device for driverless vehicles without an in-vehicle human operator | Beginning July 1, 2026 | DMV framework; the agency’s summary also describes notices of AV noncompliance for alleged traffic violations, subject to necessary regulations |
The DMV also says law enforcement can cite AV companies for moving violations committed by their vehicles. These rules provide mechanisms for responding to incidents and enforcing traffic restrictions, while SB 1246 adds the separately described local-penalty threshold for prolonged emergency obstruction. The DMV’s summaries are available at its April 2026 regulation announcement and its AB 1777 summary.
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Why the bill was introduced
In its signing announcement, Senator Dave Cortese’s office cited a December 2025 San Francisco power outage, saying approximately 1,500 Waymo vehicles stalled and responders faced delays of up to 53 minutes while trying to contact AV companies. Those figures are claims in the sponsor’s release, not independently verified findings established by the sources cited here.
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Cortese said: “When an autonomous vehicle crashes, breaks down, blocks a roadway in an emergency, or gets in the way of law enforcement or first responders, there must be clear accountability.”
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What remains unspecified
- The signing announcement does not state a statewide fine or other dollar amount.
- It does not explain how local penalties will be established, administered, or applied in particular cases.
- It describes the trigger as an AV blocking first-responder operations during an emergency for more than 30 minutes; it does not say all AV obstructions qualify.
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