Autonomous Vehicle Testing and Operation Requirements

An autonomous vehicle may not be tested or operated on a highway in Nevada unless it is capable of operating in compliance with all applicable motor vehicle and traffic laws, it has been granted an exemption by the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), and it meets the following requirements:

  • It is equipped with an easily accessible way for the driver to engage or disengage the autonomous driving system;
  • It contains an indicator inside of the vehicle that notifies the driver when the autonomous driving system is engaged;
  • It has a means to alert the driver to take manual control of the vehicle should the autonomous driving system fail; and
  • If operated without the direct control of the driver, it is capable of reaching a reasonably safe state as determined by the DMV, such as bringing the vehicle to a complete stop, in the event that the automated driving system fails.
Autonomous vehicles are motor vehicles equipped with an automated driving system that is designed to function at a 3, 4, or 5 level of driving automation, as defined by SAE J3016.

(Reference Nevada Revised Statutes 482A.025 through 482A.080 and 482A.100)

Jurisdiction: Nevada

Type: Laws and Regulations

Enacted: May 31, 2017

Technologies: Connected and Autonomous Vehicles

See all Nevada Laws and Incentives.