Aurora Innovation and Kodiak AI Secured Permits for Self-Driving Truck Testing in California

Aurora Innovation and Kodiak AI have obtained permits from the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to test their self-driving truck technologies on public roads. Kodiak has already initiated testing with several trucks operating primarily around its Mountain View office.

Both companies applied for the testing permits this spring under new regulations approved by the DMV on April 28, which removed a previous ban on testing driverless vehicles over 10,000 pounds on public roads. These updated rules provide a pathway for companies to test and eventually deploy autonomous heavy-duty vehicles.

According to the DMV, both Kodiak and Aurora fulfilled the permitting requirements, which included criteria related to safety measures, insurance, vehicle registration, and safety driver qualifications. The permits stipulate that a human safety operator must be present behind the wheel during testing and restrict operations on roads where the speed limit is 25 miles per hour or less, unless on a direct route.

Despite these regulations, the expansion of self-driving trucks on California highways has sparked opposition. Teamsters California recently filed a lawsuit against the DMV, claiming that the agency did not comply with laws requiring an economic impact study on allowing self-driving trucks on public roads. The lawsuit, submitted to the Superior Court in Alameda County, also alleges that the DMV neglected to assess potential safety risks to motorists.

The updated rules present an opportunity for autonomous vehicle developers to test their technologies within their home state. Although both Aurora and Kodiak are based in California, they had previously shifted their testing and deployment efforts to Texas, where they launched operations amid California’s restrictions.

Aurora began its self-driving truck service in Texas in May 2025, initiating routes from Dallas to Houston and subsequently adding more routes including Fort Worth to El Paso and between El Paso and Phoenix. Kodiak commenced its commercial driverless truck operations in January 2025 in the Permian Basin, later transitioning to on-highway operations, including a route from Dallas to Houston.