Thursday, Oct 29, 2026

Are self-driving cars operating on streets in Washington state?

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yes

Commercial self-driving cars, like Waymo, are operating on streets in Washington State in test-mode only. Testing occurs primarily in Seattle, Bellevue and Kirkland under strict state rules.

The Washington State Transportation Commission is the lead on autonomous vehicle policy and held a March Work session that prioritized safety, informed regulation and local (city-level) control. 2025’s HB 1984 captures the safety focus.

A 2026 push to move closer to deployment (SB 6243) died in the Senate Transportation Committee. There are no autonomous vehicle bills currently pre-filed for the 2027 session which begins Jan. 11, 2027.

Twenty-five states have legalized commercial autonomous vehicles without human safety drivers.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

Sources

Seattle Department of Transportation Autonomous Vehicle Testing Permit
Washington State Department of Licensing Autonomous Vehicle Report
Washington State Transportation Commission Committee work session
Washington State Legislature House Bill 1984
Washington State Legislature Senate Bill 6243

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Are self-driving cars operating on streets in Washington state?

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