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Regulation · Other

Florida autonomous vehicle law (Fla. Stat. 316.85; CS/HB 311 of 2019)

Florida's autonomous-vehicle framework, one of the most permissive in the US. It began with CS/HB 1207 (2012, ch. 2012-111) authorizing AV testing/operation by a licensed operator, was amended by a 2016 transportation omnibus (HB 7027), and was substantially expanded by CS/HB 311 (2019, ch. 2019-101): a fully autonomous vehicle may operate with NO human operator present and NO special state permit, with the automated driving system deemed the operator, plus on-demand-AV-network insurance rules and a legislative intent of statewide uniformity that preempts local AV bans. Codified at Fla. Stat. 316.85, 316.86, and 319.145, with definitions at 316.003(3). TRUCK SCOPE: the definitions are class-agnostic ('any vehicle equipped with an automated driving system'), with no weight cap or commercial-vehicle exclusion, and the 2016 amendment opened the door to truck platooning, so the law applies to both passenger AVs (robotaxis) AND autonomous trucks. Waymo launched public robotaxi service in Miami in January 2026 under this no-permit framework.

Jurisdiction: United States/Florida · Effective 2012-07-01

Machine-readable surfaces

Sources (12)

  1. https://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0300-0399%2F0316%2FSections%2F0316.85.html
  2. https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2024/316.003
  3. https://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0300-0399/0319/Sections/0319.145.html
  4. https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2019/311
  5. https://www.flhouse.gov/Sections/bills/billsdetail.aspx?billid=48460
  6. https://www.floridabar.org/the-florida-bar-journal/navigating-the-road-ahead-floridas-autonomous-vehicle-statute-and-its-effect-on-liability/
  7. https://www.phelps.com/a/web/6rLYXJMb3axzKRFn2GR53m/ta-vol-38-n3-2019-dahdah-av-laws.pdf
  8. https://law.justia.com/codes/florida/2019/title-xxiii/chapter-316/section-316-85/
  9. https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/22/waymo-continues-robotaxi-ramp-up-with-miami-service-now-open-to-public/
  10. https://www.cnbc.com/2026/01/22/waymo-launches-robotaxi-service-in-miami-extending-us-lead.html
  11. https://www.cnbc.com/2025/11/18/waymo-texas-florida-2026.html
  12. https://www.ncsl.org/transportation/autonomous-vehicles-legislation-database

Status history

  • In effect · 2019-07-01 · editor:DEPLOY content-agent (Sprint 5b-2 robotaxi-state laws)

    CS/HB 311 (2019, ch. 2019-101) expansion: fully autonomous operation with NO human operator and NO special permit; ADS deemed the operator; statewide uniformity preempts local bans. Basis for Waymo's Jan 2026 Miami robotaxi launch.

  • In effect · 2012-07-01 · editor:DEPLOY content-agent (Sprint 5b-2 robotaxi-state laws)

    Florida AV testing/operation authorized by CS/HB 1207 (2012, ch. 2012-111); amended by the 2016 transportation omnibus (HB 7027).

Common questions

What does Florida autonomous vehicle law (Fla. Stat. 316.85; CS/HB 311 of 2019) cover?
Florida's autonomous-vehicle framework, one of the most permissive in the US. It began with CS/HB 1207 (2012, ch. 2012-111) authorizing AV testing/operation by a licensed operator, was amended by a 2016 transportation omnibus (HB 7027), and was substantially expanded by CS/HB 311 (2019, ch. 2019-101): a fully autonomous vehicle may operate with NO human operator present and NO special state permit, with the automated driving system deemed the operator, plus on-demand-AV-network insurance rules and a legislative intent of statewide uniformity that preempts local AV bans. Codified at Fla. Stat. 316.85, 316.86, and 319.145, with definitions at 316.003(3). TRUCK SCOPE: the definitions are class-agnostic ('any vehicle equipped with an automated driving system'), with no weight cap or commercial-vehicle exclusion, and the 2016 amendment opened the door to truck platooning, so the law applies to both passenger AVs (robotaxis) AND autonomous trucks. Waymo launched public robotaxi service in Miami in January 2026 under this no-permit framework.
Where does Florida autonomous vehicle law (Fla. Stat. 316.85; CS/HB 311 of 2019) apply?
Florida autonomous vehicle law (Fla. Stat. 316.85; CS/HB 311 of 2019) is recorded as a other applying in Florida on the DEPLOY registry.
When did Florida autonomous vehicle law (Fla. Stat. 316.85; CS/HB 311 of 2019) take effect?
Florida autonomous vehicle law (Fla. Stat. 316.85; CS/HB 311 of 2019) is recorded as effective July 1, 2012 on the DEPLOY registry.
Is Florida autonomous vehicle law (Fla. Stat. 316.85; CS/HB 311 of 2019) still in effect?
Florida autonomous vehicle law (Fla. Stat. 316.85; CS/HB 311 of 2019) is currently in effect and applies to covered operators in the named jurisdiction.
What types of robots does Florida autonomous vehicle law (Fla. Stat. 316.85; CS/HB 311 of 2019) apply to?
Florida autonomous vehicle law (Fla. Stat. 316.85; CS/HB 311 of 2019) is recorded as applying to autonomous vehicles, truck on the DEPLOY registry.
Methodology: Verified · 12 sources (no primary) · last reviewed 2026-05-31

Verification posture

Verified

Medium confidence

Review state

Stable

Last reviewed 2026-05-31

Architectural position

Cohort: av

Sources by quality tier

9
unclassified
Unclassified source
2
secondary-established-publication
Established publication
1
secondary-industry-publication
Industry publication

The framework is documented at /methodology. Corrections at /corrections. Reviewer: DEPLOY editorial team.

Methodology surface for Florida autonomous vehicle law (Fla. Stat. 316.85; CS/HB 311 of 2019).

Canonical ID f54aa868-9a55-49d7-a002-7123187b3472