DEPLOYDatabase

Regulation · Permit

San Francisco Public Works Code Sec. 794: autonomous delivery device permit program

San Francisco established, via Public Works Code Section 794 (Supervisor Norman Yee's 2017 ordinance, SF File No. 170599), a permit program regulating Autonomous Delivery Devices on city sidewalks for research-and-development testing. In addition to standard permitting and safety requirements, the ordinance requires PDDs to offer data-sharing capabilities and includes a public-hearing process for permit approval.

The program limits autonomous robot testing and development to certain parts of the city and requires a human accompaniment able to take control, framed at the time as among the strictest sidewalk-robot regulations in the United States.

Jurisdiction: United States/California/San Francisco · Effective 2018-01-01

Machine-readable surfaces

Sources (3)

  1. CBS — SF Supervisor seeks permit program for delivery robots · https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/sanfrancisco/news/delivery-robot-permit-program-supervisor-norman-yee · 2019-01-01
  2. MRSC — San Francisco Municipal Code Sec. 794 summary · https://mrsc.org/stay-informed/mrsc-insight/september-2021/robot-delivery-devices-coming-soon · 2021-09-02
  3. https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/san_francisco/latest/sf_publicworks/0-0-0-48516

Status history

  • In effect · 2018-01-01 · editor:DEPLOY content-agent (Sprint 1.5b status-event pass)

    San Francisco Public Works Code Sec. 794 (autonomous delivery device permit program); in effect. Baseline status event.

Common questions

What does San Francisco Public Works Code Sec. 794: autonomous delivery device permit program cover?
San Francisco established, via Public Works Code Section 794 (Supervisor Norman Yee's 2017 ordinance, SF File No. 170599), a permit program regulating Autonomous Delivery Devices on city sidewalks for research-and-development testing. In addition to standard permitting and safety requirements, the ordinance requires PDDs to offer data-sharing capabilities and includes a public-hearing process for permit approval. The program limits autonomous robot testing and development to certain parts of the city and requires a human accompaniment able to take control, framed at the time as among the strictest sidewalk-robot regulations in the United States.
Where does San Francisco Public Works Code Sec. 794: autonomous delivery device permit program apply?
San Francisco Public Works Code Sec. 794: autonomous delivery device permit program is recorded as a permitting requirement applying in San Francisco on the DEPLOY registry.
When did San Francisco Public Works Code Sec. 794: autonomous delivery device permit program take effect?
San Francisco Public Works Code Sec. 794: autonomous delivery device permit program is recorded as effective January 1, 2018 on the DEPLOY registry.
Is San Francisco Public Works Code Sec. 794: autonomous delivery device permit program still in effect?
San Francisco Public Works Code Sec. 794: autonomous delivery device permit program is currently in effect and applies to covered operators in the named jurisdiction.
What types of robots does San Francisco Public Works Code Sec. 794: autonomous delivery device permit program apply to?
San Francisco Public Works Code Sec. 794: autonomous delivery device permit program is recorded as applying to sidewalk robots on the DEPLOY registry.
Which robot models on the DEPLOY registry fall under San Francisco Public Works Code Sec. 794: autonomous delivery device permit program?
8 robot models on the DEPLOY registry match the form-factor scope of San Francisco Public Works Code Sec. 794: autonomous delivery device permit program: Also Autonomous Delivery Vehicle, Amazon Scout, Avride delivery robot, Beastro and 4 others. Form-factor scope match does not by itself establish compliance status; review the underlying primary sources for each operator.
Methodology: Verified · 3 sources (no primary) · last reviewed 2026-07-10

Verification posture

Verified

Low confidence

Review state

Stable

Last reviewed 2026-07-10

Architectural position

Cohort: sidewalk

Sources by quality tier

3
unclassified
Unclassified source

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

Methodology surface for San Francisco Public Works Code Sec. 794: autonomous delivery device permit program.

Canonical ID 199e3313-fd6e-4ae5-89d3-88cb5360be08