A Waymo autonomous self-driving car is shown idling in a neighborhood north of downtown off I-45 North near Loop 610 in Houston on Friday, Jan. 2, 2026.
Melissa Phillip/Houston Chronicle
Texas residents can now report safety complaints involving self-driving commercial vehicles to the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles as the technology becomes more common on state roads.
Texas officials have established a system for reporting public safety concerns related to driverless vehicles operated by companies such as Waymo, Tesla, Aurora and Bot Auto.
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Senate Bill 2807, which went into effect last week, expands the state’s oversight of the growing driverless car market while giving Texas residents the opportunity to voice concerns about their safety on a new “Automated Motor Vehicle Lookup” webpage.
The public and law enforcement can also check online to see whether a company has been approved by the state to operate.
From smaller autonomous cars to large trucks, Texas has been a hub for testing and full operations of self-driving vehicle companies.
The technology, however, has been marked by system glitches.
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Waymo recently stalled operations temporarily for its driverless robotaxi service deployed in Houston, Austin, Dallas and San Antonio due to reports of multiple safety hazard issues, including reports of the vehicles driving into and getting stuck in flooded waters or driving directly into traffic. Waymo’s fleet is fully active and has officially expanded its service in Houston.
Here’s what to know about Texas’ new complaint system:
How to file a complaint for a driverless vehicle
On the webpage, people can fill out a complaint form with the company’s name, address, phone number, email and complaint information. Then they will need to fill out the second part with their first and last names, address, phone number and email.
Once completed, they can click the “submit” button to have state officials review it.
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The autonomous vehicle companies with authorizations can be located on the “Find an Operator” page, if needed. On that page, the public can check a company’s complaint history and how many registered vehicles it operates.
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What happens if a driverless vehicle is unsafe?
If Texas transportation officials determine that vehicles are operating unsafely and endangering the public, they will begin the process of suspending, revoking, canceling or restricting the company’s authorization, according to the TxDMV website.
How do driverless companies get authorized by the Texas DMV?
Companies that use automated vehicles to transport passengers or property as part of their business must obtain authorization before operating those vehicles on Texas roads. Privately owned vehicles used for personal purposes do not need authorization.
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To obtain authorization, a company must apply through the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles and certify that its automated vehicles meet state and federal requirements, including compliance with traffic laws, registration and insurance requirements, and certain safety standards.
The company must also provide the Texas Department of Public Safety with a plan explaining how emergency responders should interact with the vehicles.
Once an application is approved, the company can manage its list of active vehicles by adding or removing vehicles covered by the authorization.
The authorization does not expire and remains valid unless state officials revoke it. Companies must notify TxDMV within 30 days of any material changes to the information in their application. There is no fee to obtain authorization.
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