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PR26-0104 • 2025

Autonomous Vehicle Testing Permit Requirement Congressional Review Emergency Declaration Resolution of 2025

Autonomous Vehicle Testing Permit Requirement Congressional Review Emergency Declaration Resolution of 2025

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Allen
Last action
2025-03-14
Official status
Approved
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details on how DDOT will manage permits or what happens if a company fails to comply with notification requirements.

Emergency Rules for Self-Driving Car Tests

This law requires companies testing self-driving cars in the District of Columbia to get special permits from DDOT and notify them before they can continue testing.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires companies testing autonomous vehicles (AVs) on District roads to apply for a permit from DDOT.
  • Allows AV companies to test without a permit until DDOT makes the application process available, but requires them to notify DDOT about their tests during this period.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Companies that test self-driving cars on District roads
  • The District Department of Transportation

Terms To Know

Autonomous Vehicle (AV)
A car or vehicle that can drive itself without a human driver.
District Department of Transportation (DDOT)
The city agency responsible for managing transportation in the District of Columbia.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This law only applies to testing self-driving cars on roads within the District of Columbia.
  • It does not specify what happens if a company fails to get or notify DDOT about their tests.
  • The exact details of how permits will be issued and managed are not provided in this summary.

Bill History

  1. 2025-03-14 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Resolution R26-0042, Effective from Mar 04, 2025 Published in DC Register Vol 72 and Page 002663

  2. 2025-03-04 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Retained by the Council

  3. 2025-03-04 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Legislative Meeting

  4. 2025-03-04 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Approved with Resolution Number R26-0042

  5. 2025-03-03 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    PR26-0104 Introduced by Councilmember Allen at Office of the Secretary

Official Summary Text

Autonomous Vehicle Testing Permit Requirement Congressional Review Emergency Declaration Resolution of 2025

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
ENROLLED ORIGINAL

1

A RESOLUTION

26-42

IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

March 4, 2025

To declare the existence of an emergency, due to congressional review, with respect to the need
to amend the Autonomous Vehicle Act of 2012 to prohibit driverless testing of
autonomous vehicles (“AV”) on District roadways without an AV testing permit, and to
require any person or entity testing AVs with a test operator before an AV testing permit
becomes available to provide notice to the District Department of Transportation.

RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this
resolution may be cited as the “Autonomous Vehicle Testing Permit Requirement Congressional
Review Emergency Declaration Resolution of 2025”.

Sec. 2. (a) The Autonomous Vehicle Testing Program Amendment Act of 2020, effective
December 23, 2020 (D.C. Law 23-156; 67 DCR 13048), allowed autonomous vehicle (“AV”)
companies to test AVs on District roadways without an AV testing permit until the District
Department of Transportation (“DDOT”) makes the permit application available, after which the
AV company must apply for an AV testing permit or cease testing.
(b) To maintain interim requirements with which AV testing companies must comply as
DDOT finalizes its rulemaking on the AV testing, the Council passed the Autonomous Vehicle
Testing Permit Requirement Second Emergency Amendment Act of 2024, effective December
24, 2024 (D.C. Act 25-674; 72 DCR 14) (“emergency legislation”). The emergency legislation is
set to expire on March 24, 2025. The Council also passed the Autonomous Vehicle Testing
Permit Requirement Second Temporary Amendment Act of 2024, enacted on January 15, 2025
(D.C. Act 25-708; 72 DCR 832) (“temporary legislation”). The projected law date for the
temporary legislation is March 27, 2025.
(c) The Public Life and Activity Zones Amendment (“PLAZA”) Act of 2024, effective
January 24, 2025 (D.C. Act 25-715; 72 DCR 1085) (“permanent law”), incorporates and makes
permanent provisions from the emergency and temporary legislation. The projected law date for
the permanent law is also March 27, 2025.
(d) Without the provisions of the emergency legislation, temporary legislation, or
permanent law in place, DDOT cannot conduct proper oversight over AV operations in the
District, presenting safety challenges for all roadway users.
ENROLLED ORIGINAL

2

(e) This congressional review emergency legislation is necessary to prevent a gap in the
law between the expiration emergency legislation and the effective date of the temporary
legislation and permanent law.

Sec. 3. The Council of the District of Columbia finds that the circumstances enumerated
in section 2 constitute emergency circumstances making it necessary that the Autonomous
Vehicle Testing Permit Requirement Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2025
be adopted after a single reading.

Sec. 4. This resolution shall take effect immediately.