Tesla Receives Approval to Begin Autonomous Vehicle Testing in Arizona

Tesla has officially secured approval from the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) to begin testing autonomous vehicles on public roads, marking the second state outside of California and Texas where the company has received approval for its robotaxis.

On Friday, the Arizona DOT confirmed that Tesla has submitted the required self-certification documents outlining its plans to test autonomous vehicles in the state. These tests will be conducted with safety drivers present, ensuring oversight during the early stages of deployment. ADOT’s Motor Vehicle Division acknowledged receipt of Tesla’s submission to Sawyer Merritt on X, clearing the way for on-road validation to begin.

It is important to note this approval does not extend to operating a full transportation network company (TNC) or ridesharing service. Those services would require a separate permit. For now, Tesla’s focus in Arizona will be limited to testing vehicles equipped with Full Self-Driving (FSD) capabilities while human operators remain behind the wheel.

News of Tesla’s approval comes on the same day we reported that Tesla’s robotaxi validation vehicles were spotted in Phoenix. These sightings were a strong indication that Tesla was preparing to launch a test program in Arizona, which is now officially confirmed. Phoenix has long been a hub for autonomous driving research thanks to its favorable weather, road infrastructure, and history of welcoming self-driving companies.

Arizona now joins Nevada as one of the first states to greenlight Tesla’s robotaxi testing. Earlier this year, Nevada officials approved Tesla’s application to operate autonomous vehicles with safety drivers on public roads.