Nevada open roads for Tesla, Waymo and Uber's Aviari for driverless rides in Las Vegas

Friday, Aug. 21, 2026 | 12:54 p.m.

The Nevada Transportation Authority has cleared three autonomous‑vehicle firms to operate driverless rides throughout Clark County, officials announced Friday. Elon Musk’s Tesla Robotaxi, Waymo and Aviari Services—a Carson City‑based subsidiary of Uber—have received permission to provide passenger service in Las Vegas so long as they satisfy conditions set by the authority. “Nevada has established a regulatory model for autonomous conveyance web companies that is intended to supply a wide process for innovation portion maintaining regulatory oversight,” Kristopher Sanchez, manager of the Nevada Department of Business and Industry, said successful a statement. “As autonomous conveyance exertion continues to make and these companies standard up their operations, I enactment the NTA’s committedness to measure the existing regulatory model and marque adjustments erstwhile due to guarantee that the information of the traveling nationalist remains a cardinal consideration.” Under the approval, vehicles from each company may travel on Clark County roads, including routes to Harry Reid International Airport, though each operator must still obtain separate clearance from the Clark County Department of Aviation before entering airport property. Tesla is authorized to deploy as many as 5,000 fully autonomous vehicles during its inaugural year, while Waymo and Aviari are each limited to 1,000 vehicles. The permits carry several obligations: firms must submit vehicle‑inspection records, maintain mandated insurance, file rate schedules with the NTA before launching service, supply customer‑facing app details for regulatory review and adhere to accessibility standards. Permittees also must report crashes and other incidents, keep maintenance and repair logs and operate solely within the NTA’s designated scope. Service must commence within 120 days of permit issuance, although none of the three companies may begin operations until every requirement is satisfied. Waymo conducted a limited trial on Las Vegas streets over the past year, employing trained safety specialists to gather data that has refined its self‑driving system in other markets. The company filed for a passenger licence on June 8. “Las Vegas has a proud, proven past of mounting planetary standards for unforgettable experiences and forward-thinking innovation,” Mayor Shelley Berkley said successful an October statement. “The instauration of Waymo and its autonomous driving exertion is not a subject experiment, but alternatively a proven, safe, caller alternate designed to assistance our residents and the millions of visitors who travel to our metropolis get around—from the Strip and beyond. We are committed to ensuring this exertion is adopted responsibly, and securing Las Vegas’s spot arsenic a person successful the aboriginal of municipality mobility.&rd