Waymo gets green light to launch robotaxis in Sacramento and San Diego

Waymo has announced that it received approval from the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to significantly expand its autonomous ride-hailing service across the state. The decision allows the company to offer rides in Sacramento and San Diego for the first time, while also broadening its operational footprint in the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles.

The news was confirmed by Waymo in a post on X, where the company called it "big news for the Golden State." The announcement states that the expansion will be carried out gradually and guided by Waymo's internal safety framework. The company did not provide a specific timeline for when service would begin in the newly approved areas.

As noted by Electrek, the CPUC's approval appears to be tied to a letter Waymo filed in January, requesting approval of a safety plan that would allow operations in the expanded service area it had announced back in November 2025. According to the CPUC's public page, the request had received feedback and was at one point suspended. However, Waymo's public statement suggests those issues have since been resolved, even though the regulator's records have not yet been updated to reflect the final decision.

Engadget has reached out to the CPUC to confirm the specifics of the decision and will update the article if more details emerge.

With the approval, Waymo will be able to operate in 18 counties across northern and southern California. The list includes Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, Sacramento, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, and others, which together cover a large portion of the state's most populous regions. This marks a major step forward for Waymo's expansion strategy, moving the service well beyond its original urban test zones.

The gradual rollout suggests the company intends to carefully manage the introduction of new routes and ensure its safety systems are fully validated in each new environment before scaling up operations. For riders in Sacramento and San Diego, the approval means autonomous taxis are now a realistic near-term option, though the exact launch dates remain to be announced.