Nevada permits up to 7,000 autonomous taxis in Clark County
Tesla received most of the approved capacity, while airport service still requires separate county clearance
Nevada regulators approved commercial autonomous-vehicle network permits that allow Tesla, Waymo and Aviari to carry paying passengers in fully autonomous vehicles across Clark County, subject to operating limits and regulatory conditions. The Nevada Transportation Authority’s unanimous Aug. 20 decision authorized a combined maximum fleet of 7,000 vehicles during the first year of the permits.
The official approval set a ceiling of 5,000 vehicles for Tesla Robotaxi, 1,000 for Waymo and 1,000 for Aviari. A Nevada Globe report published Oct. 20 described a range of 7,000 to 8,000 vehicles, but the Transportation Authority’s company-by-company limits total 7,000.
The permits cover passenger transportation within Clark County, within each company’s approved operational design domain. Harry Reid International Airport is included in the approved geographic area, although operators must obtain separate permission from the Clark County Department of Aviation before serving the airport.
The companies must submit vehicle-inspection documentation, maintain insurance, provide proposed passenger rates to the authority before offering service and make customer-facing app information available for regulatory review. They must also meet accessibility and nondiscrimination requirements, report crashes and other legally required events, and keep inspection, maintenance and repair records.
Each operator must provide local first responders with a 24-hour emergency contact. Any proposed change to an approved operational design domain, geofence or operating parameters requires advance approval from the authority, which retains jurisdiction over permit compliance. The permits required service to begin within 120 days of issuance, though transportation could not start until all applicable requirements had been met.
The decision represented a substantial increase for Tesla from its earlier temporary authorization. Tesla had sought permission on June 5 for 5,000 autonomous vehicles, but the authority initially limited it to 10 vehicles in an approved Strip corridor, with a 45 mph cap and limits on airport-area pickups.
Tesla’s representatives described the 5,000-vehicle allotment as a ceiling rather than an expected near-term fleet size. They said the company would be satisfied to reach about 2,500 vehicles, or somewhat more, during the following year.
Waymo had tested a small Las Vegas fleet with trained human specialists in the preceding year and applied for its passenger permit in June. The approval came as traditional taxi interests challenged the expansion: the Livery Operators Association and local cab companies argued that large new autonomous fleets could oversaturate commercial transportation and add to congestion, particularly in the Golden Triangle between the airport and Las Vegas Boulevard.
The authority considered the applications under Nevada Revised Statutes Chapter 706B and Nevada Administrative Code Chapter 706B. The agency, a division of the Nevada Department of Business and Industry, said its framework was intended to offer a clear process for innovation while preserving regulatory oversight and public safety.