Areas are approximate, traced Oct 13, 2026 from operators' published maps. The app has the exact boundary. The white line is a sample trip on real streets.
Approximate areas. Check the app. © OpenStreetMap
Can I ride a robotaxi in Los Angeles?
Waymo has run public driverless rides here since Nov 12, 2024. It doesn't serve Los Angeles International Airport yet.
- Status
- Driverless
- Operators
- Waymo
- Book in
- Waymo app
- Last checked
Operators in Los Angeles
- DriverlessReported
- Testing
- Testing
Where the cars go
Waymo's Los Angeles map stretches from Santa Monica, Brentwood and Westwood east to Silver Lake, Echo Park and Downtown, then south to Playa del Rey, Westchester, Inglewood and SoFi Stadium. LA Magazine reported more than 120 sq mi of LA County in mid-2025, including the full length of Sunset Blvd and a corridor from Mid-City to Inglewood along La Cienega and La Brea, plus Ladera Heights.
The big gap is Los Angeles International Airport. The LAX operator says it has granted no autonomous vehicle access and has no timeline, and Waymo's city page says it does not serve LAX. One workaround is a Waymo to the LAX/Metro Transit Center, then the free shuttle to the terminals.
What to know in Los Angeles
Freeways have been on and off in LA. Waymo began freeway rides here in Nov 2025, as reported by KQED, then suspended them on May 21, 2026 over construction-zone behavior. On Jul 29, 2026 Waymo said LA would follow Phoenix 'in the coming days'. Reports from Sept 2026 describe freeway rides in LA, but no dated restoration has been published.
Everyone else is still testing. MOIA, Volkswagen's unit, has had about 10 autonomous ID. Buzz vans on LA roads with safety operators since Apr 2026, and it targets paid Uber rides with operators by the end of 2026 and driverless in 2027, pending permits. Zoox lists LA as a testing city, and its Uber partnership targets LA by mid-2027. Waymo Premier, an invite-only $29.99 monthly plan with priority pickups, launched with select riders here. The California rules page covers the permits.
What a ride costs
- WaymoNo published rate for Los Angeles. The app shows the price before you book.
Airport
- LAXLos Angeles International Airport
How to ride in Los Angeles
Waymo
Book in the Waymo app.
Set your pickup and drop-off inside the service area. You see the price before you confirm.
Rules that apply here
- California rules: Under the CPUC, Waymo holds all four autonomous vehicle permits, including Driverless Deployment, which allows fares. Zoox holds only Drivered and Driverless Pilot permits, which don't allow fares. Tesla holds a charter-party carrier permit, not an autonomous vehicle permit. New DMV rules let police issue 'notices of noncompliance' to autonomous vehicles from Jul 1, 2026. (reported)
Timeline
- Waymo confirms it has suspended freeway rides in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix and Miami over construction-zone behavior. Source
- MOIA and Uber began testing autonomous ID. Buzz vans with safety operators in LA. Source
- Zoox and Uber announce a partnership to put Zoox on Uber in Las Vegas in summer 2026 and in Los Angeles by mid-2027. Source
- Waymo One opens to anyone in Los Angeles, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Source
Los Angeles robotaxi questions
Can Waymo pick me up at LAX?
Waymo does not serve Los Angeles International Airport, whose operator says it has granted no autonomous vehicle access. To get close, take a Waymo to the LAX/Metro Transit Center and ride the free shuttle.
Do Waymo rides in Los Angeles use freeways?
Waymo paused LA freeway rides on May 21, 2026 and said on Jul 29, 2026 that LA would follow Phoenix soon. September reports describe LA freeway rides, but no restoration date was published.
Does Waymo go to Santa Monica and SoFi Stadium?
Waymo's Los Angeles map runs from Santa Monica in the west to Inglewood and SoFi Stadium in the south, so both are covered.
When will Zoox come to Uber in Los Angeles?
Zoox and Uber plan to put Zoox robotaxis on the Uber app in Los Angeles by mid-2027. Until then, Zoox is only testing in LA.
What is Waymo Premier in Los Angeles?
Waymo Premier is an invite-only plan at $29.99 a month with priority pickups, Waymo Cash back and free cancellations. It launched with select riders in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Phoenix.
Sources
- Waymo Help Center: Service areas - Waymo Help
- LA Magazine: Waymo Expands LA Robotaxi Service to 120+ Square Miles, Jun 18, 2025
- Electrek: Waymo expands robotaxi coverage more than 20%, May 13, 2026
- Electric Vehicles: Waymo Asks Riders to Lobby Los Angeles Officials for LAX Access, Oct 6, 2026
- TechCrunch: Waymo robotaxis are starting to return to freeways, Jul 29, 2026
- Waymo: Waymo One open to all in Los Angeles, Nov 12, 2024
- TechCrunch: Waymo halts freeway rides after robotaxis struggle in construction zones, May 21, 2026
- The Next Web: Volkswagen's MOIA and Uber begin testing self-driving ID. Buzz minibuses in Los Angeles, Apr 8, 2026
- TechCrunch: Uber is building an autonomous vehicle empire, and here's every company it's using to do it, Aug 1, 2026
- Uber Investor Relations: Zoox and Uber Announce Strategic Partnership, Mar 11, 2026
- Zoox: Where to Ride
- Electrek: Zoox expands robotaxi testing to Phoenix and Dallas as autonomous miles surpass 1 million, Mar 9, 2026
"Reported" means one news report that the operator or a regulator hasn't confirmed yet.
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