California close to issuing licenses to self-driving cars

Google’s home state, California will start granting driver’s licenses to driverless cars in September. The DMV will charge $150 a pop for an autonomous car’s driving permit and will allow the self-driving vehicles to cruise public roads as long as the automobile meets the state agency’s strict requirements. California will issue licenses to autonomous vehicles if its test drivers are employed by its manufacturer and have the proper permits and documentation. The car’s driver/passenger must remain behind the wheel at all times and be ready to take over if needed. This doesn’t sound too bad, right? But here comes the boom.

The self-driving car’s manufacturer will also need an insurance policy of at least $5 million. However, if you can afford to build an autonomous car, there’s a good chance that money isn’t that much of an issue. Manufacturers can start applying for licenses as early as July, but they won’t take effect until September 16th. We’re pretty sure that Mountain View’s nearest DMV will most likely be one of the first places to receive an application for one of these special driver’s licenses.

(via IEEE Spectrum)