Waymo robotaxis are set to return to the streets of New York City after a four-year absence. But with a list of caveats longer than a Midtown bagel shop brunch line, Waymo's return isn't something for pedestrians to get nervous about yet.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams [1]announced Friday that the NYC Department of Transportation had granted Waymo the city's first-ever permit to test autonomous vehicles. Note we said test , not operate.

According to the City, Waymo can only operate in parts of Manhattan and downtown Brooklyn, exclusively with a trained driver behind the wheel at all times. Only eight vehicles will be permitted to operate, and even then only from now until late September (with the option to apply for an extension). Waymo will also have to meet regularly with the NYC DoT to report on its operations in the city as well as provide data to confirm the veracity of its compliance claims.

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Most crucially for New York residents hoping to catch a driver-supervised autonomous lift, sorry. Waymo is free to test its autonomy technology in the city, but Taxi and Limousine Commission rules in the city prohibit the use of autonomous vehicles in for-hire services.

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Despite all that, Waymo appeared happy to at least get a few vehicles on the road to test its tech on the crowded streets of the Big Apple.

"We believe it is essential for companies to collaborate directly with cities on the rollout of autonomous technology and are pleased to have reached this next step in New York City," Waymo head of US state and local public policy Annabel Chang said in the company's press release.

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Mayor Adams, likewise, wanted to make clear that the city's claim to have "the nation's strictest AV safety rules" doesn't mean he's not interested in deploying the tech for his constituents.

[6]Tesla Robotaxi videos show Elon's way behind Waymo

[7]Cheap 'n' simple sign trickery will bamboozle self-driving cars, fresh research claims

[8]Tesla FSD ignores school bus lights and hits 'child' dummy in staged demo

[9]Waymo robotaxis set to cruise past red tape into LA and beyond

"We're a tech-friendly administration and we're always looking for innovative ways to safely move our city forward," Adams said in the City's statement. He has previously embraced new technology such as [10]flying taxis and [11]robot police dogs .

"This testing is only the first step in moving our city further into the 21st century," Adams added. "As we continue to implement responsible innovation, we will always prioritize street safety."

Waymo applied for its NYC testing permit [12]in June , and noted at the time that it wouldn't be immediately serving city residents, but that it hoped to eventually. Waymo last deployed vehicles to New York City in 2021, but those drives weren't autonomous; they were being driven around the city by plain old unassisted humans who were gathering data on road conditions and the weather.

Waymo is currently operating passenger services across the San Francisco Bay Area and in Los Angeles, Phoenix, Atlanta, and Austin. Future expansions are planned for [13]Dallas , Miami, and Washington, D.C. in 2026.

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New Yorkers, for the time being, will have to settle for yelling at a Waymo car when it inevitably does something they consider rude. ®

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[1] https://www.nyc.gov/mayors-office/news/2025/08/mayor-adams--dot-announce-approval-of-first-application-to-test-

[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2aKjodgjFu5hWFzbG10l3UQAAAA0&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0

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[6] https://www.theregister.com/2025/06/24/tesla_robotaxi_austin/

[7] https://www.theregister.com/2025/03/07/lowcost_malicious_attacks_on_selfdriving/

[8] https://www.theregister.com/2025/05/30/selfdriving_tesla_accident/

[9] https://www.theregister.com/2024/06/21/waymo_expansion/

[10] https://www.theregister.com/2023/11/14/electric_air_taxi_companies_demonstrate/

[11] https://www.theregister.com/2023/04/12/digidog_returns_nyc/

[12] https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/18/business/waymo-new-york-city

[13] https://www.theregister.com/2025/07/29/waymo_to_expand_dallas/

[14] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33aKjodgjFu5hWFzbG10l3UQAAAA0&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0

[15] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/