Every operator taking public riders in San Francisco.
Waymo
Public riders
Public
App
Waymo app
Who can ride
Open to the public. Riders must be 18 or older.
Hours
24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Driverless?
Driverless: no one in the driver’s seat. Waymo says some San Francisco residents have ridden fully autonomously since late 2022.
Service area
San Francisco
Airport
San José Mineta International (SJC): yes (since November 12, 2025). Terminal A pickups at Stop 9 and Terminal B pickups outside the Rental Car Center; drop-offs curbside at Departures.
Airport
San Francisco International (SFO): reported paused. Waymo opened SFO pickups and drop-offs, for a limited number of riders at first, on January 29, 2026. The San Francisco Chronicle reported on July 22, 2026 that access was effectively paused, and no resumption is confirmed.
Launched here
June 25, 2024, open to everyone
Announced
August 14, 2026: The CPUC approved an expanded Waymo deployment across the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles; Waymo says the expansion will be gradual, and no dates are set.
Tesla Robotaxi
Public riders
Safety driver
Driverless?
Supervised: a safety driver sits behind the wheel. Tesla lists the Bay Area as 'Safety Driver' and runs it under a California charter-party (limousine) permit, TCP0046782-A.
Airport
San Francisco International (SFO): yes (since July 21, 2026). With a human driver: SFO told the San Francisco Chronicle that Tesla operates there under a limousine permit and has no authorization for autonomous operation.
Zoox
Public riders
Public waitlist, free
App
Zoox app
Who can ride
Public waitlist: riders are invited off it. Zoox invites riders off the waitlist into its 'Zoox Explorers' early-rider program, and rides are free.
Driverless?
Driverless: no one in the driver’s seat
Service area
SoMa, Mission and Design District
Area note
At launch the area covered most of these three neighborhoods.
March 23, 2026: Zoox said its San Francisco area would quadruple, adding the Marina, North Beach, Chinatown, Pacific Heights and the Embarcadero.
Employee-only rides
Riders are limited to company employees and their friends and family; members of the public cannot book these.
Nuro
Employees only
Select Uber employees only, with a safety operator behind the wheel
Other cities and towns covered in the San Francisco area
Daly CityWaymo
BrisbaneWaymo
South San FranciscoWaymo
San BrunoWaymo
MillbraeWaymo
BurlingameWaymo
San MateoWaymo
Foster CityWaymo
BelmontWaymo
Redwood CityWaymo
AthertonWaymo
Menlo ParkWaymo
Palo AltoWaymo
Mountain ViewWaymo
Los AltosWaymo
SunnyvaleWaymo
San JoseWaymo
CampbellWaymo
Frequently asked questions
Can you ride a robotaxi in San Francisco?
Yes. Three operators take public riders in San Francisco: Waymo (open to the public; book in the Waymo app), Tesla Robotaxi (safety driver) and Zoox (public waitlist: riders are invited off it; book in the Zoox app). Employee-only rides: Nuro (select Uber employees only, with a safety operator behind the wheel).
Which app do you use to ride a robotaxi in San Francisco?
Waymo: the Waymo app. Zoox: the Zoox app.
Are the robotaxis in San Francisco driverless?
Waymo: driverless, with no one in the driver’s seat. Tesla Robotaxi: supervised, with a safety driver behind the wheel. Zoox: driverless, with no one in the driver’s seat.
When do robotaxis run in San Francisco?
Waymo: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Can you take a robotaxi to the airport in San Francisco?
Waymo at San José Mineta International (SJC): yes (since November 12, 2025). Terminal A pickups at Stop 9 and Terminal B pickups outside the Rental Car Center; drop-offs curbside at Departures. Waymo at San Francisco International (SFO): reported paused. Waymo opened SFO pickups and drop-offs, for a limited number of riders at first, on January 29, 2026. The San Francisco Chronicle reported on July 22, 2026 that access was effectively paused, and no resumption is confirmed. Tesla Robotaxi at San Francisco International (SFO): yes (since July 21, 2026). With a human driver: SFO told the San Francisco Chronicle that Tesla operates there under a limousine permit and has no authorization for autonomous operation.
Where do robotaxis operate in San Francisco?
Waymo: covering San Francisco. Zoox: covering SoMa, Mission and Design District. Other cities and towns with Waymo service: Daly City, Brisbane, South San Francisco, San Bruno, Millbrae, Burlingame, San Mateo, Foster City, Belmont, Redwood City, Atherton, Menlo Park, Palo Alto, Mountain View, Los Altos, Sunnyvale, San Jose and Campbell.
What's next for robotaxis in San Francisco?
Waymo (announced August 14, 2026): The CPUC approved an expanded Waymo deployment across the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles; Waymo says the expansion will be gradual, and no dates are set. Zoox (announced March 23, 2026): Zoox said its San Francisco area would quadruple, adding the Marina, North Beach, Chinatown, Pacific Heights and the Embarcadero. These are announcements, not launch dates.