California has the strictest permit ladder. Here is the honest ownership picture.
California runs driverless rides in more places than almost anywhere, but on a permit ladder that decides who may charge fares with nobody behind the wheel. If you are thinking about owning one of these cars, this page is the whole picture, including the part where DockDuty has no depot in California and has not promised one.
Why California is different
Two agencies hold the keys: the DMV permits testing and deployment, and the CPUC permits carrying passengers. On the DMV’s deployment list dated November 21, 2025, only Mercedes-Benz, Nuro and Waymo hold deployment permits, and Waymo is the only company with a CPUC driverless deployment permit, the rung that allows fares with nobody behind the wheel.
Tesla Robotaxi LLC holds a DMV testing permit that requires a driver (list dated August 12, 2026), no DMV driverless permit and no CPUC autonomous vehicle permit; its Bay Area service runs on a charter-party carrier permit, the kind a limousine company holds. Because a Cybercab earns on Tesla’s network, that is the line that matters.
California markets, by status
Status from the DockDuty Network table
Los Angeles · Demand open. Waymo runs driverless today.
San Diego · Demand open. Waymo open to riders by invitation since September 1, 2026.
Bay Area · Demand open. Tesla rides run with safety drivers today.
Every US metro with live driverless service is tracked on the free US Robotaxi Map, and state law is compared on robotaxi laws by state.
The honest status: no DockDuty depot in California
Where DockDuty stands
Orlando is our lead market, with its depot targeted for Q4 2026. No depot lease has been executed anywhere. No site is built.
California is not promised. Los Angeles, San Diego and the Bay Area are open for reservations so we can see demand. Where we build next is shaped by demand we can point to, and a California depot would also wait on Tesla driverless permits here.
Also not live, and worth knowing before you weigh anything: no client vehicle is in our care, no client Cybercab is earning anywhere, our own facility insurance is not bound because there is no depot to insure, and Tesla has not opened its network to customer-owned vehicles. The full list is on our About page.
You can reserve from California today
The reservation attaches to the network, not to one city. Reserve a Priority stall and elect your California market in the flow. When DockDuty announces the next depot with capacity for your stall, you have 30 days to tell us in writing whether to onboard there, keep waiting for a depot in your market, or take a refund. If you don’t reply, you’re set to onboard at that depot. $450, fully refundable until your vehicle is onboarded.
What we put in writing
Nobody can honestly tell you what a Cybercab will earn: not us, not anyone, because no privately owned one has completed a paid ride anywhere. So the thing worth comparing between operators is not the upside projection. It is what happens to you if it goes wrong, and whether it is written down before you pay.
Ours is. These are terms of the agreement you sign, not marketing:
- Your $450 deposit is refundable at your request at any time before your vehicle is onboarded, with no reason or documentation required. If DockDuty publicly announces it will not open any depot, or ceases operations, outstanding deposits are refunded automatically within 30 days. The Reservation Agreement (§3) governs. To request a refund, email owners@dockduty.com from the email on file. We initiate the refund within five business days, with a wire or check fallback if your card has closed.
- You keep title. Always. Nothing in the agreement transfers any ownership interest in any vehicle to DockDuty (§4.3).
- Month-to-month, no minimum term, no early-termination penalty (§4.3).
- Hard fee caps: onboarding never above $1,000 per vehicle, intake balance never above $550, and no other mandatory fees (§2.2).
- Charging electricity is included in the retainer, with no markup on energy (§4.1).
- Your ride percentage cannot be raised while a vehicle is enrolled. The retainer moves only by CPI-U, once a year, on 60 days’ notice, never before your first anniversary (§4.1).
- Outside date December 31, 2028, extendable in 12-month increments at your option, not ours. We cannot use it to cancel your position while you elect to extend (§3.3).
- If we are acquired, you can leave: full refund of outstanding deposits within 30 days of notice (§8.4).
Where the money sits: Deposits are held at Mercury in separate, labeled accounts, kept apart from our operating balance. Owners can request a written confirmation letter. (§2.3)
The whole agreement renders in the checkout before the card field, not after.
Check us the same way you would check anyone
We published ten checks to run on a robotaxi depot company as one of the companies being vetted, including the checks we do not pass cleanly. Four of them take about ten minutes and will tell you most of what you need about anyone in this category:
- Find the legal entity in a state registry and confirm the name matches the contract. Ours: Dock Duty LLC, Florida, document no. L26000247958.
- Read the whole governing agreement before you pay, not a summary afterwards.
- Confirm in writing who holds title to the vehicle.
- Find out exactly what happens to your money if the depot never opens: the right, the deadline, and the mechanism.
We would rather you run that on us than take our word for anything on this page.
Frequently asked questions
Are robotaxis legal in California?
Yes, with permits. The DMV permits testing and deployment and the CPUC permits carrying passengers. Waymo is the only company with a CPUC driverless deployment permit. Tesla Robotaxi LLC holds a DMV testing permit that requires a driver, and its Bay Area rides run with safety drivers today.
Does DockDuty have a depot in California?
No, and none is promised. Orlando is our lead market, with its depot targeted for Q4 2026, and no depot lease has been executed anywhere. California markets are open for reservations so we can see demand.
Can I reserve from California before there is a California depot?
Yes. Reserve a Priority stall and elect your California metro in the flow. When DockDuty announces the next depot with capacity for your stall, you have 30 days to tell us in writing whether to onboard there, keep waiting for a depot in your market, or take a refund. The $450 deposit is refundable at will until the vehicle is onboarded.
Is DockDuty affiliated with Tesla?
No. DockDuty is an independent company. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or partnered with Tesla, Inc.; “Tesla” and “Cybercab” are trademarks of Tesla, Inc., used here for descriptive reference only. DockDuty holds no Tesla vehicle allocation, no enrollment right and no commercial agreement of any kind with Tesla, and claims none.
Three metros. No depot promised.
Reserve from any California market today: $450 per stall, fully refundable at will until your vehicle is onboarded, credited in full against the $1,000 onboarding fee. You keep title. Month-to-month. If DockDuty publicly announces it will not open any depot, or ceases operations, deposits are refunded automatically within 30 days.