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HF 3810

Natural person required to be present when a commercial motor vehicle is operated by an automated driving system, and criminal penalties established.

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by David Gottfried and 8 co-sponsors

Minnesota bill requires a person present in autonomous commercial vehicles while operating and establishes criminal penalties for violations of this requirement.

Authors added Mekeland and Rehrauer
#motorvehicles #transportationandtransportationdepartment
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WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · HF 3810

Legislative bill overview

HF 3810 requires a natural person to be physically present in a commercial motor vehicle whenever an automated driving system operates the vehicle, and establishes criminal penalties for violations. The bill applies to commercial vehicles using autonomous or semi-autonomous driving technology on Minnesota roads.

Why is this important

As autonomous vehicle technology advances, states are establishing legal frameworks to govern their deployment. This bill directly addresses liability, safety oversight, and operational control during the transition period when human operators may still be necessary. The outcome could influence how quickly autonomous trucking and commercial vehicle services can expand in Minnesota while affecting liability chains and workforce requirements.

Potential points of contention

  • Operational feasibility: Requiring constant human presence may undermine the primary economic advantage of autonomous vehicles (eliminating driver costs and fatigue-related delays), potentially making the technology uncompetitive or limiting deployment to specific routes
  • Liability and definition clarity: The bill doesn't clearly define what "present" means (actively monitoring? capable of intervention?) or how criminal liability is assigned between the vehicle owner, operator, manufacturer, or software provider
  • Technology pace vs. regulation: Criminal penalties may be premature given that Level 4-5 autonomous vehicle technology is still being tested; overly restrictive rules could push companies and testing to other states with more favorable frameworks

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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