Teen accounts and age rules
Waymo lets 13 to 17 year olds ride alone on a parent-linked teen account in Metro Phoenix and Nashville, and it is the only robotaxi service with that option. Tesla lets minors ride only with an adult. Zoox opened its public service to adults.
Updated . By the Robotaxi Atlas desk.
Waymo teen accounts
Normally you must be 18 or older to use the Waymo app and ride alone. Teen accounts change that. A parent or guardian links the account to their own, after which a teen aged 13 to 17 can ride without an adult in the car.
Teen accounts launched in Metro Phoenix on Jul 8, 2025, at first for ages 14 to 17, and Waymo's rider rules now cover 13 to 17. In 2025 Waymo cited a 315 sq mi area for teen riders in Phoenix. Nashville got teen accounts on Sep 22, 2026.
Everywhere else Waymo runs, riders must be 18 or older to ride alone and there is no teen option. That includes Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area, Austin, Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Miami and Orlando, as well as the waitlist cities.
Tesla Robotaxi: minors ride with an adult
Tesla's rider rules make 18 the age to book a ride and to ride alone. Riders aged 8 to 17 may travel in a Model Y robotaxi with an adult, never by themselves. The two-seat Cybercab narrows that to 13 to 17, again with an adult, and children under 8 can't ride at all.
The same rules hold in each of Tesla's public markets: Austin, Dallas, Houston, Miami, Orlando and Tampa. Where the law requires a car or booster seat, parents have to bring and install it.
Zoox: adults, with kids alongside a parent
TechCrunch described Zoox's public launch in Las Vegas as open to "any adult." A parent or guardian can bring children along and is responsible for belts and booster seats under the Zoox Rider Manual. Zoox hasn't published a minimum age. Its manual says children 8 and older who are under 4'9" should use a booster, and a high-back booster under 4'1".
What parents should check
Outside Phoenix and Nashville, no robotaxi service lets a teen ride alone. Within those two areas, the teen account must be linked to a parent or guardian.
Younger children riding in a Waymo need a car seat you supply. Kids under 8 need their own seat installed in the back with the LATCH (ISOFIX) anchors and top tethers, Waymo says, and they may not sit in front. Each company's seat rules are on the car seats page.
Questions people ask
Can a 16 year old ride a Waymo alone?
A 16 year old can ride alone in Metro Phoenix and Nashville with a Waymo teen account linked to a parent or guardian. Other Waymo cities require riders to be 18 to ride alone.
When did Waymo teen accounts start?
Waymo launched teen accounts in Metro Phoenix on Jul 8, 2025 and in Nashville on Sep 22, 2026. They cover ages 13 to 17.
Can kids ride in a Tesla Robotaxi?
Ages 8 to 17 can ride in a Tesla Model Y robotaxi with an adult, and ages 13 to 17 in a Cybercab with an adult. Children under 8 can't ride, and nobody under 18 can ride alone.
Is there a minimum age to ride Zoox?
Zoox hasn't published a minimum rider age. Its public service opened to adults, and children may ride with a parent or guardian who handles belts and booster seats.