Sidewalk robot laws: every US state and major market
Sidewalk delivery robots are legal under a statewide law in 21 US states plus Washington DC (22 jurisdictions). In the other 29 states there is no personal-delivery-device statute at all: robots there operate under local rules or in a legal gray area, not a statewide framework. Where laws exist, sidewalk speed caps run from 6 mph in Washington to 12 mph in Arizona, Florida, Louisiana, and Pennsylvania, and weight limits from 80 lb to 550 lb. Below is every state, its statute and citation, and the key limits. Each row links to the primary source.
Compiled from primary-source state statutes. How we verify.
No statute is itself the answer
In 29 states there is no statewide personal-delivery-device law at all. Robots may still operate here under a local ordinance or a city permit, but there is no statewide framework defining where they can go, how fast, or how heavy. The absence is the fact, not a gap in the record.
A ward is not a city, and a city is not a state
Illinois has no statewide PDD statute, yet Chicago runs an active city-level PDD pilot under which Coco and Serve keep operating. A ward-level ban exists in Chicago's 1st Ward, but it is not a citywide ban and it does not end the pilot. "Banned in Chicago" is wrong; a single ward restricts, the city permits, the state is silent.
Every state: the sidewalk-robot law matrix
All 50 states plus DC. "PDD statute" means the state has an enacted statewide personal-delivery-device law. The citation is the statute itself; the Source column links the primary source. Cells marked "-" have no value in the source record.
| State | PDD statute | Citation | Sidewalk speed | Weight limit | Where allowed | Preempts local? | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | No | - | - | - | - | - | Source |
| Alaska | No | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Arizona | Yes | ARS §28-913 (Art. 22) | 12 mph | 200 lb | Sidewalks, crosswalks, roads ≤25 mph | Yes (preempts local) | Source |
| Arkansas | Yes | Ark Code §27-51-2103 (Act 926 of 2021) | 10 mph | Not specified | Pedestrian areas; county/muni roads (≤45 mph posted); no interstates/state hwy | Partial (local can regulate for safety) | Source |
| California | No | City-level only: LAMC §71.30, SF PWC §794 | Varies by city | Varies | City permits required | No state preemption | Source |
| Colorado | No | SB 20-092 postponed indefinitely (2020) | - | - | - | - | Source |
| Connecticut | No | - | - | - | - | - | Source |
| Delaware | No | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| District of Columbia | Yes | D.C. Law 22-137 (PDD Act of 2018) | 10 mph | 275 lb | Sidewalks, crosswalks, alleyways only | DDOT permit required | Source |
| Florida | Yes | Fla. Stat. §316.2071 | 12 mph | No weight cap | Sidewalks, crosswalks | Cities can't ban (but can regulate?) | Source |
| Georgia | Yes | OCGA §40-6-320 (HB 986, 2026) | 7 mph (raised from 4 mph) | No weight cap | Sidewalks (48" clear path), highways ≤45 mph (bike lane/shoulder/right side) | Yes (preempts local) | Source |
| Hawaii | No | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Idaho | Yes | Idaho Code §40-2305 | Not specified | Not specified | Sidewalks, crosswalks, sides/berms of highways; no public highway proper | Partial (local can adopt regs consistent w/ state law) | Source |
| Illinois | No | HB 2902 died (session sine die 1/7/2025) | - | - | Chicago runs a city-level PDD pilot (see note) | - | Source |
| Indiana | Yes | IC §9-21-11.5-5 (P.L.15-2021) | 10 mph | Not specified | Sidewalks, crosswalks | State framework | Source |
| Iowa | Yes | Iowa Code Ch. 321O (Acts ch. 119, 2021) | Not specified | 550 lb | Sidewalks, crosswalks, highways | Partial (local can regulate by ordinance) | Source |
| Kansas | No | SB 161 vetoed by Gov. Kelly 4/25/2022 | - | - | - | - | Source |
| Kentucky | No | - | - | - | - | - | Source |
| Louisiana | Yes | SB 130 (2021 Reg. Session) | 12 mph | 550 lb | Pedestrian areas, highways | Partial | Source |
| Maine | No | - | - | - | - | - | Source |
| Maryland | Yes | MD Transp §21-104.3 | 7 mph | 550 lb | Highways, roadways, sidewalks, shoulders, crosswalks, bike paths | State framework; 30-day notice to local gov required | Source |
| Massachusetts | No | - (Boston has local sidewalk robot program) | - | - | - | - | Source |
| Michigan | No | SB 892 passed Senate 2020; SB 538 (2021-22) - neither signed into law | - | - | - | - | Source |
| Minnesota | No | HF 270 / SF 363 introduced, not passed | - | - | - | - | Source |
| Mississippi | No | - | - | - | - | - | Source |
| Missouri | Yes | RSMo §304.900 (SB 176, 2021) | 10 mph | Not specified | Sidewalks, crosswalks, roadways | Partial (local can regulate for safety; can't regulate design/manufacture) | Source |
| Montana | No | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Nebraska | No | - | - | - | - | - | Source |
| Nevada | No | - | - | - | - | - | Source |
| New Hampshire | Yes | RSA §265:163 (HB 116, signed 4/11/2022) | 10 mph | Not specified | Sidewalks, crosswalks, roadways | State framework | Source |
| New Jersey | No | - | - | - | - | - | Source |
| New Mexico | No | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| New York | No | - | - | - | - | - | Source |
| North Carolina | Yes | NCGS §20-175.16 (SB 739 / SL 2020-73) | 10 mph | Not specified | Pedestrian areas, highways ≤35 mph | Partial (local can regulate time/place for first 2 yrs; can't ban) | Source |
| North Dakota | No | - | - | - | - | - | Source |
| Ohio | Yes | ORC §4511.513 | Not specified | 90 lb | Sidewalks, crosswalks | State framework | Source |
| Oklahoma | Yes | 47 OK Stat §1801 | 10 mph | Not specified | Sidewalks, crosswalks, roads, streets | State framework | Source |
| Oregon | No | - | - | - | - | - | Source |
| Pennsylvania | Yes | Act 106 of 2020, 75 Pa.C.S. §8511 | 12 mph | 550 lb | Pedestrian areas, roadways, shoulders/berms (road ≤25 mph) | Yes (preempts local) | Source |
| Rhode Island | No | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| South Carolina | No | - | - | - | - | - | Source |
| South Dakota | No | - | - | - | - | - | Source |
| Tennessee | Yes | HB 1684 / SB 1625, Pub. Ch. 581 | 10 mph | Not specified | Sidewalks, crosswalks, bike lanes/paths, shoulders | State preemption (existing AV law preempts local) | Source |
| Texas | Yes | Transp. Code Ch. 552A (SB 969, 2019) | 10 mph | No weight cap | Sidewalks, crosswalks; local can lower speed if 10 mph unsafe | Yes (preempts local) | Source |
| Utah | Yes | Utah Code §41-6a-1119 | 10 mph | Not specified | Pedestrian areas; highway edges (not main-traveled way); no hwy ≥45 mph or limited-access | Partial (local can reasonably regulate) | Source |
| Vermont | No | - | - | - | - | - | Source |
| Virginia | Yes | Va. Code §46.2-908.1:1 | 10 mph | 500 lb (raised from 50 lb, 2020) | Sidewalks, crosswalks; side of roadway ≤25 mph if no sidewalk | Partial (localities can adopt additional safety requirements; can't prohibit road use) | Source |
| Washington | Yes | RCW Ch. 46.75 | 6 mph | 120 lb | Sidewalks, crosswalks; roadways <45 mph (if no sidewalk, ≤10 mph) | State framework ($50/yr fee per device) | Source |
| West Virginia | No | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Wisconsin | Yes | 2017 Wis. Act 13, Wis. Stat. §346.807 | 10 mph | 80 lb | Sidewalks, crosswalks | State framework | Source |
| Wyoming | No | - | - | - | - | - | - |
The 29 states with no PDD statute
In these 29 states there is no statewide personal-delivery-device law at all. This absence is itself the answer people need: robots may still operate here under a local ordinance or a city permit, but there is no statewide framework defining where they can go, how fast, or how heavy. The absence is the fact.
Alabama, Alaska, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia, Wyoming.
Illinois and Chicago, reconciled
Illinois has no statewide PDD statute: HB 2902 died when the session ended (sine die, 1/7/2025). Separately, Chicago runs a city-level PDD Pilot Program (a BACP Emerging Business Permit, approved September 2022, expiring May 2027), under which Coco Robotics and Serve Robotics continue operating. A ward-level ban exists in Chicago's 1st Ward, but it is not a citywide ban and it does not end the pilot. So: no Illinois state law, an active Chicago city pilot, and a single-ward restriction, not a citywide prohibition.
Speed limits, US and global
Across US states, sidewalk caps run 6 to 12 mph and road caps 20 to 25 mph. In the major markets outside the US, the caps and the posture differ. Japan sets the slowest cap globally at 6 km/h; Singapore effectively bans sidewalk robots from public paths.
| Market | Sidewalk speed | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Japan | 6 km/h | Slowest cap globally. |
| South Korea | 5-15 km/h (tiered) | Speed tiered by device class. |
| United States | 6-12 mph | WA 6, GA 7, TX 10, FL/AZ 12. |
| United Kingdom | No specific national speed limit | No PDD-specific national cap. |
| Singapore | Disallowed on public paths | Robots classified as motor vehicles under the Active Mobility Act; effectively banned from public paths. |
| China | No national speed limit | No PDD-specific national cap. |
Local insurance rules (examples)
Insurance requirements are often set at the city level, not the state level. The following are examples of local insurance rules, not a complete list. They show the range: some cities require a permit and general liability cover, others set specific dollar limits.
| City | Local insurance / permit rule |
|---|---|
| Los Angeles, CA | LADOT requires commercial general liability insurance. |
| San Francisco, CA | SFMTA permit required; $500/day civil penalty for unpermitted operation. |
| Miami Beach, FL | Safety flags plus insurance required under stricter local rules. |
| Torrance, CA | $2M per occurrence / $4M aggregate. |
| Washington DC | DDOT PDD permit required. |
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Every state row preserves its statute citation verbatim and links to the primary source. Counts (21 states plus DC with a statute, 29 without) are derived from the matrix itself; the Chicago pilot, ward-ban, and Singapore posture are reconciled from primary-source records. How we verify
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