The US Department of Transportation said late Wednesday that it has approved a five-year exemption for Aurora and other autonomous truck companies from regulations requiring drivers to place warning devices around stopped trucks. This decision marks a significant step forward for the broad deployment of commercial self-driving trucks in the United States.

In 2023, Waymo, the self-driving unit of Alphabet's Google, and Aurora jointly applied for an exemption from US rules requiring reflective triangles to be placed outside stopped trucks to help prevent accidents. The Department of Transportation said Wednesday it has agreed to allow autonomous truck companies to use warning lights mounted on the truck cab, eliminating the need for a human driver, and stated that these warning lights provide an equivalent or higher level of safety.

In April of this year, Aurora submitted a new separate application seeking a five-year exemption. Aurora, which currently operates about 20 self-driving trucks on the road, said Wednesday that the Department of Transportation's "decision underscores the government's recognition of the enormous economic and social benefits brought by autonomous trucks. High-visibility cab-mounted warning lights are a key 21st-century solution that immediately alerts other road users, thereby improving roadside safety without putting people in harm's way at all."

Companies planning to use the exemption must notify the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) in advance and disclose any vehicle accidents that occurred while the cab-top warning lights were activated or should have been activated. The agency said it will revoke the exemption if it results in safety levels falling below those maintained prior to approval.

In early 2025, Aurora sued the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration over its decision not to approve the exemption during the Biden administration. In October 2025, the Department of Transportation issued a three-month temporary exemption allowing the use of the warning lights (which was subsequently extended multiple times), and the company then withdrew its lawsuit.