Can kids and teens ride Waymo? Age rules, car seats and teen accounts

Short answer: you must be 18 to have a Waymo account. Children and teens can ride as your guests when you ride too. Teens aged 13 to 17 can ride on their own only with a Waymo teen account, available in Phoenix and Nashville. Children under 8 need their own car seat or booster, in the back.

Robotaxis look like the perfect school run: no driver, a fixed price and a parent watching the trip on a phone. The rules are stricter than many parents expect, though, and they differ between companies. Here is what Waymo and Tesla allow as of October 21, 2026.

Waymo's age rules

Waymo puts it simply: "Passengers 17 and under can ride as your guests." The adult who books has to ride too: you can't order a car for your child and stay home, unless they have a teen account.

Teen accounts: Phoenix and Nashville

In metro Phoenix and, since September 22, 2026, in Nashville, teens aged 13 to 17 can have their own Waymo account with a parent's or guardian's permission. The account is linked to the parent, who can follow trips. A teen can bring up to three guests, who must also be 13 or older.

Before teen accounts existed, local reporting in Arizona found parents sending children alone in cars booked on their own accounts, against Waymo's rules. Don't: it breaks the terms you accepted, and Waymo can suspend the account. Riders in other cities will need to wait for teen accounts to arrive.

Car seats and boosters

• Children under 8 need their own car or booster seat, which you bring and install.
• Seats go in the back, following the manufacturer's instructions; children under 8 can't sit in the front.
• Allow a few extra minutes: the car waits for you, but not indefinitely.

A lightweight travel booster (for kids who meet its weight and height limits) is much easier to carry than a full convertible seat if you plan to use robotaxis often.

Tesla Robotaxi and other services

• Tesla Robotaxi (Model Y): minors aged 8 to 17 may ride with an adult. Children under 8 can't ride at all.
• Tesla Cybercab: minors aged 13 to 17 may ride with an adult; under 13s can't ride.
• Zoox: check the Zoox app's terms; it has not published separate teen accounts.
• Waymo through Uber or Lyft: Uber's and Lyft's own rules apply, which require account holders to be 18 or older.

Is it safe for kids?

Waymo's published data shows far fewer injury crashes than human drivers on the same roads (see is Waymo safe?). The bigger questions for parents are practical: who helps if the car stops unexpectedly, and whether your child knows to press Support and stay inside. If your teen rides alone, go through the Pull over and Support buttons with them first.

Frequently asked questions