Tesla Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) is betting on FSD as one of its new growth items going forward as the company pushes more into autonomous driving and AI. Users of FSD should likely be aware that if they ever get pulled over for speeding, the ticket remains their responsibility and not that of the EV company.
Tesla Driver Uses FSD, Gets Speeding Ticket
Tesla reported 1.48 million FSD subscribers in the second quarter, up 56% year-over-year. Those customers pay $99 per month for the software that allows them hands-free supervised driving.
While Tesla CEO Elon Musk has said that FSD usage may allow vehicle users to text and drive, FSD is still a Level 2 driver-assistance system, which requires constant supervision from a human.
A Tesla user in Colorado found that out the hard way.
"I wasn’t driving," the user of a Tesla vehicle pulled over by police in Parker, Colorado says in a video shared by Electrek.
The video shows the bodycam footage from an officer from a July 21, 2026 traffic citation.
The driver, who claims they were using FSD, was pulled over for going 64 miles per hour in a 45-mile-per-hour zone.
"You can blame the car all you want," the police officer said. "The car doesn’t have a driver’s license."
The police officer says there "no way the speed limit is 65" and that the driver was responsible.
"You were completely in charge of the car. You are driving."
The police officer added that this was not the first person he had pulled over or ticketed for using autopilot or FSD software in a vehicle.
The Tesla driver argued about getting a ticket and asked to see a supervisor.
"I didn’t do anything wrong," the driver said.
In the end, the Tesla user received a speeding ticket and were told they call a number to speak with a supervisor or to fight the ticket.
Tesla Makes FSD, Has No Blame
Electrek Editor-in-Chief Fred Lambert also recalled receiving a speeding ticket for going 28 km/hour over the speed limit while using FSD. Lambert said that Tesla got rid of a feature that allowed Tesla FSD users to set their speed cap.
Those who use FSD are at the mercy of the vehicle’s own actions and without supervising or interfering with the software risk receiving any traffic violations made by the vehicle.
And it doesn’t stop for just FSD software. Benzinga recently shared that in the state of California, the rise of autonomous vehicles led to cars committing moving violations and not receiving tickets.
As of July 1, 2026, the state of California allows police to give parking tickets and other tickets to companies like Tesla and Alphabet Inc-owned (NASDAQ:GOOGL) Waymo who have autonomous vehicles on the road.
A police officer trats the company that makes the vehicle as the “driver” and issue the ticket to them. Companies like Tesla and Waymo then have to report the tickets to the DMV within 72 hours for a normal ticket or 24 hours if a collision is part of the ticket.
Failure to report the incidents could lead to reductions in the number of vehicles allowed or the rejection of a robotaxi permit.
The advancement of FSD and autonomous driving capabilities continues to be an area where many consumers are happy and others have safety concerns. While data may point to autonomous vehicles being safer than those driven by a human, a Tesal vehicle going 19 miles per hour over the speed limit could raise some questions.
The ticket being issued to the car user, with no ability to pass the fine on to Tesla, could also raise questions about responsibility once Tesla’s software gets past the Level 2 stage.
Photo: Tesla FSD Image Via Shutterstock
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