San Mateo County is positioning itself to become one of the first places in the United States to regulate the commercial use of humanoid robots. The county's Board of Supervisors voted unanimously on Tuesday to begin drafting local rules that would require businesses to obtain a permit before deploying humanoid robots in the workplace.

The move comes as commercial humanoid robots transition from research demonstrations to real-world workplaces. Agility Robotics' bipedal Digit robot has been tested in Amazon fulfillment centers, Figure AI has partnered with BMW for factory deployments, and Tesla is developing its Optimus humanoid for broad commercial use — signaling that humanoids are moving toward mass deployment faster than many policymakers anticipated.

Permit, Safety, and Fire Equipment Requirements Proposed

The board has not yet passed final regulations. Instead, it approved a resolution directing county legal and administrative staff to draft a formal ordinance, according to reports.

If adopted, the ordinance would require companies to apply and pay for a permit before using humanoid robots at work. The proposed framework goes beyond simple approval of robot deployment. It includes mandates for emergency kill switches, fire safety protocols, and a mechanism to track potential job losses. Revenue generated from permit fees would be allocated toward purchasing specialized firefighting equipment.

Supervisor Ray Mueller, who authored the measure, said the goal is to prepare for emerging technology before it becomes widespread.

"I think what you need to do is you need to go ahead and look at the technologies that's coming, understand what pitfalls may be there, and then try to go and put in a framework to address them as quickly as you can so it doesn't get out of control," Mueller told ABC7.

Fire safety is a central driver of the county's plan. Mueller noted that lithium-ion battery fires have already increased with e-bikes, laptops, and cars, and said the county may need specialized equipment to handle fires involving battery-powered robots.

Firefighters echoed this concern at Tuesday's meeting. Richard Seguine, a spokesperson for the firefighters' union, warned that introducing more of these machines into homes and workplaces could increase the frequency of battery fires, according to KQED. He explained that battery fires burn hotter, release more toxins, and require special equipment to control. Mueller said permit fee revenue would fund the purchase of such equipment.

Humanoid Robots Already Operating in California

Robots are already at work across the state. KQED reported that robotic arms serve coffee at San Francisco International Airport and Stonestown Mall, driverless cars provide ride services, and wheeled coolers deliver food in San José. In San Francisco, a company called Tau Robotics rents out humanoid cleaners for homes and offices at $30 per hour, though the company's website notes that a remote human operator supervises them.

The resolution states that California currently lacks a comprehensive regulatory framework for humanoid robot use, and argues that early action would help the county "encourage the responsible integration of emerging technologies." At the federal level, no agency has issued rules specifically governing humanoid robots in the workplace. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration addresses industrial robot safety through general workplace standards, but those guidelines predate the current generation of mobile, AI-driven humanoids.

Mueller emphasized the value of the data collected through the permitting process. "Data like that is like gold to public agencies," he told KQED, noting that it would help track how robots are deployed and assess risks such as job displacement, fires, and other safety concerns.

Scope and Limitations

Mueller was careful to delineate the boundaries of the proposal. He stressed that the legislation is designed to prepare public agencies, not to ban or restrict the technology. "As the technology is implemented, we need to make sure that public agencies are able to properly adapt," he said, per KQED.

Holly Elmore, executive director of Pause AI, praised the county for taking risks seriously but cautioned that no set of safeguards can foresee every possible failure. Her organization, she told ABC7, advocates for a pause on frontier AI development instead.

San Mateo County's ordinance, once drafted and brought back to the board for a vote, could serve as a template for other jurisdictions grappling with the same gap between rapidly advancing robotics technology and existing workplace regulations.