Waymo announced Tuesday that teenagers between the ages of 14 and 17 can now create accounts and access its autonomous ride-hailing service in the Arizona, United States.

Parents can invite their teens to join the program through their existing Waymo accounts, linking both profiles.

Once set up, teens will be able to independently request rides in fully self-driving vehicles.

Waymo had previously limited account access to users aged 18 and older.

The decision to expand eligibility to teens is part of the company’s push to grow its rider base as it accelerates the rollout of its autonomous ride-hailing service in cities across the U.S.

The shift also reflects broader efforts by parent company Alphabet to drive revenue from AI technologies amid rising competition and ongoing economic pressures.

Waymo said it will provide “specially trained Rider Support agents” for trips taken by teens and will notify parents if any issues arise.

Teens can also share their trip status in real time, allowing parents to monitor their journey, and all ride receipts will be sent directly to the parents.

Teen accounts are currently available only to riders in the metro Phoenix area.

However, a Waymo spokesperson said the program will gradually expand to additional markets outside California where the Waymo app is operational.

Waymo’s decision to open its service to teens mirrors a move by Uber, which rolled out teen accounts in 2023.

While Waymo currently partners with Uber in several markets, the company said it “may consider enabling access for teens through our network partners in the future.”