Tesla, the so-called leader of the electric vehicle revolution, has been caught red-handed by California regulators for allegedly duping customers with its Autopilot and Full Self-Driving (FSD) marketing. The state’s Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) scored a major win after an administrative law judge ruled that Tesla’s advertising was deceptive, sending shockwaves through the auto industry and raising serious questions about the company’s credibility.

The judge didn’t mince words, siding with the DMV’s claim that Tesla’s flashy marketing materials gave drivers the false impression that their cars could drive themselves. In reality, the much-hyped Autopilot and FSD features still require drivers to pay attention and keep their hands on the wheel,hardly the “self-driving” future Tesla has been selling to the public.

As punishment for these misleading tactics, the judge agreed to a 30-day suspension of Tesla’s vehicle sales in California, the company’s biggest U.S. market. But in a move that’s sure to raise eyebrows, the DMV is giving Tesla a 60-day grace period to clean up its act and scrub any misleading language from its ads before the ban kicks in. The judge also recommended a 30-day suspension of Tesla’s manufacturing license, but that too is on hold while the company scrambles to respond.

DMV director Steve Gordon wasted no time in taking a victory lap, declaring that the department will hold every automaker to the “highest safety standards.” He even threw some shade at Tesla, pointing out that other car companies have already made the “simple steps” needed to comply with California’s rules,implying that Tesla is lagging behind the competition in more ways than one.

Tesla now has 60 days to fix its marketing or face the consequences, but the DMV hasn’t spelled out exactly what changes it wants. Meanwhile, Tesla, which famously axed its public relations department, has stayed silent, leaving customers and investors in the dark about what comes next.

This isn’t the first time Tesla has been in hot water over its Autopilot and FSD claims. The company is already under investigation by the California Attorney General, the U.S. Department of Justice, and the Securities and Exchange Commission for allegedly misleading both consumers and investors. On top of that, Tesla has quietly settled multiple lawsuits over crashes,including fatal ones,linked to its driver assistance tech.

The DMV’s case has been dragging on for years, with regulators accusing Tesla of making its cars sound more autonomous than they really are. The agency says this hype has led to overconfident drivers, dozens of crashes, and even deaths. Tesla, for its part, insists its marketing is protected speech and that it always tells drivers to stay alert,though that hasn’t stopped the confusion or the accidents.

If the sales or manufacturing ban actually goes into effect, it could be a disaster for Tesla. California is Tesla’s top market, and its Fremont factory is the heart of its U.S. production. Even a short pause could hit the company’s bottom line hard and shake investor confidence.

All this comes as Tesla is busy hyping its Robotaxi pilot in Austin, Texas, where it recently ditched safety monitors from its test fleet. CEO Elon Musk claims these cars are running a different version of the software than what’s available to the public, but the move raises fresh questions about Tesla’s approach to safety and transparency.