CARLA Simulator Python API

0.9.16 verified Fri May 01 auth: no python

Python API for communicating with the CARLA server, an open-source autonomous driving simulator. Current version 0.9.16. Release cadence irregular, with major version jumps (0.10.0 available but breaking).

pip install carla

Common errors

error ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'carla' ↓

cause CARLA Python client is not installed.

fix

Run: pip install carla

error RuntimeError: unable to connect to server at localhost:2000 ↓

cause CARLA server is not running or port is incorrect.

fix

Start the CARLA simulator binary before running the script. Default port 2000.

error AttributeError: module 'carla' has no attribute 'Client' ↓

cause Outdated carla package or wrong import (e.g., from carla.client import Client).

fix

Use: import carla; client = carla.Client('localhost', 2000)

Warnings

breaking CARLA 0.10.0 changed the underlying Unreal Engine from 4.26 to 5.5, breaking compatibility with older Python APIs. The carla pip package may not match the server version. ↓

fix Ensure pip version matches server version (e.g., pip install carla==0.10.0 for server 0.10.0).

gotcha The carla Python package on PyPI is only the client library; you must download the CARLA server binary separately from the GitHub releases. ↓

fix Download the server from https://github.com/carla-simulator/carla/releases.

deprecated Function `client.get_traffic_manager()` returns TrafficManager that has deprecated methods; use `client.get_trafficmanager()` instead. ↓

fix Replace get_traffic_manager with get_trafficmanager.

Imports

Client

wrong

from carla.client import CarlaClient

correct

import carla; client = carla.Client('localhost', 2000)

Old API (pre-0.9.6) used CarlaClient. Modern API uses carla.Client.

World
wrong
```
from carla import World
```
correct
```
import carla; world = client.get_world()
```
World is not directly importable; obtained via Client.

Vehicle

wrong

from carla import Vehicle

correct

import carla; vehicle = blueprint.library.find('vehicle.*')

Vehicle objects are spawned from blueprints.

Quickstart

Connect to CARLA server, spawn a random vehicle, and clean up.

import carla
import random

client = carla.Client('localhost', 2000)
client.set_timeout(10.0)
world = client.get_world()
blueprint_library = world.get_blueprint_library()
bp = random.choice(blueprint_library.filter('vehicle.*'))
transform = carla.Transform(carla.Location(x=50, y=50, z=10), carla.Rotation(yaw=180))
vehicle = world.spawn_actor(bp, transform)
print(f'Spawned {vehicle.id}')
vehicle.destroy()