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Driver requirements

All Lyft drivers must meet certain requirements to drive on the platform. Applicant and vehicle requirements can vary depending on your City or State.
To start an application, see How to apply to become a driver for instructions.
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State and local requirement
Age requirements
The minimum age requirement to drive with Lyft ranges from 21–25 and varies by region. See your State and City Driver Info for your area's age requirement.
Vehicle standards
All Lyft vehicles must have four doors and a minimum of five seatbelts (maximum of eight seatbelts).
Don't own a vehicle? Lyft's Express Drive program helps you rent a car so you can start driving.
Taxis and stretch limousine vehicles aren't accepted on the Lyft platform. You can add a subcompact vehicle starting August 25, 2021.
Additional vehicle requirements vary based on your region's requirements.
Driving history
The following states require at least one year of licensed driving experience:
  • California
  • Hawaii
  • Illinois
  • Massachusetts
  • Minnesota
  • Oregon
  • Pennsylvania
  • Vermont
If your license is recently reissued, or you've not received a license issue date, you may need to take further steps during your application process.
Lyft doesn't accept identification from Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, or other U.S. territories as proof of driving history.
Background check
Lyft conducts a criminal background check as a part of the application process, with your consent. Background checks can take several weeks to process and may be delayed due to court and DMV closures caused by COVID-19.
For the background check, U.S. drivers must provide a valid social security number. Background checks are then run by a third-party company, Checkr, Inc. You can check the status of your background check by logging in to the Checkr applicant portal.
Lyft views and assesses your background check results to determine driver eligibility. You may be ineligible to drive on the Lyft platform if your background check results reveal that you:
  • Are listed on the National Sex Offender Registry database
  • Have been convicted of the following:
    • A disqualifying violent crime (such as homicide, kidnapping, human trafficking, arson, burglary, carjacking, robbery, or aggravated assault)
    • A sexual offense (such as rape, sexual assault, or child pornography)
    • An act of terror
    • Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs in the past seven years (time frame may vary based on regional jurisdictions)
    • A disqualifying fraud-related offense in the past seven years (time frame may vary based on regional jurisdictions)
    • A disqualifying drug-related offense in the past seven years (time frame may vary based on regional jurisdictions)
    • A disqualifying theft or property damage offense in the past seven years (time frame may vary based on regional jurisdictions)
Lyft requires an up-to-date background check to remain on the platform. We’ll conduct continuous criminal and driving record monitoring of active drivers.
The following states require background checks on drivers quarterly:
The following state requires background checks on drivers  biannually:
Click on each state  for more detailed information about that state’s specific driver information.
Lyft reserves the right to disqualify a driver at any time, should their background check reveal any disqualifying offense. If an applicant didn't receive any emails from the Lyft Drive team, they can sign into their Checkr portal with the email on file to see the status of their background check.
If you believe your background check's contents are inaccurate or incomplete, you can contact Checkr through the Checkr applicant portal.
If you recently had a legal name change and are experiencing issues with your background check, please contact support for help.
When a Re-run is possible
If a background check was run less than a month ago, we cannot re-run it.
If a background check was run more than a month ago, we can do a re-run if the applicant provides proof of expungement.
The re-run process  does not apply to Checkr disputes. If there are disputes, they are handled through the results email that the applicant receives from Checkr.
Expungement documents
Applicants can fail checks due to criminal charges that have been expunged from their record but have not yet been updated on their background check. Applicants can  provide documentation to prove that their criminal charges have been expunged. Documents to prove expungement must include: 
  • Language  of expungement, removal, dismissal, etc.
  • A date  after the last flag with Checkr.
  • Proof that all charges that Checkr flagged have been addressed and expunged.
  • The signature of  a public official or judge.
Documents Lyft doesn’t accept include: 
  • Any Checkr report (often the original report or one requested by another company).
  • A separate background check report.
  • A request for expungement without a legal sign-off.
  • A letter explaining extraneous circumstances.
DMV check
U.S. drivers must undergo a driving record check which is run by a third-party company, Safety Holdings Inc.
The DMV check results are then assessed against Lyft’s internal safety criteria and applicable regulations.
Lyft may disqualify any applicant whose driving record reveals:
  • Four or more moving violations in the past three years (such as accidents or traffic light violations)
  • A single major moving violation in the past three years (such as driving on a suspended license or reckless driving)
  • A DUI or other drug-related driving violation in the past seven years (time frame may vary based on regional jurisdictions
  • A serious driving-related conviction in the past seven years (such as a hit-and-run or a felony involving a vehicle)
Lyft enrolls active drivers into DMV record continuous monitoring, which notifies us of new violations.
DMV requirements may vary depending on your region. Check your local state and city requirements page for more info.
Lyft reserves the right to disqualify a driver at any time, in compliance with applicable law, should their driving record reveal any disqualifying information or for any other safety-related reason.
Driver license, license plates, and insurance
Lyft drivers must have the following:
  • Current and valid driver’s license
  • Valid plates with current registration (commercial plates are acceptable)
  • Current and valid insurance with your name on the policy
Your region may not require your name to be printed on your insurance policy. If your insurance policy doesn't have your name listed, you'll need to get a declaration page from your insurance company with your name.
Some cities and states require drivers to have in-state documents. See State & City Driver Information for required documents.
Community Safety Education program
Lyft's committed to educating our community on appropriate behavior in a Lyft ride. To help prevent unpleasant experiences, we've developed a Community Safety Education program. This program is in partnership with RAINN, the largest anti-sexual violence organization in the U.S.
As of 12/15/2019, all Lyft drivers are required to complete this program to continue giving rides. This program addresses how to deal with challenging situations and creating a safe and comfortable ride for everyone.
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