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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:
  1. California
  2. Hawaii
  3. Illinois
  4. Massachusetts
  5. Minnesota
  6. Oregon
  7. Pennsylvania
  8. 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.
To undergo a background check, U.S. drivers must provide their consent and a valid social security number. Background checks are then run by a third-party company, Checkr, Inc. Most background checks are completed in a few days, but some can take several weeks to process. 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:
  1. Are listed on the National Sex Offender Registry database
  2. Have been convicted of the following:
    1. A disqualifying violent crime (such as homicide, kidnapping, human trafficking, arson, burglary, carjacking, robbery, or aggravated assault)
    2. A sexual offense (such as rape, sexual assault, or child pornography)
    3. An act of terror
    4. Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs in the past seven years (time frame may vary based on the law in your region)
    5. A disqualifying fraud-related offense in the past seven years (time frame may vary based on the law in your region)
    6. A disqualifying drug-related offense in the past seven years (time frame may vary based on the law in your region)
    7. A disqualifying theft or property damage offense in the past seven years (time frame may vary based on the law in your region)
Please be aware that the above list is not exhaustive, and requirements can vary by location. Lyft reserves the right to disqualify a driver at any time, in compliance with applicable law, should their background check reveal any disqualifying offense.
Lyft requires an up-to-date background check to remain on the platform. Lyft also conducts continuous criminal and driving record monitoring of active drivers.
If something on your background check was flagged, you can take the following steps:
  1. If you believe your background check is inaccurate or incomplete, you can dispute the results with Checkr through the Checkr applicant portal. Checkr may update your background report through the dispute process.
  2. If your background check is accurate, you may provide information to Lyft support for review, including, but not limited to:
    1. Certificate of Rehabilitation
    2. Certificate of Relief from Disabilities
    3. Court approved dismissal or expungement document
If you recently had a legal name change and are experiencing issues with your background check, please contact support for help.
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:
  1. An invalid license status (suspended, surrendered, expired, etc)
  2. Four or more moving violations in the past three years (such as accidents or traffic light violations)
  3. A single major moving violation in the past three years (such as driving on a suspended license or reckless driving)
  4. A DUI or other drug-related driving violation in the past seven years (time frame may vary based on your location)
  5. A serious driving-related conviction in the past seven years (such as a hit-and-run or a felony involving a vehicle)
Note: The above list is not exhaustive, and requirements can vary by location. 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.
Lyft requires an up-to-date DMV check to remain on the platform. Lyft also conducts continuous driving record monitoring of active drivers, which notifies us of new driving records.
If something on your DMV check was flagged, you can take the following steps:
  1. Visit your local DMV to request to remove violations or update license status.
  2. Provide your updated MVR (motor vehicle report) to Lyft Support with either a new license status or the disqualifying violations removed.
Lyft doesn't accept the following:
  1. Receipts showing that a ticket was paid.
  2. Completion of a defensive driver course.
Driver license, license plates, and insurance
Lyft drivers must have the following:
  1. Current and valid driver’s license
  2. Valid plates with current registration (commercial plates are acceptable)
  3. 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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