Lyft Driver Requirements: Vehicle Eligibility and Approval in 2023

Yes, Lyft driver requirements vary depending on what state or city you live in. Even if you’ve been a driver for Lyft before, that doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be eligible to drive anywhere in the US.

The following eligibility factors vary by city and state:

• Minimum age: Age requirements for Lyft vary by region. For example, you generally need to be 25 years old to drive for Lyft—unless you live in New York City, in which case you only need to be 19 years old. 1
• Driving experience: You may need to show that you’ve had a valid driver’s license for 1 year or 3 years.
• Vehicle specifications: Some states set requirements for cars in terms of the year they were manufactured, their physical attributes, and how often they’re inspected.

We’ve listed the specific requirements you’ll need to meet to become a Lyft driver in every state in the US in a table below. However, you should confirm the info by checking Lyft’s list of state and city requirements in case they recently changed the requirements in your city.

Again, Lyft imposes two types of requirements, universal ones, and others that depend on where you live (i.e., your state and sometimes your city).

Lyft’s universal requirements

Lyft imposes the following requirements in every state and every city in the US:

Vehicle requirements

• 4 doors
• 5–8 seats
• Cannot be a taxi, stretch limo, or non-Express Drive rental
• Not “salvage, non-repairable, or rebuilt” (aka the vehicle is in good condition)

Driver requirements

• You must have a valid driver’s license (can often be temporary or out-of-state)
• Must be 25+ years old (except in New York City; see the table below)
• Must pass a driving history and criminal background check

Required documents

• Driver profile photo
• Vehicle registration
• Personal vehicle insurance

Lyft’s location-dependent requirements

Lyft will almost certainly have other requirements that are specific to your state or city. Find your location in the table below to learn what else you’ll need:

Special Lyft Requirements by State

Most of Lyft’s requirements are straightforward, but there are a few that might need further explanation. Below, we’ve broken the major ones down in detail:

1. Minimum age

As mentioned, you almost always need to be 25 years old to be a Lyft driver in the US. The only exception is if you live in New York City, where you can be a Lyft driver at 19 years old.

If you’re confused about this, it’s understandable; Lyft’s website states that the minimum age required “ranges from 21–25 and varies by region.” However, the state-specific guidelines for all 50 US states specify a minimum age of 25 years old. 2

Thankfully, there’s no upper age limit. This is good if you’re in your retirement years—it means driving for Lyft is an entirely feasible side hustle for you.

2. Vehicle eligibility

You can’t use just any vehicle to offer rides through Lyft. You’re in the clear if you drive a subcompact vehicle, but you can’t use a taxi or stretch limousine. Moreover, your vehicle needs to have 4 doors, 5–8 seatbelts, and be in good condition.

Lyft also imposes car age requirements, which vary not only by state but also city. The default maximum age is 2008, but sometimes older and newer cars are allowed.

For instance, if you live in Arizona, your vehicle must be from 2007 or later if you’re based in Flagstaff, Phoenix, or Tucson, but it needs to be from 2009 or later in all other cities. 3

3. Documentation

In addition to meeting age and vehicle requirements, you’ll need to be able to provide certain types of documentation (all valid and current).

In every area, you’ll need to provide your driver’s license, license plate, and personal auto insurance. In most states, you also need to provide a vehicle inspection.

In some states, you may need to secure other documents as well, such as a business license.

Note that your insurance policy must have your name on it, or else you’ll have to provide a declaration page that indicates you’re the one who’s insured. Additionally, to qualify for Lyft’s contingent collision coverage, your personal auto insurance must have collision coverage. 4

4. Driving history check

Lyft will review your driving history to determine whether you qualify to be a driver. Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) checks are run by Safety Holdings, Inc.

The purpose of the DMV check is to assess how many years of driving experience you have and determine whether you have any black marks on your driving record.

In many states, you just need to have 1 year of driving experience to qualify as a Lyft driver. 5 However, you may need up to 3 years of driving experience in some cases.

Disqualifying factors

You’ll generally be disqualified from driving with Lyft if they find any of the items below in your driving record.

Past 3 years:

• Four or more moving violations, such as a parking violation.
• One or more major moving violations, such as reckless driving.

Past 7 years:

• One or more drug-related offenses, such as driving under the influence (DUI).
• One or more serious driving-related offenses, such as a hit-and-run.

5. Background check

With your consent, Lyft will have Checkr Inc. run a criminal background check on you to determine your eligibility. You may have to wait several weeks to get your results back. 6

If your criminal record shows any of the offenses in the table below, you’ll fail Lyft’s background check.

Disqualifying Factors

Source: Lyft

The background check is one of the more time-consuming steps in the Lyft driver application process. If you want an update, you can check the status of your background check by logging in to the Checkr applicant portal.

6. Lyft’s Community Safety Education Program

Before you can start making money offering rides through Lyft, you’ll have to complete Lyft’s mandatory Community Safety Education Program. This program is led by the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN), the nation’s largest organization against sexual violence.

This driver safety program is designed to train you how to respond in different scenarios to keep both you (the driver) and your passengers safe. The program consists of six videos, each approximately 20 minutes long. 7

7. Smartphone or mobile device

It might go without saying, but you need to have a smartphone or mobile device to get the Lyft app and start offering rides as a Lyft driver.

Your phone needs to have its own internet or data connection (relying on Wi-Fi alone won’t cut it), and it needs to be able to support the Lyft mobile app. Lyft recommends using a phone with an operating system no older than Android 7.0 Nougat (Google Play) or iOS 13.0 (Apple Store). 8

Safety equipment

As shown in the table above, in some jurisdictions (currently just Portland, OR), you’ll also need to have the following safety equipment in your vehicle to be a Lyft driver: 9

• Fire extinguisher
• First aid kit
• Phone mount

Even if you plan on working in a different city or state, these are good items to have with you on your rides. We produced this article with Aaron Lawrence, a Lyft driver with nearly 10 years of experience, and he told us that he keeps all three of them on hand.

Other equipment to get when you’re starting out

Lawrence also suggested acquiring all of the following before you start driving:

• An E-ZPass/transponder (if you live near a toll road)
• Large towels
• Leather/upholstery cleaner
• Glass cleaner
• Microfiber rags
• Ozium air sanitizer

Lawrence added that you should “go easy on the scents.” Many first-time rideshare drivers stock up on air fresheners, but he said that “not all passengers appreciate a car doused in black ice or evergreen pine.”

All these requirements may seem frustrating if you want to be a Lyft driver but your application has been rejected or it’s taking a long time to get approved. However, they do serve an important function: keeping Lyft users safe.

Like other ridesharing platforms, Lyft gives people a chance to earn easy money, but the relatively low barrier to entry (i.e., the lack of a job interview) means they need to carefully vet applicants. If they didn’t, there’d be no way to differentiate safe and responsible drivers from those who aren’t quite up to the task.

What to do if your Lyft driver application is rejected

Don’t lose heart if you don’t pass Lyft’s driver eligibility criteria. If you’re not sure why you were rejected, contact Lyft’s customer service for support.

If you failed the background or driving history checks for Lyft and you think it’s due to an error in your records, you can file a dispute with Safety Holdings (driving records) or Checkr (criminal records) and apply again.

Unfortunately, this scenario isn’t as unlikely as it should be—Lawrence commented that Checkr’s background checks are sometimes unreliable and that he has personal experience with incorrect information showing up on his reports.

Checkr isn’t always responsive to disputes, but all you can do is keep contacting them until they correct the issue. Be persistent, and try not to get discouraged.