DoorDash car requirements are lighter than many people expect. DoorDash’s Dasher support page says there are no specific vehicle requirements: you can deliver by car as long as you have a valid license and valid personal auto insurance.[1] This guide covers what that means for the car, what documents you need to sign up, and what DoorDash’s insurance does and does not do.
What are the DoorDash car requirements?
On the vehicle itself, DoorDash is permissive. Its Dasher Central page says any car, scooter or bike in select cities works, and that there are no car year requirements. If you use a motorized vehicle, you need a valid driver’s license, insurance and registration.[2]
There is no list of approved makes and models, no maximum age for the car and no inspection step on DoorDash’s pages. A car does not have to be a specific size or color either. The requirement attaches to you and your paperwork rather than to the vehicle’s specifications.
That does not make every car a good choice. A reliable, fuel-efficient car with room for bags suits delivery work, but that is a practical point, not a DoorDash rule.
What paperwork goes with the car?
Think of the car as three pieces of paper plus a phone. Dasher Central’s requirements page puts the license, the insurance and the registration at the center of the car route, and it asks for a Social Security number and a current government-issued ID in addition.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| License | A valid U.S. driver’s license |
| Insurance | Your own policy, meeting your state or province’s minimum |
| Registration | Provided during sign-up for a car |
| Phone | An Android phone or an iPhone |
Accepted ID types, per the same page, run from a driver’s license or state ID to a passport, passport card, permanent resident card or employment authorization card.
Compare car rental
500+ rental companies. Free cancellation on most bookings.
Which vehicles are allowed besides a car?
A car is the default, but DoorDash says some locations also allow a motorcycle, scooter, bike or e-bike. The sign-up flow shows which of these apply to your area.
The split that matters is motorized versus pedal-powered. Motorized options bring the license, insurance and registration items above. A bike or e-bike drops the license and insurance items and keeps the phone, the ID and the background check.
As independent contractors, Dashers choose how they complete accepted offers, with one condition: a helper must hold a Dasher account too.
Do you need your own insurance?
Yes, and DoorDash is explicit about it. While you work as an independent contractor, you are required to carry your own insurance in the amounts and types the law requires, and DoorDash warns that its coverage may not apply if you do not.
What DoorDash adds is a commercial auto policy: up to $1,000,000 for third-party bodily injury or property damage from accidents during an active delivery, subject to terms, exclusions and state differences. Dasher Central stresses that this applies only while you are actively dashing and does not take the place of your own policy.
U.S. Dashers hurt on a delivery may qualify for occupational accident coverage, which DoorDash describes as including medical expenses, disability payments and survivors’ benefits.
DoorDash describes its policy as covering an active delivery only. Confirm with your own insurer how your personal policy treats delivery work.
What checks come before activation?
Once your age and vehicle are approved, the last two hurdles are identity verification and a background check. DoorDash lists a national check, a Social Security number trace and, for drivers of vehicles, a motor vehicle record check. Timing and activation requirements vary. For the age rule, see how old you have to be to do DoorDash.
On the phone side, DoorDash says jailbroken or rooted devices can have trouble with the Dasher app, and that phones with more than 3GB of RAM tend to crash and freeze less.
What if you do not own a car?
The requirements pages do not mention rentals, so they do not say whether renting a car for delivery is allowed. What they do state is the test any car must pass: you hold a valid license, you carry auto insurance that meets local requirements, and the vehicle is registered. If you plan to use a vehicle you do not own, read the rental or lease terms and your insurer’s wording first, because a policy that excludes delivery use leaves a gap that DoorDash’s active-delivery coverage may not fill.
Where bike or e-bike delivery is offered, it is a lower-paperwork way to start, with no license or insurance requirement. A related option is covered in how to become a Caviar driver.
Quick checklist before you apply
- A valid driver’s license and a Social Security number.
- Auto insurance that meets your state’s requirements, in your name.
- Registration for the vehicle you will use.
- A compatible iPhone or Android phone.
- Time for identity verification and the background check.
