State vehicle requirements for Uber and Lyft are not one national list. Each service publishes a base standard, and Uber’s vehicle page tells drivers to make sure the car meets its requirements in their city.[1] On top of that, states regulate transportation network companies, and cities can add rules of their own. This guide explains what those state-level rules tend to cover and how to find the ones that apply to you. It does not repeat the general car lists for each service, which have their own guides.
Why do the requirements change from state to state?
Rideshare is regulated mostly at the state level, and sometimes at the city level. The NAIC notes that in the US a driver using a personal car for a fee does not fit the taxi model: taxis and limousines are typically licensed by state or local transportation authorities, while rideshare companies may not be subject to the same requirements.[4] So each state decided separately what to require of the company, the driver and the vehicle.
That is why the same app can ask for different details in different places, and why a driver in Ohio, Arizona, Virginia, Utah, North Carolina or Maryland should read that state’s own rules instead of another state’s guide. Uber also says it accepts official and temporary registration documents and that the car does not need to be registered in your name, but those are Uber’s rules, and a state or city can still require proof of its own.
What do state laws actually cover?
The examples below come from two state regulators and show how much the content varies.
Colorado’s Public Utilities Commission says the state was the first to create state-level rules for these companies, in 2014. It lists requirements for the companies (permits and insurance), for drivers (background checks, hours-of-service limits, medical certifications) and for vehicles: they must meet mechanical and other safety criteria and display proper external markings, such as company identification.[2]
New Jersey’s Motor Vehicle Commission sets a permit for the company, while drivers need no special license or endorsement from the commission but must be approved by a company to drive for it. Drivers should display an identifying marker on the vehicle to show which company they drive for.[3]
| Rule type | What a state may set | Example seen above |
|---|---|---|
| Company permit | Whether the company needs a state permit | Colorado, New Jersey |
| Vehicle safety criteria | Mechanical and safety standards | Colorado |
| Markings | Company identification on the car | Colorado, New Jersey |
| Driver approval | Who may drive, and who approves | New Jersey |
These two states are only samples. Other states may inspect cars, limit vehicle age or ask for none of this, so do not read a single state as a template. For the inspection form itself, see how to pass the 19-point inspection.
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How does insurance change by state?
Insurance is where state law is most visible. The NAIC explains three periods: the app on and waiting for a request, a request accepted with no passenger yet, and a passenger in the vehicle. It says that companies provide $1 million in primary commercial liability during periods 2 and 3, while coverage in the waiting period is more limited, with some states requiring minimum liability limits of $50,000 per person, $100,000 per incident and $25,000 for property damage.
The NAIC adds two cautions. Most enacted laws do not require comprehensive or collision coverage while the app is on but you have no passenger, so your own car may lack physical damage cover in that gap unless you arrange it. And personal auto policies commonly exclude coverage for driving for pay. Its model bill lets personal insurers exclude it, which is why a rideshare endorsement or hybrid policy exists. Ask your insurer which stage each policy covers before you drive.
How do you check the rules for your state?
Work from the broadest rule down to the narrowest:
- Find your state’s regulator. Search for the agency that regulates transportation network companies, which may be a public utilities commission, a motor vehicle agency or a transportation department, and read its page on vehicles and drivers.
- Check city or airport rules. Some cities add inspections, markings or extra permits. Rules for airport pickups can differ again.
- Open the city page in the Uber or Lyft app, where each service lists the car rules it applies there, including the eligible vehicle list for Uber.
- Check your insurer’s rideshare options against the NAIC periods above.
- Keep a copy of what you checked, with the date, in case a rule changes.
Tip: Do this before you spend money on a car. A model on a service’s list can still fail a state marking or inspection rule.
What about mileage and age limits?
Searches for Uber car mileage requirements are common. Uber’s national vehicle page lists these must-haves: a vehicle 15 years old or newer, four doors, good condition with no cosmetic damage, and no commercial branding. Any mileage limit, or a stricter age limit, would come from the city page in the app or a local rule, which is why the city page is the final authority. For the national rules, see vehicle eligibility for Uber.
Does the same logic apply if you rent a car?
Yes. A rented car still has to pass the state and city rules, and the contract also has to allow rideshare use. Confirm both in writing before the first trip.
A list copied from another website, or an older guide, may be out of date or for a different state. Treat the regulator’s page and the city page in the app as the sources that count.
