Uber vs Lyft Driver Requirements in California: What Accident Victims Should Know

Uber and Lyft compete for the same California drivers, and on paper their rules look similar. Both answer to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), which licenses them as Transportation Network Companies (TNCs), and both stack company policies on top of state minimums. For someone injured in a rideshare crash, the fine print matters for a different reason: the requirements determine what insurance applies, who can be held responsible, and what evidence to demand in litigation. Here is how the two platforms compare in 2026 and what each rule means for an injury claim.

Key Takeaways

• Both companies now require new California drivers to be at least 25 years old, with one year of licensed driving experience and a valid California license
• State law, not company policy, mandates the criminal and DMV background checks; Public Utilities Code Section 5445.2 applies equally to Uber and Lyft
• Vehicle age rules differ: Uber generally accepts vehicles up to 15 years old, while Lyft publishes model year cutoffs by market, such as 2013 or newer in Los Angeles
• The compensation available after a crash depends on the driver’s app status: 50/100/30 plus $200,000 excess while waiting for a match, and $1,000,000 in primary liability coverage once a ride is accepted, under Public Utilities Code Section 5433; separate uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage during that window is $60,000 per person and $300,000 per incident since Senate Bill 371 took effect January 1, 2026
• Because the California Supreme Court upheld Proposition 22 in 2024, rideshare drivers remain independent contractors, which makes these statutory insurance tiers central to most injury recoveries

One Set of State Rules, Two Company Rulebooks

The CPUC sets the legal floor for every TNC operating in California. Public Utilities Code Section 5445.2 mandates a local and national criminal background check for every driver, including a search of the National Sex Offender Public Website, and permanently bars registered sex offenders and anyone convicted of a violent felony or specified offenses such as human trafficking. Convictions within the past seven years for DUI, misdemeanor assault or battery, domestic violence, or specified felony fraud and theft offenses are likewise disqualifying. Separately, the CPUC requires each rideshare vehicle to pass a 19 point safety inspection at a Bureau of Automotive Repair licensed facility before entering service, then every 12 months or 50,000 miles. Uber and Lyft may set stricter standards than this floor, and both do, which is where their rulebooks diverge.

Where Uber and Lyft Agree

• Minimum age of 25 for new California drivers, a policy both platforms adopted for new sign ups (Uber announced its change in 2023, citing California insurance costs)
• At least one year of licensed driving experience in the United States
• A valid California driver’s license and a California plated, four door vehicle
• A criminal and DMV record check meeting the Section 5445.2 minimums before the first ride, run through each company’s third party screening vendor
• The CPUC 19 point inspection, repeated every 12 months or 50,000 miles, with proof kept on file
• Personal auto insurance in the driver’s name; neither platform requires a commercial driver’s license, because rideshare vehicles are personal vehicles seating eight or fewer passengers under Public Utilities Code Section 5431

Where They Differ

• Vehicle age: Uber’s general rule accepts vehicles 15 years old or newer, which works out to roughly a 2011 model year in 2026, though individual markets can be stricter. Lyft instead publishes a fixed model year cutoff per market, currently 2013 or newer in Los Angeles
• Seating: Lyft specifies five to eight seats including the driver’s; Uber ties seating and vehicle standards to the ride option selected, with premium tiers imposing stricter vehicle criteria
• Screening and monitoring: each company applies its own internal disqualification list on top of the statutory minimums, so a driver rejected by one platform is not automatically rejected by the other

Prop 22: Why Rideshare Drivers Are Not Employees

In July 2024 the California Supreme Court upheld Proposition 22 in Castellanos v. State of California, leaving Business and Professions Code Section 7451 in force. App based drivers who meet its conditions are independent contractors, not employees, and that remains the law in mid 2026. For accident victims this closes off the simplest theory against a large corporate defendant, employer liability for an employee’s negligence. Recovery instead usually runs through the driver’s own negligence, the statutory TNC insurance described below, and direct claims against Uber or Lyft, such as negligent hiring or negligent retention, when the company’s own screening or monitoring failed.

The Insurance Periods: What Coverage Applies to Your Crash

Public Utilities Code Section 5433 divides a rideshare driver’s time into periods, and the available coverage changes at each boundary.

• App off: only the driver’s personal policy applies, which must meet California’s 30/60/15 minimums in effect since January 1, 2025 under SB 1107
• App on, waiting for a match (Period 1): primary TNC coverage of $50,000 per person and $100,000 per accident for bodily injury and $30,000 for property damage, plus at least $200,000 in excess coverage
• Ride accepted through drop off (Periods 2 and 3): $1,000,000 in primary coverage for death, injury, and property damage, plus $60,000 per person and $300,000 per incident in uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage while a passenger is in the vehicle, a level Senate Bill 371 set when it took effect January 1, 2026 (down from a prior $1,000,000 UM/UIM requirement); the TNC, not the driver, is responsible for maintaining this coverage

Because the numbers jump by an order of magnitude at ride acceptance, insurers fight hard over which period applied at the moment of impact. App status logs, trip records, and telematics data settle that question, and preserving this data early is one of the first steps our firm takes in a rideshare case.

How Requirement Violations Strengthen an Injury Claim

Every requirement above is a benchmark a jury can measure a defendant against. A driver below the platform’s minimum age, a missed 19 point inspection, a suspended license, or a disqualifying conviction that screening should have caught turns an ordinary negligence case into one with a corporate compliance story. Rideshare companies must retain inspection records for three years, and driver qualification files and background check reports are discoverable in litigation. Attorney Damoun Yazdi builds rideshare cases around exactly these records, comparing what Uber or Lyft knew, or should have known, against what state law and their own policies required.

Injured in an Uber or Lyft? We Sort Out Which Rules Were Broken

It should not fall to an injured passenger, driver, or pedestrian to untangle two company rulebooks and three insurance periods. Bring us the crash report and the trip details, and our Uber and Lyft accident team will identify the coverage that applies and every requirement the driver or company failed to meet. Consultations are free, we handle rideshare cases on contingency with no fee unless you recover, and our staff serves Spanish speaking clients. From Costa Mesa and Riverside to Rancho Cucamonga, Apple Valley, Victorville, and Bakersfield, The Accident Network Law Group is available around the clock.

This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. The outcome of any case depends on its specific facts and circumstances. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Contact Accident Network Law Group for advice about your individual situation.