Uber Background Check: What It Covers and What Disqualifies You

In February 2016 I emailed Uber support about the background check and posted the answer: a minimum age of 21, a short list of driving and criminal disqualifiers, and no credit check. The credit-check answer has held up. Almost everything else has been replaced, so this is the 2026 version. For the other parts of getting started, see the requirements overview and the application walk-through.

Uber’s rules differ by state and city, and this is a general guide, not legal advice. Where Uber’s pages differ from each other, I say so.

The short answer

• Two checks, in order: a motor vehicle record (MVR) check, then a criminal history check.
• No credit check. Uber’s help pages say the check is free to you and does not involve your credit.
• Run by outside screening companies. Uber’s help pages name Checkr, HireRight and Samba Safety.
• A 7-year lookback is the general default for criminal records, with permanent bars for the most serious offenses. State and local law can change that.
• Uber re-checks you at least once a year and monitors continuously between checks.

Step 1: Driving record (MVR)

The MVR comes first. It confirms your license is valid and looks for disqualifying violations such as DUI or reckless driving. Uber says about 70% of rejected applications are rejected at this step, so your driving history matters more than most people expect.

Uber’s help article says you need a valid US license and at least one year of licensed driving in the US (three years if you are under 25). Major violations and a recent pattern of multiple minor violations, including no-fault accidents, can disqualify you. Uber’s published guidance in Washington State is a good example of how specific it gets: a 3-year window for violations like driving unlicensed or uninsured, a 7-year list that includes DUI and reckless driving, and a limit of three minor violations in the past three years. That is one state’s published criteria, not a national table. I have not found a current national list of exact thresholds, so I do not give one.

In 2016, support told me “no more than three traffic violations in three years, no DUIs, no reckless driving”. That matches the Washington rule loosely but should not be treated as the standard everywhere.

Step 2: Criminal history

If you clear the MVR, a third-party company searches criminal records. Uber describes it as a residence-history and Social Security number trace, generally 7 years where state law does not set something different, and says it verifies flagged records at the source, in county courthouses. The final decision to disqualify always gets human review.

What disqualifies you, according to Uber:

• Permanently, at any point in your history: the most serious offenses, including murder, kidnapping, terrorism and sexual assault. Uber’s newer standard also bars all violent felonies and crimes that may be sexual in nature. Stalking and strangulation offenses are also disqualifying regardless of date.
• For about 7 years: other felonies and offenses such as robbery or fraud, from the conviction (and pending charges can also disqualify until resolved in your favor).
• Sex offender registry: the check includes the National Sex Offender Public Website.

My 2016 version said “no misdemeanors involving theft, violence or drugs”. Uber’s national pages I found do not list misdemeanors that way. Washington’s published list, for example, puts theft and drug offenses among its 7-year disqualifiers. Check the criteria for your state. Some jurisdictions also require an individual assessment of your record and evidence of rehabilitation. In 2016 I guessed the lookback was 10 years. Uber’s current pages say 7 years as a default, or lifetime for the worst offenses.

Is there a credit check?

No. The screening is a criminal check and an MVR, and Uber’s help pages say there is no credit check. Your credit score does not decide whether you are approved. (If you later rent a car from a rental partner, that company may run its own credit or card check, which is a separate process.)

How long it takes

Uber says a background check typically takes 3 to 5 business days and up to 7 business days or more in some cases. Delays often come from county courthouse searches or from the screening company needing more information from you. Check your spam folder for its emails. Uber says it cannot speed the process up.

After you are approved

The check does not end at sign-up. Uber says it reruns driving and criminal checks at least yearly, and some cities require more often. It also uses continuous monitoring, which flags new charges or convictions from its screening providers in between. If something new shows up, you can lose access to the account. Uber says more than 750,000 prospective drivers did not pass its screening in 2021-2022, and 185,000 were removed as a result of continuous checks. Keep your license valid and your record clean.

If the report is wrong

Mistakes on records happen. Uber’s help center says disputes about what a report contains go to the screening company, which is Checkr for most drivers, and it will re-evaluate you if a revised report comes through. If the problem is your driving record, update your license in the app to trigger a new MVR (it can take up to 7 business days). Uber has said its final eligibility decision cannot itself be challenged, so correct the report at the source. If you believe a report is wrong, contact the screening company and consider asking your state’s consumer protection office or an attorney about your rights.

Delivery-only drivers

Uber Eats delivery uses the same type of screening through the same vendors, with its own minimum ages (18 for bike or foot, 19 for scooter or car, with 21 for cars in California and New York State). See the requirements overview.

Where to read Uber’s own rules

Uber’s pages: How driver screenings work and Understanding Uber’s background checks. This site is independent and not affiliated with Uber.