Becoming An Uber Driver Process
Last Updated on May 26, 2021 by Rideshare Community Support
Driver Community Topic: ☀Becoming An Uber Driver Process☀
Today we will cover the process of becoming a driver-partner for Uber. You need your driver’s license, vehicle registration, vehicle insurance, and personal insurance, for starters – this will cover the documents you need to provide. Be at least 23 years of age with 1 year + USA driving experience or 21 years of age with 3 + USA driving experience.
Some cities do not accept out-of-state driver’s licenses.
For example, drivers applying in DC must have a valid DC, VA, or MD license. Therefore a license issued in New York would not be accepted.
Vehicles typically cannot be more than 10-15 years old (depending on the city), must have 4 doors, and no significant body damage. Absolutely no salvaged or rebuilt vehicles. Uber will accept both official and temp registration documents.
Although Uber can accept many vehicles if they meet the basic requirements, some vehicles like Crown Victoria and Grand Marquis are a no-go. You should check with Uber directly for your city’s specific requirements. Each city has its own regulations for vehicles.
Now that we have gotten that out of the way, you will need to create a driver-partner account if you haven’t done so already. You will need a good working email address that you have access to at all times. Most of Uber’s communication will be done via email with occasion text messaging; however, you can also try calling them directly at 1-800-593-7069.
Once your account is created, the next step to keep the process moving is to submit your background check, which you will see once you have successfully created an account.
Background checks can take at least 14 business days to complete but can sometimes take up to a few weeks, depending on a number of factors that are out of Uber’s control. For instance, if you have lived in more than one state.
The good news is that you will be able to monitor the status of your background check at https://applicant.checkr.com once it has started.
After you have given consent to the background check, we suggest that you upload the essential documents Uber needs that we discussed above.
Submit your documents when becoming an Uber driver:
■ Go to partners.uber.com & log in if needed.
■ Click ‘Vehicles’ in the left-hand column.
■ Click ‘Update’ next to each missing document and select the correct document to upload.
■ If the document requires an expiration date, make sure you enter the date as it appears on your document.
■ Click “Save” to complete the process, and this will submit to Uber’s document team for review.
It may take up to 48 hours for documents to be approved. If there are any problems, they will let you know. Sometimes a document can be too blurry or half cut off, and they cannot see it. So make sure you take some good pictures with your phone. There are also helpful apps available that will turn your phone into a scanner so you can scan documents much better. Just search in your app store for ‘scan document’.
Once your background check and documents have been processed and approved, you will receive an email and or text message from Uber with details about getting started.
Final note, you will need a bank account in order to set up a direct deposit. You will be paid every Friday for trips you completed within the weekly pay period prior.
Other Questions Driver-Applicants Have:
Q. My insurance is under my dad’s name. Is that okay?
A. It’s okay not to be the primary policyholder. However, you will still need to show Uber you are covered. Therefore you can submit your policy’s declaration pages for review, which should list all additional drivers.
Q. My car is not registered under my name. Can I still drive?
A. No problem. Your vehicle does not need to be registered with you.
Q. I’m I required to have an inspection done?
A. This is a city-by-city requirement. Uber will let you know if an inspection is needed or not.
Q. How far into the background do they check?
A. At least the last 7 years.
Q. Will Uber take taxes out of my pay?
A. Since you will not be an employee of Uber, they cannot take taxes out of your pay. As an independent contractor, you will be responsible for filing your taxes.
Q. Can I add another driver to my account?
A. Not if you are an uberX driver. Only the uberBLACK/SUV drivers who hold special professional licenses can add additional drivers to their account.
Q. Can I let someone else drive under my account?
A. You are not allowed to let anyone operate under your account. This will get your account permanently deactivated.
Q. Can I use my pick-up truck?
A. We have seen some 4 door F150s in some smaller cities. But, typically pick-up trucks are not allowed. We recommend you contact Uber and provide them with the make, model, and year of your vehicle before your apply. So you won’t waste your time applying if you do not have an acceptable vehicle to drive.
Q. Can I take uberXL trips too?
A. Your vehicle must be able to hold up to 6 riders. If it can, Uber will likely automatically put you on the XL platform too at the time of your account approval/activation. If they do not, you should send them a quick note letting them know that your vehicle is a perfect fit for XL, it can hold at least 6 riders.
Q. Can I bring a friend with me until I get the hang of things?
A. No. It would be best if you did not have anyone else riding in the vehicle with you while picking up Uber passengers.
Q. It’s been almost 2 weeks and I haven’t heard from Uber.
A. It can take at least 14 business days to hear back. Check your email spam folder to make sure that you have not overlooked any emails from Uber. Check the background check website for your status. Also, make sure you have uploaded all your documents and they have been approved.
Q. How do I download the Uber app?
A. You can download the driver app by clicking here. You must have an iOS 8 or higher iPhone or Android 2013 or newer, must be version 4.0 or higher.
Q. Is there any way I can practice with the app before I go live?
A. Yes! You can play around with an online stimulation of the app here.
And that is pretty much how to become an Uber drive process.
