What does Lyft look for in a background check?
Lyft runs two checks: a criminal background check and a driving record (DMV) check. Lyft’s help center publishes the main things that can make you ineligible, and says requirements vary by location and that its list is not exhaustive.
Criminal background check
- A listing on the National Sex Offender Registry
- Convictions for violent crimes, sexual offenses or terrorism
- Convictions for DUI or drug-impaired driving, fraud, drug offenses, or theft or property damage
Driving record check
- An invalid license status
- Four or more moving violations
- One major moving violation
- DUI or drug-related driving violations
- Serious driving-related convictions
Lyft also says it reserves the right to disqualify a driver at any time, consistent with applicable law, because of disqualifying information or for other safety reasons.
How far back does the Lyft background check go?
Lyft gives lookback periods for some categories:
- DUI, fraud, drug, and theft or property offenses: generally seven years, varying by region
- Moving violations: three years
- DMV DUI or drug-related violations and serious driving convictions: seven years, varying by location
Lyft does not state a lookback period for the most serious categories, such as violent crimes, sexual offenses and terrorism.
Separate from Lyft’s own policy, federal law limits what a background check company may report. Under 15 U.S.C. § 1681c, arrests, dismissed charges and other non-conviction records generally cannot be reported once they are more than seven years old. That limit does not apply to convictions, or to reports for a job reasonably expected to pay $75,000 a year or more.
Who runs the Lyft background check?
Lyft’s help center names two companies:
- Checkr, Inc. runs the criminal background check.
- Safety Holdings Inc., which Lyft calls “a third-party company,” runs the driving record check.
A December 2019 Lyft announcement said Lyft had partnered with SambaSafety for near-real-time insight into drivers’ new driving citations.
The company that prepared the report is the one with the legal duty to fix it, so a criminal record error and a driving record error may go to different places. See our Checkr company guide and our guide to Checkr background check statuses.
How long does the Lyft background check take?
Lyft says most criminal background checks are finished within a few days, but some can take several weeks. You can check the status in the Checkr applicant portal.
Lyft does not give a separate time frame for the driving record check.
To keep things moving:
- Watch your email, including spam, for messages from Checkr asking for information or documents
- Make sure the name and date of birth you entered match your license exactly
- If your license was recently renewed or reinstated, be aware that the change may take time to show up on your state’s driving record
Does Lyft check your background again?
Yes. Lyft says it conducts continuous criminal and driving record monitoring of active drivers. Its 2019 announcement said Lyft had continuously monitored active drivers for new criminal offenses since April 2019. A new record, or a record wrongly matched to you, can end your access after you are approved. If that happened, see our guide on deactivation from Uber or Lyft because of a background check error.
What to do if your Lyft background check failed
Start by sorting out which kind of problem you have. Lyft treats them differently.
The criminal report is wrong. Lyft says inaccurate criminal results can be disputed with Checkr through its portal. Examples: a case that belongs to someone else, a dismissed charge listed as a conviction, the same case listed twice, or a record older than the law allows.
The criminal record is accurate but resolved. Lyft says you can send documents to Lyft support, such as a certificate of rehabilitation, a certificate of relief from disabilities, or a court-approved dismissal or expungement.
The driving record is the problem. Lyft says to visit your local DMV to remove violations or update your license status, then send the updated motor vehicle record to Lyft support. Lyft says it does not accept paid-ticket receipts or proof of completing a defensive driving course.
How to dispute a wrong Lyft background check with Checkr
- Get your report from the Checkr applicant portal.
- Mark each item that is wrong and explain why.
- Attach proof: a certified court disposition, a sealing or expungement order, or identification showing a different date of birth or middle name.
- Keep copies and note the date you filed.
- Track the deadline. Under 15 U.S.C. § 1681i, Checkr must reinvestigate free of charge, generally within 30 days (up to 15 more days if you send new information during that time), delete or correct anything inaccurate, incomplete or unverifiable, and send you written results within five business days after it finishes.
If the court’s own record is wrong, ask the court clerk to correct it too, or the error can return on the next check.
If you get an adverse action notice, keep it. The FCRA requires a company that takes adverse action based on a consumer report to give you the name, address and phone number of the company that furnished it, and to tell you about your right to a free copy within 60 days and to dispute it (15 U.S.C. § 1681m).
Do Lyft drivers get a pre-adverse action notice?
For background checks used for “employment purposes,” the FCRA requires the company to give you a copy of the report and a written summary of your rights before taking adverse action (15 U.S.C. § 1681b(b)(3)). It also requires a standalone disclosure and your written authorization before the report is pulled.
Whether those rules cover Lyft drivers is not settled. The FCRA defines “employment purposes” as evaluating a consumer for employment, promotion, reassignment or retention “as an employee” (§ 1681a(h)). An FTC staff report from 2011 says the term is read liberally and can include people who are not technically employees, giving the example of a trucking company that checks owner-operator drivers. That report is staff guidance, not a binding rule or a court decision. Lyft’s help page does not describe a pre-adverse action step. If you see an error, dispute it right away rather than waiting for a notice.
When can a Lyft background check error lead to an FCRA claim?
The key duties fall on the background check company. When Checkr or a driving record provider prepares a consumer report, it must “follow reasonable procedures to assure maximum possible accuracy” (15 U.S.C. § 1681e(b)) and reasonably reinvestigate your dispute. You may have a claim if:
- The report listed a record that is not yours, or got a case’s outcome wrong
- It reported a non-conviction record older than seven years
- You disputed with proof and the error stayed
- The error cost you access to Lyft and the income that came with it
For negligent violations, the FCRA allows actual damages, which can include lost earnings, plus attorney’s fees (§ 1681o). For willful violations, it allows actual or statutory damages of $100 to $1,000, punitive damages and fees (§ 1681n). Claims against Lyft itself usually turn on the notice rules above.
Keep your earnings records, every email and app message, the report, and your dispute. Uber drivers can compare our guide to the Uber background check, and see our page on background check errors.
Get a free case review
If a wrong Lyft background check kept you off the road, or Checkr did not fix your dispute, talk to an FCRA lawyer. Our case review is free, and we work on contingency: no fee unless we win.
Time limits apply. Under 15 U.S.C. § 1681p, an FCRA lawsuit generally must be filed within two years after you discover the violation, and no later than five years after the violation occurred.
Frequently asked questions
What does Lyft look for in a background check?
Lyft's help center lists a National Sex Offender Registry check and convictions for violent crimes, sexual offenses, terrorism, DUI or drug-impaired driving, fraud, drug offenses, and theft or property damage. On the driving record, it looks for an invalid license, four or more moving violations, a major moving violation, DUI or drug-related driving violations, and serious driving-related convictions.
How far back does the Lyft background check go?
Lyft says DUI, fraud, drug, and theft or property offenses generally look back seven years, moving violations three years, and DMV DUI, drug-related and serious driving convictions seven years. Lyft says these vary by location, and its list is not exhaustive.
Who does Lyft use for background checks?
Lyft's help center says Checkr, Inc. runs criminal background checks and a third-party company, Safety Holdings Inc., runs the driving record check. A 2019 Lyft announcement said it partnered with SambaSafety for continuous driving record monitoring.
How long does the Lyft background check take?
Lyft says most criminal background checks finish within a few days, but some can take several weeks. You can check the status in the Checkr applicant portal.
Can I dispute a failed Lyft background check?
Yes. Lyft says inaccurate criminal results can be disputed with Checkr through its portal. Accurate records with documents such as a certificate of rehabilitation or a court-approved dismissal or expungement can go to Lyft support. Driving record problems go through your DMV first.
Sources
- Lyft Help: Background check requirements
- Lyft: Nationwide continuous driving record screening (Dec. 16, 2019)
- FTC, 40 Years of Experience with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (staff report, July 2011)
- 15 U.S.C. § 1681a, definitions (Cornell LII)
- 15 U.S.C. § 1681b, permissible purposes and employment rules (Cornell LII)
- 15 U.S.C. § 1681c, requirements relating to information in reports (Cornell LII)
- 15 U.S.C. § 1681e, compliance procedures (Cornell LII)
- 15 U.S.C. § 1681i, procedure in case of disputed accuracy (Cornell LII)
- 15 U.S.C. § 1681m, requirements on users of consumer reports (Cornell LII)
- 15 U.S.C. § 1681n, civil liability for willful noncompliance (Cornell LII)
- 15 U.S.C. § 1681o, civil liability for negligent noncompliance (Cornell LII)
- 15 U.S.C. § 1681p, time limit to sue (Cornell LII)
Updated November 2026. This page is general information, not legal advice.