Can You Drive for Uber or Lyft with a DUI / OVI On Your Record?

Many drivers in Ohio have signed up with companies like Uber and Lyft as a way to earn additional income.

The questions we often most often from potential Uber / Lyft drivers are these:

• Can I drive for Uber or Lyft with a traffic or speeding ticket on my record?
• Can I drive for Uber of Lyft with a DUI / OVI on my record?
• If drive for Uber / Lyft and was recently charged with OVI / DUI, can I continue to drive for them?
• The police took my license when I was charged with OVI.  Can I get driving privileges to drive for Uber / Lyft?

Generally, a traffic violation won’t prevent someone from driving for a ride-sharing service like Uber or Lyft. But if you have several violations, you may be disqualified from driving.

Ride-sharing services have disqualified drivers who have:

• More than three moving violations in the last three years
• A major violation in the last three years (Driving Under Suspension)
• OVI or DUI convictions
• Major violations involving a vehicle (A felony involving a vehicle)

Uber and Lyft will check the driving history of any potential new driver.

Uber has a policy of disqualifying anyone from signing up as a driver if there is an OVI or DUI on his or her driving record. Because OVI convictions are not expungeable in Ohio, a DUI / OVI conviction would likely prevent someone from driving for Uber.

Lyft’s policy states that a driver could potentially be barred from signing up as a driver if he or she has an OVI or DUI conviction within the last seven years.

Every driver must pass a check of his or her driving record prior to signing up for Uber or Lyft. Uber and Lyft differ on re-running license checks.  Uber does not have a policy for rechecking driving records, but Lyft rechecks once a year.

Uber states they will disqualify a driver temporarily who has a pending charge for OVI, but Lyft does not state whether or not they will suspend a driver with pending charges.

A driver who ultimately has his charged reduced could be reinstated as an Uber or Lyft driver, but the decision is left up to the individual company. Both Uber and Lyft state they may bar a driver from driving for them with a reduced charge on their record, but it will not disqualify them completely as an OVI or DUI conviction would.

Once you are charged with a DUI, a court date will be set. You will have the option of pleading guilty, not guilty, or no contest. We recommend pleading “not guilty” at the first court appearance. It is always worth investigating a case further to see if the OVI charge could be reduced. An experienced attorney can guide you through the initial steps to ensure the best possible outcome.

Your attorney will be able to petition the court for driving privileges to allow you to continue to drive for Uber or Lyft, provided you do not have any other license suspensions.

If you have any other questions about your pending traffic or OVI / DUI charge in Ohio, contact our attorneys at 614-361-2804.