Last Updated on August 30, 2021

Whether you are applying for a new job, opening a credit card, or buying a home, there are numerous situations when you might need to submit to a background check. It is also required if you are planning to become a driver for ridesharing companies like Uber.

Note: This article is part of a series on totally free background check no credit card required.

According to a report by employment screening company HireRight, 84% of employment background checks are used to verify criminal records, 73% are to authenticate employment history, 66% are used to confirm identity, and 51% for education. Background screening is a significant part of the hiring process, no matter what industry you’re working in, including the gig economy.

What Does The Uber Background Check Include?

Before getting hired as an Uber driver, all candidates must undergo a background check. While some companies require a credit check as part of the hiring process, there is no credit card check involved with becoming an Uber driver.

According to Uber support, the company’s background check includes a review of your motor vehicle report (MVR) and a criminal background check. It is essential to understand that Uber must follow specific rules that vary from city to city and state to state.

As such, some people might be disqualified for certain offenses on their driving record or criminal record based on local laws and regulations for rideshare drivers.

Uber’s background check process includes two main components: a report of your driving history and a report of your criminal history. Here’s a breakdown of what the company is looking for when reviewing candidates.

• Motor Vehicle Report

A motor vehicle report includes your driver’s license details and information on your overall driving record, including moving violations, DUIs, and convictions.

To give rides as an Uber driver or make deliveries for Uber Eats, you must:

• Possess a valid U.S. driver’s license
• Have a minimum of one year licensed driving experience in the U.S. if you’re 23 years old or older
• Have three years of driving experience in the U.S. if you’re under 23 years old
• Maintain a clean driving record with no major moving violations within the past seven years. For example, reckless driving or DUI.
• Have no more than three minor violations in the last three years. For example, speeding, failing to stop at a red light, etc.

• Criminal Background Check

As its name suggests, a criminal background check searches for a candidate’s history of criminal misconduct, be it a misdemeanor or a felony. Depending on state and local law, a misdemeanor can range from property crimes to theft, perjury, reckless driving, and DUIs. These often incur monetary fines and don’t require jail time. On the other hand, felonies are more severe crimes. These offenses include burglary, arson, animal cruelty, sexual assault, murder, and terrorism.

How Does Uber Perform Its Driver Background Checks?

Uber’s background check is performed by Checkr, a third-party background check provider. Checkr uses your Social Security number to acquire your driving and criminal records. The company screens all Uber driver applicant records within the past seven years. Once Uber receives the completed report from Checkr, the rideshare company will use the results to decide and inform you via email whether your job application has been accepted or denied.

It is also worth mentioning that Uber will periodically run background checks on existing drivers to ensure they continue to meet all safety standards and legal requirements for being a driver. They always strive to find a person that is worthy of such a task.

As a reminder, to pass the background check, you must have:

• A clean Motor Vehicle Report (MVR) with no more than three incidents in the past three years
• No driving with a suspended license or without insurance in the past three years
• No DUIs and no reckless driving
• A clean criminal background check with no felonies or misdemeanors involving theft, violence or drugs

Individual states and municipalities may have requirements that differ from the above.

How Long Does It Take?

According to Uber, most background checks take 3-5 business days. However, this is only the average amount of time, not a hard and fast rule. The screening process can take longer depending on a variety of factors, including your location, county courthouse procedures, and more overarching circumstances such as the coronavirus health crisis.

If your Uber background check seems like it is taking too long, and it has been longer than seven days since you applied, you should reach out to both Checkr and contact Uber support to see what is going on.

What To Do If Your If Denied

Uber is not consistent with letting rejected drivers know that they were denied.  You may or may not get an email from them about the rejection. Uber says they will let you know within 7-10 business days.  If you contact them before that time, they will probably tell you to keep waiting.  If ten business days have passed, you should contact Uber.

What A Check Can and Can Not Do

Background checks only allow a company to learn if a person has been convicted of a crime in the past. There are two significant parts to that statement.

• They can not tell you for sure that a person has never committed a crime. A person could have committed crimes and never gotten caught or perhaps gotten caught but was never convicted. In those cases, even the most thorough background checks will not pick anything up.
• Background checks can not predict whether or not a person will commit a crime in the future. You might have a person who has never been caught or convicted of a crime in the past but who is now actively considering committing a crime.