Uber requirements to be a driver for evenings and weekends

The short answer

To drive for Uber, you must meet your city’s minimum age. Uber’s city pages show 23 in places like Phoenix, Atlanta and Chicago, and 25 in Austin. You also need at least one year of US driving experience (three if you’re under 25), an eligible 4-door car, insurance, and a record that passes a driving and criminal background check. Uber Eats has a lower age bar: 18 on a bike or on foot, 19 with a car or scooter, and 21 for car deliveries in California and New York State.

Time cost: one evening or a quiet Saturday morning to sign up, then typically 3 to 5 business days waiting for the background check. After approval you choose your own hours, so a single three-hour shift on a weekend is enough to start, and you don’t need any weeknights.

Age rules depend on where you live

Uber doesn’t set one national minimum age for rides. Its main requirements page only says you must “meet the minimum age to drive in your state”. The actual number is on each city’s page. When we checked, Phoenix, Atlanta and Chicago said new drivers must be at least 23. Austin and the Tri-Cities area of Washington said at least 25.

Other sites publish tidy state-by-state age lists, but they don’t always match Uber’s own city pages, so we wouldn’t plan around them. Look up your city’s page on Uber’s site before you do anything else, so you don’t spend an evening on paperwork you can’t use.

If you’re under your city’s limit, delivery is the realistic way in. Uber Eats accepts 18-year-olds on a bike or on foot, and 19-year-olds with a scooter or car. In California and New York State you must be 21 to deliver by car. For delivery you need a Social Security number for the background check and a license in your own name if you use a motor vehicle. Many markets also ask for proof of residency. If delivery is where you end up, our look at DoorDash on weekends next to a day job shows how the main alternative compares.

Your license and driving history

For rides, Uber asks for at least one year of licensed driving in the US, or three years if you’re under 25. Some states also want an in-state license. If you’ve moved states recently and haven’t swapped your license yet, sort that out first. Along with the license, you’ll need proof of residency, proof of insurance if you’re using your own car, and a profile photo.

The car you’ll need

Vehicle rules vary by region. Uber’s general page leaves the details to local pages and to what you see after sign-up. The Austin and Chicago pages give a good picture of the usual baseline. The car must be 15 years old or newer, have 4 doors, be in good condition with no cosmetic damage, and carry no commercial branding. Official or temporary registration is fine, and the car doesn’t have to be registered in your name. That helps if you’d be using your partner’s car or the family’s shared one. Salvage, rebuilt and total-loss titles aren’t allowed. If your title ever changes to one of those, you must tell Uber and stop taking trips. Age limits differ between cities, so check the exact cutoff on your city’s page.

Here’s how the common options compare on those city pages:

The premium options are a much bigger commitment. Austin’s Premier needs a 4.85+ rating over 250 trips and a luxury car with a leather interior, 6 years old or newer. Chicago’s Uber Black needs a black car 7 years old or newer, livery plates, commercial insurance and a Chicago chauffeur license. If you’re fitting this around a day job, UberX is the sensible place to start.

The background check and what slows it down

Uber’s explanation of its background checks sets out the order. First, your Social Security number is validated with the IRS. Your ID, a live photo and your vehicle documents are reviewed next. Then comes a Motor Vehicle Record check, followed by a criminal check run by a third-party company. Uber says about 70% of rejected applications fail at the driving-record stage, for problems such as a DUI or reckless driving. Flagged records are checked at county-court level, and a person reviews any final disqualification.

Some convictions mean a lifetime ban, including sexual assault, sex crimes involving minors, murder, kidnapping and terrorism. Uber’s screening page also lists violent felonies and child abuse. Other felonies, such as robbery or fraud, generally have a seven-year lookback, and a pending disqualifying charge can block you before any conviction. Checkr runs the checks. It says Uber assesses each case individually, so a record doesn’t automatically rule you out, and that driving records are typically reviewed for the last three to seven years.

The check usually takes 3 to 5 business days. Common names, out-of-state records, slow DMVs and mismatched details can stretch that out. You can avoid mismatched details by entering your name exactly as it appears on your license. Progress shows at candidate.checkr.com. Approval isn’t the end of it, either. Uber reruns screenings at least every year and watches for new charges in between. If you want to drive during a busy stretch like the holidays, start the paperwork a couple of weeks early.

Insurance, and the gap to close first

Part-time drivers often use the household car, so this is where a mistake costs the most. Uber’s insurance page splits your time into three periods:

1. App off: only your personal policy applies, and you must carry at least your state’s minimum cover.
2. App on, waiting for a request: Uber covers third-party liability of $50,000 per person, $100,000 per accident and $25,000 for property damage. It provides no collision or comprehensive cover for your own car.
3. Heading to a pickup or on a trip: at least $1 million in liability. Damage to your car is covered up to its actual cash value with a $2,500 deductible, but only if you carry comprehensive and collision on your personal policy.

Your personal policy may not cover you either. The Insurance Information Institute says a standard personal auto policy generally won’t cover ridesharing, because these policies usually exclude livery work, and it advises drivers to contact their own insurer about any gaps. Drivers usually fill those gaps with a rideshare endorsement added to their personal policy. Call your insurer before your first shift and ask what it offers, especially if the whole household depends on that car during the week.

Before you start: your day job

Uber says you “decide when and how often you drive” and doesn’t mention minimum hours, so the schedule rarely clashes with a 9-to-5. The bigger questions are about your employer. Read your employment contract or handbook for anything on outside work or conflicts of interest, because the rules differ from employer to employer. Keep the app off during work hours, and don’t use a work phone or work vehicle. A company car with logos wouldn’t meet the no-branding rule anyway. For the wider picture, see how to make side hustles work around a full-time job.

Taxes once the money starts

Uber reports trip earnings on a 1099-K. The form is only required once payments exceed $20,000 across more than 200 transactions, although Uber says some states set lower thresholds. Promotions and referrals of $600 or more go on a 1099-NEC. Self-employment tax of 15.3% applies once your net self-employment earnings reach $400. That is far below the 1099-K threshold, so keep your own records whether or not a form arrives.

For 2026, the IRS mileage rate is 72.5 cents a mile from January 1 to June 30 and 76 cents from July 1 to December 31, so split your mileage log at the end of June. Uber’s own tax page has listed an incorrect 2025 rate, so go by the IRS figures (2025 was 70 cents). For the new tips deduction, Uber says tips need to appear on a 1099 for you to claim them, and drivers below the threshold can opt in to forms through Tax Settings. This is general information, not tax advice, so check your own situation with a tax professional.

Will this wear you out?

Before you take on the paperwork, look at what the hours pay. Gridwise, which tracks drivers who use its app, found a 2025 median of $21.18 an hour in trip pay before expenses. It estimates most drivers net about $15 to $18 an hour after costs. The average Uber driver in that data drove about 21.2 hours a week, far more than most people can manage alongside a full-time job and a family. Our guide to how much Uber pays for evening and weekend driving goes through the numbers in more detail.

Driving takes a particular kind of energy. After a long working week, a Saturday evening in traffic can feel longer than it is. We’d suggest setting a firm stop time before you log on and keeping at least half the weekend completely free. Start with one short shift, and see how you feel on Monday morning before you add a second.

One warning while you wait for approval

New drivers are easy targets for scammers. Uber says its employees will never email or phone you to ask for account details, including your password. A common trick is a fake “Uber Support” call, sometimes routed through the app, that threatens deactivation and asks for a verification code or card details. In reported cases, a Tennessee driver lost $550 and a Florida driver lost more than $2,000. If someone calls, hang up and check your account in the app yourself.