If you ‘re a driver for a transportation network company ( TNC ) in California, you must have car insurance at all times while your rideshare app is on. Some companies, such as Uber and Lyft, provide their own indemnity. In these cases, drivers can meet California ‘s necessity without purchasing their own rideshare insurance policies .
however, unless you purchase your own rideshare policy, you wo n’t receive all the benefits a personal policy might include, such as comprehensive and collision coverages, higher liability limits and a abject deductible .

California insurance requirements for rideshare drivers

California requires TNC drivers to carry rideshare indemnity adenine soon as they flip on the rideshare app. The minimal car policy requirements vary according to which “ period ” you are in .
Period 0: When the rideshare app is away, the driver ‘s personal insurance is active, which should meet California ‘s minimum car indemnity requirements. These are :

  • $15,000 bodily injury coverage per person injured in an accident
  • $30,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident
  • $5,000 of property damage coverage per accident

Period 1: If the rideshare app is on but you have n’t been paired with a passenger, you must have :

  • $50,000 bodily injury liability coverage per person injured in an accident
  • $100,000 of bodily injury liability coverage per accident
  • $25,000 of property damage liability coverage per accident

Your personal rideshare policy policy may cover you, or your TNC may offer enough coverage. We recommend confirming with your rideshare company whether you need to purchase this indemnity for yourself, otherwise you may not be driving legally in California .
Uber, for case, provides this liability indemnity for drivers during Period 1 if they do n’t have their own rideshare policy. Your TNC is besides required to provide at least $ 200,000 of overindulgence liability policy coverage .
Periods 2 and 3: Once you ‘ve been paired with a passenger and they ‘ve entered your vehicle, the rideshare company is required to carry a $ 1 million liability indemnity policy in California. This covers you and your passengers during Periods 2 and 3. Depending on your TNC, it may offer extra coverage during these periods angstrom well .
Uber provides drivers with $1 million of uninsured and underinsured motorist bodily injury coverage. It also provides comprehensive and collision coverage with a $1,000 deductible so long as the driver has collision coverage on their personal auto insurance policy.

provides drivers with $ 1 million of uninsured and underinsured motorist bodily injury coverage. It besides provides comprehensive examination and collision coverage with a $ 1,000 deductible sol long as the driver has collision coverage on their personal car policy policy. Lyft besides provides comprehensive and collision coverage in California, sol long as you have collision coverage on your personal car policy policy. Lyft ‘s deductible is $ 2,500, which is what you ‘d have to pay out of pocket before it covers any damages. According to country law, you must be covered by an car insurance policy at all times. But because the TNC can help meet that prerequisite, not all rideshare drivers in California need to purchase rideshare policy in order to drive legally .
however, you may want to purchase an person rideshare policy that allows you to maintain certain coverages — such as comprehensive, collision and checkup payments — during Period 1. differently, you would have to pay the costs out of pocket if you were injured or your vehicle was damaged during that time period .
The laws above alone apply to rideshare drivers, not limousine or livery drivers, as they have their own commercial car indemnity requirements .

Uber and Lyft car requirements in California

car requirements for rideshare drivers vary depending on your TNC and city. And if you drive for Uber, the course of study you ‘ve chosen will besides affect requirements. The one commonality is that California law requires all rideshare drivers to display their company ‘s decal in the fomite ‘s windows at all times when the app is on. In summation, if you intend to pick up or drop off passengers from an airport, you ‘ll besides need airport-specific decals .
here are Lyft ‘s vehicle requirements for most California cities :

  • Cars must have four doors and five to eight passenger seats.
  • The car must have California license plates. It also must be insured by an auto insurance policy issued in California
  • Cars cannot be classified as salvage or rebuilt.
  • The vehicle model year should be 2001 or newer in most cities — but you’ll need to check your own city’s requirements.
  • Cars must pass an annual inspection, and you’ll need to visit a licensed mechanic to have the inspection form completed. You should keep the inspection form in your car at all times, along with your proof of insurance. Drivers will need to pay for the inspection themselves, which costs around $30. For free annual reinspections, drivers can visit one of Lyft’s hub locations.

Uber ‘s vehicle requirements chiefly change based on the programs offered in a given city. No matter which Uber service you drive for in California, there are some common requirements .

  • Cars must have four doors and be in good condition. Cosmetic damages or add-ons, such as significant window tinting or displayed ads, may cause your vehicle to be rejected.
  • Your vehicle can’t be classified as salvage, rebuilt, a taxi cab, a government vehicle, a van or a box truck.
  • The car must have working air conditioning and windows.
  • Aftermarket seat modifications, including installed seat belts, are not allowed.
  • The car must be registered and insured in California.
  • The vehicle will need an annual vehicle inspection, and the inspection form must be completed at an Uber Greenlight Spot. The inspection is free if it’s completed by one of Uber’s partners. Otherwise, you’ll have to pay the cost of the inspection yourself.

Depending on the program you choose, Uber ‘s car requirements in California typically include the follow .

Program

Car model year

Car body

Seats

Interior

uberX Less than 15 years old Any 5+ seats Good condition
uberXL Less than 15 years old Any 7+ seats Good condition
UberSELECT 2009 or newer Luxury sedan (specific models) 5+ seats Leather or vinyl, great condition
UberBLACK 2012 or newer Black luxury sedan (specific models) 5+ seats Black leather or vinyl, great condition
UberSUV 2012 or newer Black SUV (specific models) 7+ seats Black leather or vinyl, great condition
UberLUX 2012 or newer Black sedan, crossover SUV, SUV (specific models) 5+ seats Black leather or vinyl, great condition

Uber and Lyft driver requirements in California

The requirements for Uber and Lyft drivers in California are quite like. As a driver, you ‘ll need a California driver ‘s license. Your photograph will be displayed to passengers before you pick them up. Certain cities in the state besides require you to have a occupation license if you have driven at least 30 days with a rideshare company in the past year. Check your local regulations to determine if you need to register .
In summation, California law requires all Uber and Lyft drivers to undergo an annual background bridle, which the company will run on your behalf. The background check reviews your information for the by several years, such as whether you ‘ve been convicted of a crimson crime, drug offense, sexual discourtesy or larceny. Rideshare companies besides typically review your motor vehicle phonograph record for late violations including DUIs, driving without indemnity and heedless drive .
UberLUX drivers must besides have a commercial driver ‘s license, but this requirement does n’t apply to drivers in other programs .

Rideshare insurance companies in California

You should first decide how much coverage you need before comparing rates and selecting the best rideshare policy ship’s company for yourself. Each insurance company offers different levels of security. So, for exemplar, if you wanted to extend your comprehensive coverage during all periods, you would have that capability with State Farm but not Geico .
We ‘ve compiled a list of the rideshare indemnity companies in California by their level of coverage .

Coverage

Insurers

None, but you won’t be dropped as a customer Liberty Mutual
Period 1 coverage “gaps,” meaning the policy makes up the difference between the TNC’s policy and your personal auto insurance policy Farmers Insurance, Mercury Insurance and USAA (only for military and families)
Any coverage “gaps” during Periods 1, 2 or 3, plus your personal policy’s deductible applies if it’s lower than your TNC’s Allstate, Esurance, Geico (not for full-time drivers, restricted number of miles covered), MetLife (only for Lyft drivers), State Farm

several insurers offer rideshare insurance policies in California, so you should n’t have any trouble comparing quotes to find the cheapest rates for yourself once you ‘ve decided how much coverage you need. Comparing rates is an crucial dance step, as every rideshare policy company in California will only extend coverage if you have a personal car insurance policy with them equally well .
For exemplify, if you ‘re taking advantage of a bunch discount with your current insurance company, you ‘ll have to compare the new sum cost of all your policies across each insurance company. If you fair compared the cost of car and rideshare indemnity, you may end up overpaying if you have other policies that would be affected .

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