What Is a State Certification Number for Uber

If you decide to use your own vehicle to drive for Uber or Lyft, you may have to do a vehicle inspection before you can start driving.

In this article, learn if you will have to do an inspection, and the criteria your car will have to meet to pass.

Article Contents

• The Uber Vehicle Inspection
• The Lyft Vehicle Inspection
• Can You Get One Inspection for Both Uber & Lyft?
• Covid-19: How Inspections Have Changed

In most cities, Uber requires that you complete a vehicle inspection once every year at a state-certified auto repair shop, or at Uber activation centers that are located around town. If you apply online, you can complete the mechanical inspection after you pass the background check, but if you apply at an activation center, you may be able to complete the inspection right when you apply.

Lyft requires a vehicle inspection that is very similar to the Uber inspection. Lyft provides free inspections at partnered locations. If no Lyft Hub or other free inspection facility is available in your area, you'll have to print out the Lyft inspection form and bring it to a state-licensed mechanic in your area.

• Does your car qualify for Uber?
• Does your car qualify for Lyft?
• How to rent a car for Uber and Lyft

The Uber Vehicle Inspection

The Uber vehicle inspection covers mechanical and safety features that any well-maintained car should be able to pass with ease. Now that many inspections are performed at Activation Centers, inspectors go into even less detail than ever.

• View the Uber inspection form (pdf)

How much do Uber vehicle inspections cost?

Vehicle inspections are free at Uber's activation centers and Greenlight Hubs, but if you choose to go to an independent mechanic the inspection will usually cost around $30.

Not all Uber cities immediately require a vehicle inspection

When you apply to drive for Uber, you may find that your city doesn't immediately require a vehicle inspection before you can begin driving. If that's the case, continue driving and only get an inspection if Uber asks you to get one.

It's also possible that you'll be able to get on the road before you perform your inspection. Closely follow all instructions Uber sends to you inside the Uber driver app and via email. You may have to complete a vehicle inspection in your first 30 days as an active driver.

Get a free Uber inspection at Uber Greenlight Spots and Greenlight Hubs

In many larger markets, Uber provides free inspections at places called Greenlight Spots, Greenlight Hubs, or activation centers. These are locations that can perform the vehicle inspection for free and help you apply to drive and upload your documents. If you pass the inspection at an activation center, Uber will upload the inspection document for you. Uber also lists other affiliated mechanics shops that can perform free inspections.

How to find a free vehicle inspection for Uber

In the Uber driver app, tap Menu > Account > Documents > Vehicle Inspection > Find an inspection center. You will find a list of official Uber locations, as well as other local partnered auto shops.

Go to Account > Documents > Vechicle inspection to find inspection locations

You can also do a special Google search to find inspection centers. Your search term will be "*your city* vehicle inspections site:uber.com." For example "las vegas uber inspections site:uber.com."

You can also directly enter a URL by going to uber.com/us/en/drive/*your-city*/inspections/ (example: uber.com/us/en/drive/los-angeles/inspections/). From there, scroll down and find a link to Vehicle Inspections. You'll find a map of inspection locations and more info on inspection regulations in your area.

• Get in-person help at Uber Greenlight Hubs

Some Cities Are Going Paperless for Uber inspections

At my most recent inspection in Los Angeles, I was told that activation centers no longer use paper forms. So instead of taking a photo of the completed inspection form and uploading it to my Uber profile, all I had to do was wait while the inspector did the inspection and updated my account. It's more convenient before, but my old trick of using the Uber inspection form for Lyft didn't work.

Get a Virtual Inspection With RideShare Mechanic

RideShare Mechanic offers vehicle inspections for Uber and Lyft over video chat. It's a convenient way to get an inspection wherever you are – no need to find & drive to a local mechanic.

Try a virtual vehicle inspection with RideShare Mechanic

The Lyft Vehicle Inspection

You have two choices to complete the Lyft vehicle inspection: Visit a Lyft inspection site in your area, or print out the Lyft inspection form and pay a certified mechanic in your area to do the inspection. Most mechanics charge around $30 for a Lyft vehicle inspection. The inspection covers essential safety equipment like tires, brakes, seat belts, and lights.

• View the Lyft inspection form (For California)

Can You Get a Free Lyft Vehicle Inspection?

Lyft now has options for free vehicle inspections in some cities. Lyft provides free inspections for new drivers at Lyft Hubs, which are in-person support centers for drivers. Visit this page to see if your city has a Lyft Hub. Lyft also provides free inspections at some partnered auto shop chains.

Lyft also provides limited free 're-inspections' at Lyft Hubs or partnered auto shops. Re-inspection centers only cover inspections for drivers who have passed an initial inspection, so if you're using a vehicle that has not passed an inspection before, you won't qualify for the free re-inspection.

How to find a free Lyft vehicle inspection center

In the Lyft Driver app — Tap on your profile image, then tap Documents. Tap on your vehicle, then tap Vehicle inspection. Scroll to find the "Schedule an inspection" button. There, you can see a list of free inspection centers and schedule an appointment.

At your Lyft.com dashboard— Head to Lyft.com/login, then click Vehicles. Find the Vehicle Inspection section and look for the Schedule/Update button. If free inspection centers are available in your city, they will be listed there.

You can also find more information about inspections at help.lyft.com. Search for your city or state and find the search result that says "*your state* driver information," for example, "California Driver Information." That page will list inspection information and how to find inspection locations in your area.

Find free Lyft inspection locations in the Documents area of the driver app

The Lyft vehicle inspection covers:

• Brake wear
• Parking break operation
• Steering mechanism condition (ball joints, tie rods, bushings, steering rack)
• Windshield – Cracks or no cracks
• Condition of other window glass
• Windshield wipers
• Headlights and taillights
• Turn signals and stop lights
• Front seat adjusment
• Doors: Open, close, lock
• Horn
• Speedometer
• Bumper condition
• Tire tread depth
• Interior and exterior rear-view mirrors
• Seat belts for drivers and passengers

For more info about Lyft requirements, read: Lyft driver requirements: What do they really mean?

Does paint, body, or hail damage disqualify your car from Uber & Lyft?

Major cosmetic damage may disqualify your vehicle, but it's often up to the discretion of your inspector to decide how much damage is too much. The inspection forms do not leave clear guidelines specifying exactly how much damage is acceptable.

Generally speaking, Uber & Lyft won't accept vehicles that have: Major body damage, panels with mismatched paint, or major hail damage. A good rule of thumb is that baseball-sized dents and scratches are ok, but anything bigger could disqualify your car.

Can you do one vehicle inspection that covers both Uber and Lyft?

Many drivers like to stay active on both Uber and Lyft, which means you'll need to keep inspections up to date for both companies. It seems like a hassle to do two inspections when both companies have essentially the same requirements.

Is there a way to get one inspection that is accepted by both Uber and Lyft? The answer is yes and no, depending on whether you visit a free inspection location or if you go to an independent mechanic.

If you get an inspection at an official Uber or Lyft location, the inspector may use a tablet and won't provide a paper form. Without the paper form, you won't be able to upload an image of the form to the other rideshare service. You'll have to get a separate inspection in that case.

If you go to an independent mechanic and bring a paper form, you can upload the completed paper form to each services. Or you can bring both forms and ask the mechanic to fill out each. The inspections are essentially the same, so if you ask nicely the mechanic will likely fill out both forms for you at no extra charge.

RideShare Mechanic can do one video inspection to cover both Uber and Lyft

Covid-19: How Uber/Lyft Inspections Have Changed

Drivers must still keep inspections up to date. Uber and Lyft hubs are mostly back open, but they may have limited hours and require appointments (no drop ins). Mechanics are considered essential businesses, so you can still have your vehicle inspected at an independent mechanic.

A great option for a no-contact inspection is Rideshare Mechanic, which offers fully virtual inspections that can cover both Uber and Lyft. So if you want to keep your Uber and Lyft documents up to date without making a special trip to the mechanic, give RideShare Mechanic a look.

What to Do if Your Car Doesn't Pass an Inspection

If your car doesn't pass the inspection, correct the issue and go back to redo the inspection. After you do, you can upload your inspection form to your driver dashboard. The inspection only covers the most basic roadworthiness of a car, so if your car fails it's probably not safe to drive and you should invest money into bringing your car up to standard.

What Is a State Certification Number for Uber

Source: https://www.ridesharingdriver.com/will-your-car-pass-the-uber-or-lyft-vehicle-inspection/

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