Division of Criminal Justice Services

Ride-Sharing Driver Applicants: important information about background checks

Lyft and Uber – two ride-sharing companies now operating Upstate and on Long Island – use private companies to check if prospective applicants have a New York State criminal history record.

Individuals applying to drive for these ride-sharing companies will receive those results as part of their application process.

This check is required by law and the results provided by these private companies are not an official New York State criminal history record.

If an applicant has reason to believe that a ride-sharing company has received inaccurate information about a New York State arrest or conviction, he or she can request an official criminal history record from DCJS.

This process is known as a Personal Record Review. Individuals who request a Person Record Review will obtain either:

  • A copy of his or her New York State criminal history record, commonly called a rap sheet. 
  • A “no record” response indicating that he or she has no New York State criminal history record.

Note: Individuals who have submitted their fingerprints as required by law for employment, licensing or other purpose (for example, adoptions) also will see that information on their Personal Record Review response.

There are two types of Personal Record Review responses: suppressed or unsuppressed More Info

Applicants who seek to challenge New York State arrest or conviction information generated by a private company and provided to a ride-sharing company should request a Personal Record Review – Suppressed from DCJS. This official response would provide the most accurate information to dispute inaccurate or incomplete New York arrest or conviction.

Learn more about requesting a Personal Record Review »

More Info Personal Record Review – Unsuppressed

This response contains all criminal history records, including those suppressed or sealed under New York State Criminal Procedure Law (CPL), including:

  • CPL 160.50 dismissed cases
  • CPL 160.55 eligible violation/infraction convictions
  • CPL 160.58 eligible substance abuse and related convictions
  • CPL 720.35 youthful offender adjudications
  • Individual charges dismissed in court and the equivalent arrest charges, if the case was disposed on or after Nov. 1, 1991.

Personal Record Review – Suppressed

This response does not include sealed or suppressed information, as detailed above.