Uber Eats Requirements

MyCarTracks_support · April 20, 2026, 9:20am

If you want to start delivering with Uber Eats, you need the right delivery mode, the right documents, and a clean approval file before your first order. You should also set up MyCarTracks mileage tracking before your first delivery so your onboarding driving, first shifts, and later tax records start clean.

Uber Eats is usually simpler than passenger rideshare because you are delivering food instead of carrying riders, but the requirement list still changes with your city and your delivery mode. A car, scooter, bicycle, or foot courier can face different age rules, insurance documents, screening steps, and ongoing recordkeeping.

What you need before you can apply

You can only sign up in a market that currently allows your chosen delivery mode, so start by checking whether Uber Eats is onboarding couriers in your city before you buy gear or switch vehicles.

Here are the core US eligibility points the source set keeps separate:

You must live in a city that allows Uber Eats signups for the delivery mode you want to use.
You must be at least 18 for bicycle delivery and at least 19 for car or scooter delivery.
You need a valid state driver’s license if you plan to deliver by car or scooter.
You need access to a car, scooter, or bicycle that fits Uber Eats standards for that mode.
You should be ready to handle food orders and delivery gear during a normal shift.

One detail that matters here: you do not need the same minimum years of driving experience that Uber passenger rideshare can require. That is one reason some people qualify for Uber Eats before they qualify for rides.

Which documents you should upload

Your application is easier to approve when your documents are original, complete, readable, and not expired.

Prepare these uploads before you start:

Valid state driver’s license for car or scooter delivery, or another government-issued photo ID if you plan to deliver by bicycle or on foot.
Proof of current insurance coverage for cars and scooters.
Vehicle registration for cars and scooters.
A clear, high-quality profile photo.

Keep the same legal name across Uber, your screening file, your license, your insurance, and your payout records. Small mismatches are one of the easiest ways to slow your approval.

How each delivery mode gets approved

Uber Eats keeps vehicle rules simple, but you still need to match the right documents to the right mode.

Automobiles: You can usually deliver with any 2-door or 4-door car, truck, SUV, or van. If you do not own one, renting through an Uber partner may still be an option in some markets.
Scooters: Your motorized scooter needs to stay under 50cc, so motorcycles usually do not qualify for this signup path.
Bicycles: Any electric or manual bicycle can fit the basic bicycle-delivery rule.
Foot delivery: Foot delivery can be available in some cities, but you should only rely on it after the Driver app shows it as an approved transport option in your market.

If you switch modes later, save the old approval, the new approval, and the first day you used the new setup. That keeps your insurance file and your mileage records from mixing together.

What your own insurance has to cover

If you want to deliver with a car or scooter, you need at least the personal insurance your state requires, and you need to keep Uber’s insurance guidance and your own insurer’s delivery-use rules in the same file. Some common minimums the source family highlights are:

$25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident in bodily injury liability coverage.
$25,000 per accident in property damage liability coverage.

Some states also require extra coverages such as medical payments, personal injury protection, or uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage. Even when a state does not require scooter insurance, you may still want it for the financial risk you are carrying.

What extra protection can apply while you are online

Your personal policy is still the first thing to verify, but Uber also maintains commercial auto coverage while you drive or deliver on the platform. In the US source set, the supplemental policy can include these waiting-for-a-request limits:

$50,000 per person and $100,000 per accident in bodily injury liability coverage.
$25,000 per accident in property damage liability coverage.

During a pickup or delivery, the commercial policy can step up to at least $1 million in liability coverage, and contingent collision and comprehensive coverage can apply if you already carry comprehensive and collision on your own policy. Do not treat that extra coverage as a substitute for your own required insurance. It works with your personal policy, not instead of it.

If you want the tax angle on those vehicle costs later, the local follow-up is Uber Eats Tax Deductions.

What to expect from the background screening

You will consent to screening during the signup flow, and the source family keeps that as its own step for a reason. Screening vendors can review criminal history and, for motor vehicles, driving history that could block approval.

The US help and competitor sources both point to a screening window of about 3 to 5 business days in many cases, but courthouse delays, document mismatches, or extra review can stretch that longer. Uber can also rerun screening after you are already active.

If screening is the part you want in detail, read Uber Eats Background Check next.

How to finish the signup flow

Once your documents are ready, work through the application in order:

Download the Uber Driver app for iOS or Android, or open Uber’s worker signup page.
Create or sign in to your Uber account.
Choose the delivery path and the transport mode you actually plan to use.
Enter your personal details and the screening information required for your market.
Upload the documents for your chosen mode.
Wait for screening, document review, and activation to finish.

If you already use Uber for rideshare, you can add delivery work from the Driver app at Account > Work Hub > Deliver food with Uber Eats. Save that activation screen the same way you would save a fresh approval notice.

How this changes by market

United States

The US flow is the strongest source set for standalone car, scooter, bicycle, and foot rules. It is also the cleanest market for the age thresholds, the city-signup rule, and the driver-license versus government-ID split.

Canada

Canada uses a stricter car-delivery baseline. The official page says car couriers must be at least 21, use a 2-door or 4-door car that is model year 1990 or newer, show proof of vehicle insurance, and show proof of work eligibility. Bike or foot delivery uses a separate age rule that can be 18 or 19 depending on the province, and foot delivery is only available in select cities. The Canada page also names ISB and Triton as the third-party screening vendors.

United Kingdom

The UK courier flow takes a few weeks rather than feeling like a same-day checklist. You need the correct documents, a completed background check, and the follow-up instructions that arrive by email and SMS. If the screening partner asks for a separate right-to-work or disclosure file, keep that as part of the same application folder.

Germany

Germany does not use the same independent-signup story. The official page says many couriers join a fleet partner that already operates with Uber Eats. If you are checking Germany, treat fleet onboarding, VAT registration timing, and employer-partner paperwork as part of the requirement set.

Uber Eats is available in many more markets than these sections cover, so use the local city or country page before assuming another country follows the same setup.

What to keep after you are approved

Approval is only the start of the compliance file. Keep:

Application confirmation.
Identity document.
Driver’s license or government ID.
Background-check consent and result.
Car or scooter insurance where applicable.
Registration where applicable.
Profile photo approval.
Payout setup.
Tax settings.
First-delivery mileage log.
Delivery gear receipts.
Rejected-document or resubmission messages.

Some Uber help flows warn that required documents may need to be uploaded promptly after activation, so do not leave renewals and upload confirmations inside the app only.

Questions you may still have

Can you deliver with Uber Eats if you already use Uber for rides?

Yes. You can add delivery work through Work Hub instead of opening a completely separate account, but you should still separate Uber rideshare records from Uber Eats delivery records from the first day.

Can you sign up for Uber Eats with a bicycle instead of a car?

Yes, if your market supports bicycle delivery and your app shows that transport mode. Bicycle delivery does not use the same vehicle paperwork as a car or scooter, but it still uses identity checks and background screening.

Do you need years of driving experience to do Uber Eats?

Not the same way you do for passenger rideshare. The source family is explicit that Uber Eats does not carry the same minimum-years-of-driving requirement that rideshare can.

Approval habits that save trouble later

Choose the correct delivery mode during signup.
Check city availability before buying gear for a new mode.
Keep document photos clear, complete, and unexpired.
Make sure names match across every file.
Ask your insurer about delivery use before your first shift.
Start mileage tracking before your first delivery.
Save every approval, rejection, and reupload message.

Mileage tracking and tax deductions before your first delivery

You should start mileage tracking before your first approved shift, not after the first payout. That gives you clean mileage logs for tax deductions, helps you separate business driving from personal errands, and gives you a better record if you ever need to review a reimbursement or expense question later.

MyCarTracks workflow

Use MyCarTracks during onboarding and the first week of delivery. Tag document errands, first deliveries, personal stops, and other apps separately so your first tax-year report starts clean.

Later in the month, export business mileage reports and keep them next to your Uber Eats approval file. If you want the broader product overview, use MyCarTracks.