How to Become a Lyft or Uber Driver-Partner in NYC

Kimberly Alt Updated: August 15, 2017 Ride-sharing 1 Comment

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New York City traffic on Brooklyn Bridge New York City is a popular tourist destination, and most of those visitors don’t have a vehicle in the city, are confused with public transit, or aren’t comfortable driving themselves. Many residents don’t own their own automobiles either. This is why New York Uber driver-partners and Lyft drivers are in high demand. If you’re curious about driving in NYC, be sure to read these tips to maximize your earning potential.

NYC Driving Stats

Driving for Lyft in NYC averages $21-$23 per hour¹
Driving Uber in NYC averages $15 to $20 per hour²
NYC drivers average 8.3 years between insurance claims compared to the national average of 10 years³
New Yorkers are 20.3% more likely to report a claim than the national average
New York City ranks 143^rd out of the 200 largest cities in the U.S. for best drivers in 2016, which is an increase from 151^st in 2015 and 155^th in 2014
In February 2017, Lyft had about 16,000 cars in NYC and Uber had about 42,000⁴
Uber dispatches almost 2 million trips per week in NYC
Lyft dispatches almost 500,000 trips per week in NYC
9 out of 10 drivers for both Uber and Lyft said they preferred Lyft opposed to Uber⁵

NYC Driver and Vehicle Requirements for Lyft and Uber

There are some requirements for driving for Lyft and Uber, but they aren’t too difficult to meet. If your vehicle doesn’t meet the requirements, or you don’t want to put the miles on your vehicle, you can consider renting a vehicle. Read the requirements to drive Lyft NYC and drive with Uber NYC.

Lyft Driver Requirements NYC

Click Here to Apply to Become a Lyft Driver

Line, Lyft, Plus, Lux and Lux SUV are available in New York City. Below are some requirements for Lyft NYC drivers.

FH1 insurance
TLC inspection
For-hire license
Liability insurance
2005 or newer vehicle
4 doors
5-8 seats, including the driver’s

Read the full list of Lyft driver requirements.

Uber Driver-Partner Requirements NYC

Sign Up to Become an Uber Driver-Partner

UberPool, UberX, UberXL, SUV, WAV, UberX + Car Seat and UberBlack are all available in New York City. Below are some requirements for driving for Uber in NYC.

4 doors
2006 or newer
Vehicle emissions inspection at an NYS DMV facility
TLC insurance and plating

Read a full list of Uber requirements.

Best Places to Drive with Uber and Lyft in NYC

Below are some of the best places to drive Uber NYC and be a Lyft driver NYC. Be sure to look up when events are going on because you’ll want to be cruising the streets around those times.

Airports: EWR, LGA and JFK
Citi Field
Yankee Stadium
Madison Square Garden
Barclays Center

Best Times to Drive

There are peak hours you’ll want to try to take advantage of because often you’ll make more money on trips because of an increase in demand. Below are the best times for Uber NYC driver and Lyft driver New York.

Monday thru Friday: 6am – 9am and 6pm – midnight
- Locations: Manhattan Midtown, West/East Village, Upper East/West Side, Financial District, Williamsburg, Downtown Brooklyn, Park Slope
Friday and Saturday: 10pm – 3am
- Locations: Manhattan Midtown, West/East Village, Williamsburg, Financial District, Upper East Side
Sunday: 10am – 5pm
- Locations: Manhattan Midtown, West/East Village, Williamsburg, Financial District, Upper East/West Side, Downtown Brooklyn

Tips for NYC Uber and Lyft Drivers

If you’re thinking about driving for Uber, Lyft or both in New York City you may want to check out this video. This man has some tips for you on how you can make the most money and enjoy your time working.

Why Uber and Lyft Are Great

The unemployment rate for NYC in December 2016 was 4.4%. Whether you’re in between jobs or looking to drive long term with Uber or Lyft, you can make ends meet by driving regularly. With sign-on bonuses and referral programs, you can make extra money by telling your friends about it too.

Do you think it’s better to drive for Uber or Lyft in NYC?

Sources: [1] Glassdoor, [2] Glassdoor, [3] Allstate [4] Barrons [5] NYMag

About The Author: Kimberly Alt

Kimberly received her Bachelor of Arts in multimedia journalism from Simpson College. She is one of Exploring Life's Mysteries most experienced researchers. When reviewing products and services her natural curiosity helps her dig deep and unearth the truth behind the marketing. Her work has appeared in many notable brands, including The New York Times' Wirecutter, Reader's Digest, Forbes, People, Woman's World, and Huffington Post.

Kimberly grew up camping at the nearby lake with her family when she was a young girl. It wasn't until she met her husband that she rediscovered her love for the outdoors and began taking regular vacations to the national parks. Some of Kimberly's favorite memories include camping in a tent, hiking beautiful terrains, sitting around a campfire eating s'mores and sipping on a cold craft beer.

After three years of dating and exploring different regions of the U.S., Kimberly's husband proposed to her with the help of Exploring Life's Mysteries' online engagement content that she had researched and written. Not only was he able to design her ring himself, he was able to do so at great cost savings.

Kimberly likes starting her days with a warm cup of Nespresso, and she enjoys going for walks with her family and hound mix, Sally. In the evenings, she likes indulging in a glass of red wine and some dark chocolate while cozying up by the fire pit in her backyard.

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