Rideshare companies such as Uber and Lyft routinely disqualify potential drivers based on traffic tickets that appear on their driving records. These companies run background checks on all drivers in order to determine their eligibility when they first apply and periodically thereafter. Our traffic ticket defense attorneys are often contacted by rideshare drivers looking to clean up their Illinois driving record after finding out they have been disqualified by a rideshare company. Oftentimes, drivers don’t realize the consequences of simply paying a traffic ticket, which results in a conviction on their driving record. Fortunately, under certain circumstances, removing Illinois traffic tickets from your public driving record may be possible.
Rideshare companies have different standards for disqualifying a driver based on their driving record history:
Lyft Driving Record Requirements
Lyft contracts with a company called Safety Holdings Inc. (aka SambaSafety) to perform a driving record check on potential drivers. Lyft has internal safety criteria that is used to determine eligibility, but indicates that they will disqualify any applicant with any of the following:
- More than three moving violations in the past three years (they note that certain states may disqualify applicants with less than three moving violations)
- One major moving violation in the past three years (i.e. driving on a suspended license or reckless driving)
- A DUI or other drug-related driving violation in the past seven years (longer in some jurisdictions)
- Any serious driving-related conviction in the past seven years (such as a hit-and-run or a felony involving a vehicle).
If the driving record check reveals disqualifying information, the driver will receive a copy of the report along with information on how to dispute the results.
Uber Driving Record Requirements
Uber contracts with a company called Checkr, Inc. to perform a driving record check on potential drivers. Uber provides less specific information than Lyft regarding their specific disqualifying criteria. Uber indicates that “major driving violations or a recent history of minor driving violations may result in disqualification.” However, it is believed that their internal criteria is very similar to Lyft’s disqualification guidelines as outlined above.
Removing Illinois Traffic Tickets
The Illinois Secretary of State begins removing traffic ticket convictions approximately 4-5 years from the date the conviction was entered. It is unlikely that this will benefit rideshare applicants, who are typically facing disqualification for more recent offenses.
However, our attorneys may be able to remove convictions for Illinois traffic tickets from your driving record sooner. By filing a “Motion to Vacate,” our attorneys are able to bring your ticket back into court and argue for a more favorable outcome such as court supervision. Court supervision is a non-conviction disposition under Illinois law and will not appear on your public driving record.
Under Illinois law, only criminal charges are eligible for expungement or sealing. This does not include traffic tickets, which are most often classified as petty offenses. Therefore, the only way to clear a traffic ticket conviction from your driving record, is to bring the case back into court.
The success of a motion to vacate depends on a number of factors including the age of the ticket, the specific offense, whether you originally appeared in court or just paid the ticket, the courthouse where the ticket is assigned and, of course, other traffic tickets on your driving record.
If our motion is successful, our attorneys can obtain the necessary certified paperwork to submit to the Illinois Secretary of State. After processing the new disposition, the conviction will be removed from your public driving record. The Clerk of the Circuit Court often fails to automatically submit the necessary information to the Secretary of State or, if they do, it can take several weeks. It is essential that this part of the process is handled properly. As your attorneys, we can assist to ensure that this procedure is handled efficiently.
Contact Our Traffic Ticket Defense Attorneys
Our attorneys regularly handle these motions throughout the Chicago Area including Cook County, Lake County and DuPage County. Contact us today to discuss legal representation via our website or by calling us at (847) 390-8500. Be sure to have your Illinois driving record or background check from the rideshare company available so our attorneys can determine the most appropriate strategy to obtain a favorable outcome for you.