Los Angeles is one of the largest Uber markets. Below is the general market data for the Uber car requirements in Los Angeles. It’s important to know that maximum vehicle age fluctuates depending on what type of Uber you are thinking of driving for.
Mandatory Requirements for any Uber Car in LA
Uber is always looking for more good drivers. In that spirit, the vehicle requirements aren’t too stringent. Here are a few mandatory things your car must be able to have/pass, regardless of which Uber you ultimately sign up for.
- Must be 2002 or newer vehicle. Some services, such as UberBLACK require significantly newer vehicles.
- Your vehicle can NOT be a 2 door vehicle. For more on that see using a 2 door car for Uber. It must have four doors, or be a minivan. But not a full size van either. More on this here: Can You Use a Two Door Car for Uber?
- It can’t be a rust bucket, covered in branding, clearly a taxi, or ever have been a Ford Crown Victoria.
- Your vehicle can’t have a commercial wrap, or any large noticeable advertisement on it.
- Your car can’t have a disgusting interior. Think torn seats, Dr. Pepper stains on the carpets, or generally unpleasant odors.
- The paint job needs to be sharp. Your vehicle will be rejected if the paint work is oxidized. You also can’t have a door or hood that’s a different color than the rest of the vehicle. A typical low cost high volume paint shop, such as Maaco, can paint a hood or door to match for a couple hundred bucks. It might not look perfect, but it’ll get you past an Uber inspection.
- Uber also says that they won’t let vehicles in with “aftermarket modifications”. Think of a vehicle that has huge spoilers, loud exhaust, giant rims, or anything else that’s going to take away from a really pleasant ride.
- You must carry an insurance policy on the vehicle. Uber does carry a liability insurance policy “on behalf of U.S. partners”.
- The vehicle must pass an Uber inspection. They’ll tell you what to do as you sign up.
- Your vehicle must have working windows and an air conditioner.
- It can’t have a salvage title, or be rebuilt.
UberX Vehicle Requirements: Los Angeles
An UberX in Los Angeles is required to be at least a 2002 or newer model year. In addition to all the requirements listed above, it must carry at least 4 passengers not including yourself.
The vehicle should be a four door sedan. If you have a larger vehicle, like the Honda Odyssey, you can still use it for UberX in LA. You would want to sign up to drive for the UberXL service. It’s not an either or. If your car is qualified for UberXL, you can still pick up UberX riders.
For more on the general car requirements for UberX, please see Uber X car requirements.
UberXL Vehicle Requirements: Los Angeles
The UberXL car requirements in Los Angeles are the same as anywhere else. It has to be a six passenger van or SUV. It can’t be a taxi cab, full size truck, or full sized van. According to Uber it must have “Independently opening doors”. The vehicle must be newer than the 2002 model year.
UberXL is a lot like UberX. It’s not as post as difficult to get into as Uber SUV and doesn’t require the stringent insurance, airport card, and commercial registration. Even if you have a vehicle that qualifies for UberSUV, but you don’t want to mess with any of that stuff, UberXL may be the the best option for you.
Here is a more in depth on the general UberXL vehicle requirements.
UberBlack and Uber SUV Vehicle Requirements for LA
UberBlack and UberSUV represent the best of Uber service and are meant to deliver a high end ride for about what it would cost to ride in a normal taxi most of the time.
- The vehicle has to be a 2012 model year or newer.
- These vehicles must carry a clearly visible TCP number on the front and back. If you are interested in how to go about obtaining one of these please check out the instructions from the CHP.
- Your vehicle must carry commercial insurance.
- The interior and exterior must be black.
- UberBlack must be a high end sedan and carry up to 4 passengers. UberSUV must be a high end SUV and carry up to 6 passengers. The passenger count does not include the driver.
- The interiors and exteriors of the vehicles should be in pristine condition. This means not dents, stains, rust, oxidation, missing vehicle emblems, tears in interior etc.
- Can’t have a cloth interior. Leather is preferred. Vinyl is acceptable.
As of this writing, 3/18 Uber is not accepting new vehicles for either of these services in LA. You can check with them to see if they are currently enrolling. You can look here. Please drop us a line if you noticed it has updated and we’ll update the page. They usually don’t stay open for very long.
Here’s a more in depth look at the general vehicle requirements for UberBlack and UberSUV.
UberSELECT LA Vehicle Requirements
UberSELECT is something of Hybrid between UberX and UberBLACK. It does not require you to carry commercial vehicle insurance and registration. This makes it a great option for someone with a higher end vehicle that can’t currently get into UberBlack. Here are the specific requirements for UberSELECT in LA.
- All vehicles must be model year 2009 or newer.
- No cloth interiors. Must be leather or vinyl.
- Minimum of 4 passengers must sit comfortably in the vehicle. This does not include the driver.
- The vehicle and interior DO NOT have to be black.
UberLUX Car Requirements: LA
UberLUX is the highest end version of Uber that there is. This service is only available in very limited areas.
- Cars must be 2012 or newer model year.
- All black interior and exterior.
- No cloth seats.
- Seat at least four people + the driver.
- Commercially licensed and insured cars and drivers.
- Vehicles must carry a visible TCP number on the front and back.
Here is some more information on the UberLux car requirements.
Wrapping Up
LA is a great place to drive for Uber, and the car requirements for driving in here are not that stringent. Good luck!