How Long Does Uber Eats Background Check Take?

How long does the Uber Eats background check take? It’s a question you might be wondering if you want to start delivering for Uber Eats. And no matter what, if you want to start delivering, you will have to go through the Uber Eats background check process.

Uber Eats does a background check to make sure that drivers delivering on the platform don’t have any major criminal history or motor vehicle history. It’s a step designed to protect customers and ensure a safe experience for everyone.

In this post, we’ll answer the question – how long does the Uber Eats background check take? We’ll also go into more detail about the Uber Eats background check and answer any questions you might have about it.

How Long Does Uber Eats Background Check Take?

Uber Eats utilizes Checkr to run background checks on potential drivers. Checkr is a background check company that also does background checks for most gig economy apps, including DoorDash, Grubhub, and others.

The good thing about using Checkr is that it makes the background check simple. When you apply to be a driver for Uber Eats, you’ll enter in your personal information and Checkr will then use that information to run your background check. It’s free and doesn’t require you to do anything besides filling out the background check form.

According to Uber, most background checks take 3-5 business days to complete, although it can often take longer than that. Once Uber can review your background check results, you’ll get an email from Uber letting you know if you passed the background check.

If you passed, you should be able to log in and start delivering for Uber Eats immediately. If not, you maybe be able to appeal or provide additional, but your chances of getting approved at that point are slim to none.

Uber Eats Background Check Requirements

The Uber Eats background check look at two major things: (1) your criminal history, and (2) your motor vehicle history. Note that if you’re signing up to do Uber Eats bike delivery, the background check does not appear to look at your motor vehicle history. From a practical matter, if you have some potentially troublesome motor vehicle history, you may want to consider signing up for Uber Eats bike delivery instead.

In terms of motor vehicle history, Uber Eats is making sure you don’t have any major vehicle infractions. DUIs, for example, will likely disqualify you. The vehicle history will also look at what type of vehicle you’re using. Fortunately, unlike driving for Uber, you can still deliver with Uber Eats with an older car since you’re not transporting passengers.

In terms of criminal history, Uber Eats checks national and local criminal records to see if you have any major criminal history background. Any major criminal history, such as violent crime, will get you disqualified, regardless of when it occurred. Less severe crimes will only count against you if they happened within the last seven years, although even then, you can still get disqualified depending on the nature of the crime.

As I noted above, if you get rejected due to your background check, it can be difficult to get your account approved.

How To Check Your Uber Eats Background Check Status

You can check the status of your Uber Eats background check via the Checkr candidate portal, which you can find here.

On that page, you’ll enter the requested information and Checkr will show you the status of your background check. If it’s complete, you’ll see the results. If your background check says “Clear,” then you’re in good shape.

Uber Eats Background Check Pending Issue

One major issue that can happen is when your Uber Eats background check is stuck in pending status. This happened to me a few years ago. When your background check is stuck in pending status, it’ll never update and you can’t start doing deliveries until your background check gets pushed through.

I got caught in this situation a few years ago during my yearly background check. Each year, Uber Eats will automatically run a background check to confirm that you haven’t had any infractions in the past year. When Uber Eats ran the automatic background check on me, my background check got stuck on pending and never processed. Since it was stuck on pending, I couldn’t log in to do deliveries.

It took me 6 weeks before I finally got someone to help me push the background check through. That’s 6 weeks where I couldn’t earn anything from Uber Eats. Thankfully, I multi-app with DoorDash and Grubhub also, so I was able to keep earning money during that stretch, but my earnings were reduced since I couldn’t do Uber Eats.

After weeks of calling customer support and visiting an Uber Eats greenlight hub, I finally got someone to help me push my background check through.

Unfortunately, this is a known issue with Uber Eats and it appears to be random whether your background check might glitch out like this. If you get caught in this situation, my only advice is to be persistent, keep calling and explaining what’s going on, and push to get someone to help you.

Final Thoughts

The Uber Eats background check happens in the background, so it’s not something you have to actively do anything about. When you apply, simply provide your information and Uber Eats will run a background check on you. Once you pass the background check, you’ll be able to start doing deliveries.

From then on, once per year, Uber Eats will automatically run a background check on you. This happens behind the scenes, so you’ll never notice it. As long as you have a clean record, you shouldn’t have any issues.

More Recommended Ebike/Scooters

Check out these other ebikes/scooters I've had the chance to do a review for:

GEN3 Outcross Bike – The GEN3 Outcross is a solid, affordable fat tire ebike that does a good job of doing what I need it to do. It works great for city riding, giving me a smooth ride in all conditions. It’s works really well as a winter ebike since the fat tires give it good traction over snow and ice. Check out my GEN3 Outcross Review.
Himiway Escape Bike – The Himiway Escape is an interesting bike for anyone looking for a moped-style ebike. If you’re a gig economy worker, the Himiway Escape is particularly interesting and it’s possible to think of it as an investment, especially if you can opt to do deliveries with the Himiway versus using a car. It’s not cheap, but you can definitely make your money back when you compare the mileage you’ll put on your car versus using an ebike. Check out my Himiway Escape Bike Review.
Espin Sport Bike – The Espin Sport is a good ebike for someone who is looking for an ebike that feels and rides more like a regular bike. There are many ebikes that are really only bikes in name. In reality, they’re basically electric mopeds. The Espin Sport, by contrast, is a bike you could probably ride without the battery and you’d feel like you’re just riding a regular bike. Check out my Espin Sport Review.
Varla Eagle One Scooter – The Varla Eagle One is an excellent scooter that can make sense for a lot of people. It can work as a primary mode of transportation. You can use it to work on gig economy apps like DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub. And it can also be a recreational vehicle if you’d prefer to use it for that. Check out my Varla Eagle One Review.
Fucare H3 Scooter – The Fucare H3 is a fun scooter and I’ve enjoyed testing it out. For a daily commuter or quick trips or errands, the Fucare H3 is probably the scooter I’ll use. It’s portable and easy to maneuver, so it’s just easier to take on the road when I need it. Check out my Fucare H3 Scooter Review.

More Recommended Investing App Bonuses

For additional investing app bonuses, be sure to check out the ones below:

M1 Finance ($10) – This is a great robo-advisor that has no fees and allows you to create a customized portfolio based on your risk tolerance. You also get $10 for opening an account. Check out my M1 Finance Referral Bonus – Step-By-Step Guide.
SoFi Invest ($25) – SoFi Invest is an easy brokerage account bonus that you can earn with just a few minutes of work. Use my SoFi Invest referral link, fund your SoFi Invest brokerage account with $100 and you’ll get $25 of free stock. I also have a step-by-step guide for the SoFi Invest referral bonus.
Moomoo (5 free stocks) – Moomoo is a free investing app currently offering 5 free stocks (usually worth around $75-$100) if you open an account using a referral link and deposit $2,000. Read my Moomoo referral bonus guide for more information.
Webull (5 free stocks) – Webull also gives you 5 free stock valued between $3-$3,000 each if you open an account using my referral link. Here’s a guide I wrote about how to earn your free stocks using Webull.
Robinhood (1 free stock) – Robinhood gives you a free stock valued between $2.50-$225 if you open an account using my referral link.
Public (1 free stock) - Public gives you a free stock valued between $3-$70 if you open an account using my referral link.

More Recommended Bank Account Bonuses

If you’re looking for more easy bank bonuses, check out the below options. These bonuses are all easy to earn and have no fees or minimum balance requirements to worry about.

Chime ($100) - Chime is a free bank account that offers a referral bonus if you use a referral link and complete a direct deposit of $200 or more. In practice, any ACH transfer into this account triggers the bonus. This bonus is easy to earn and posts instantly, so you’ll know if you met the requirements as soon as you move money into the account. I wrote a step-by-step guide on how to earn your Chime referral bonus that I recommend you check out.
Upgrade ($100) – Upgrade is a free checking account that’s currently offering a $100 referral bonus if you open an account and complete three debit card transactions. These bonus terms are easy to meet, so it’s well worth doing this bonus as soon as you can. Importantly, this bonus says that it’s now scheduled to end on October 31, 2022. As long as you get your account opened before October 31st, you should be eligible. Here’s a post I wrote with more details: Upgrade $100 Referral Bonus – Step By Step Directions.
SoFi Money ($350) – SoFi Money is a free checking account from SoFi. They’re currently offering a $25 referral bonus if you open a SoFi account with a referral link and deposit $10. You can also make an additional $300 as well if you complete a direct deposit. This is a good bank that is also 100% free, so you won’t have to worry about managing this account. Here’s a post I wrote with instructions on how to earn your SoFi Money bonus: SoFi Money Referral Bonus: Step By Step Guide.
Fifth Third Bank ($250) – This offer is limited to customers in the following states: Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, West Virginia, and South Carolina. If you don’t live in one of those states, you won’t be able to open an account online but you can still open an account in-branch if you happen to be visiting a city that has a branch. This is a fairly easy bank bonus to earn, especially since there are plenty of data points showing what will trigger the direct deposit requirement. In addition, you can open the Fifth Third Momentum Checking bank account, which comes with no monthly fees or minimum balance requirements. Read my guide on this bonus here.
Current ($50) – Current is a free fintech bank that’s offering new users a $50 referral bonus after signing up for an account using a referral link.Current is an easy bonus to earn and also gives you access to three savings accounts that pay you 4% interest on up to $2,000. That means you can put away up to $6,000 earning 4% interest. That’s very good and makes Current an account I recommend to everyone. Check out my step-by-step guide on how to earn your Current Bank bonus.
OnJuno ($100) – OnJuno is a fintech/neobank that is currently offering a $100 referral bonus if you open an account using a referral link and complete a direct deposit of $250 or more. The account has no fees or minimum balance requirements. Even better, the bonus posts immediately after you meet the requirements. If you can meet the direct deposit requirements, OnJuno is an easy bank bonus that’s worth snagging. Check out my OnJuno referral bonus guide here.
Varo ($50) – Varo is a free fintech banking app similar to Chime or Current. It’s currently offering a $50 bonus to new users that open a new Varo account with a referral link. The bonus for this bank is very easy to meet, all you need to do is spend $20 within 30 days of opening your Varo account. Check out my step-by-step guide to learn how to earn this bonus.
Fairwinds Credit Union ($100) – Fairwinds Credit Union is offering a referral bonus for users that sign up using a referral link. Fairwinds has no fees or minimum balance, so this is a particularly easy bonus to earn. Since this is a smaller credit union, my gut instinct tells me this offer won’t be around long, so if you’re in a position to meet the bonus requirements, grab this bonus before it’s gone. Here is my step-by-step guide on how to earn your Fairwinds Credit Union bonus.
Novo Bank ($40) - Novo bank is a free business checking account that’s currently offering a $40 bonus if you open a Novo business checking account using a referral link. In addition to being a good bank bonus, Novo is also a good business checking account. It has no monthly fees or minimum balance requirements and operates a good app and website. Indeed, it’s the business checking account I currently use for this blog. Check out my post on how to easily open a Novo account.
Spiral ($50) – Spiral is a fintech bank that's currently offering new customers a $50 signup bonus after opening a free checking account with them. The Spiral referral bonus is especially good because it's a free checking account and doesn't require a direct deposit to earn the bonus. Here is my step-by-step guide on how to earn your Spiral Bank bonus.
One Finance ($50) – One Finance is a fintech bank that’s currently offering a $50 signup bonus if you open an account using a One Finance referral link and have a direct deposit of $250 or more. This is a completely free bank account with no minimum balance requirement, so if you can meet the requirements, it’s worth doing. Check out my One Finance referral bonus guide here.
Albert ($150) – If you can manage to do a real direct deposit, Albert is an easy account you can use to earn a referral bonus. Here’s a review about Albert I wrote. And here’s a step-by-step guide on how to earn your Albert referral bonus.
Netspend ($20 + 5% Interest Savings Account) – Netspend is a company that provides 5% interest savings accounts. If you sign up using my referral link, you’ll get a $20 signup bonus once you make your first deposit into your Netspend account of $40 or more. That means you get a 5% interest savings account and a free $20 to start! Make sure to check out my in-depth guide on how to set up these accounts.

Kevin is an attorney and the blogger behind Financial Panther, a blog about personal finance, travel hacking, and side hustling using the gig economy. He paid off $87,000 worth of student loans in just 2.5 years by choosing not to live like a big shot lawyer.

Kevin is passionate about earning money using the gig economy and you can see all the ways he makes extra income every month in his side hustle reports.

Kevin is also big on using the latest fintech apps to improve his finances. Some of Kevin's favorite fintech apps include:

SoFi Money. A really good checking account with absolutely no fees. You'll get a $25 referral bonus if you open a SoFi Money account with a referral link, and an additional $300 if you complete a direct deposit.
Upgrade Bank. Upgrade is a free checking account that’s currently offering a $100 referral bonus if you open an account and complete three debit card transactions. These bonus terms are easy to meet, so it’s well worth doing this bonus as soon as you can. Note that it’s now scheduled to end on October 31, 2022.
Novo Bank. Novo bank is a free business checking account that’s currently offering a $40 bonus if you open a Novo business checking account using a referral link. It’s the business checking account I currently use for this blog.
M1 Finance. This is a great robo-advisor that has no fees and allows you to create a customized portfolio based on your risk tolerance. You also get $10 for opening an account.
Personal Capital. One of best free apps you can use to monitor your portfolio and track your net worth. This is one of the apps I use to track my financial accounts.