Most adults don’t have to question their eligibility for any of main ridesharing companies.
But if you’re planning to travel with your kids, or if your kid needs rides to and from activities around town, that’s a different story.
In these cases, you’ve probably wondered as a parent whether rideshare companies like Lyft even pick up minors.
- Can your 12-year-old get a Lyft account?
- What’s the Lyft minor policy?
- And even beyond that, if underage kids can take a Lyft, what sort of safety protocols does the company offer?
Lyft’s website isn’t actually very straightforward on this matter.
In this post, we’ll be discussing the answers to those questions, including the Lyft minor policy and what it means for riders.
How Old Do You Have to Be to Ride with Lyft?
Technically, anyone can ride with Lyft.
Whether you’re 25, 75, or a 12-year-old, you can use this service.
Per Lyft’s policy, anyone can ride in a Lyft, but a legal adult must be present if someone is legally underage.
If you need to use Lyft for you and your children, you’ll want to be aware of their car seat policy.
Lyft drivers don’t provide car seats for children who need them.
As the passenger, you’re expected to bring your child’s car seat when your driver picks you up.
Can Lyft Pick up Minors?
Lyft can pick up minors as long as they’re with someone who is over 18 years old.
Now, if you’re wondering whether someone under 18 can have their own account and request their own rides, that’s a different story.
The policies Lyft has are for the protection of the riders.
No one under the age of 18 is allowed to make a Lyft rider account, and therefore cannot be picked up on their own.
This is true for almost all carriers.
There are loopholes to this policy where minors have created accounts and attempted to order their own Lyfts.
If this happens and someone under 17 tries to order a Lyft, the driver can request proof of age if they believe that the rider is a minor.
This can be via a driver’s license or another valid ID card.
Teens specifically may be able to fool the system by using fake IDs to create a Lyft account and prove they’re of age to Lyft drivers.
If their Lyft driver asks for proof of age and then deems the proof inadequate, they can cancel the ride request.
When this happens, the driver can report the ride by pressing contact support in the app.
However, once they’ve contacted Lyft support, whether or not the rider’s account gets terminated or not is not known.
Can Kids Ride in Lyft?
So yes, to sum it up … children can ride in a Lyft with an adult (anyone 18 and over), but not alone.
Depending on your inclinations, though, this policy still leaves plenty of wiggle room.
Teens can legally ride with someone only a few years older than them … an older sibling, perhaps?
So adolescent outings are still pretty feasible.
And keep in mind that showing ID is at the driver’s discretion, so it’s very possible that older children can be mistaken for adults.
Why Does Lyft Not Take Minors?
While there are risks for everyone when utilizing a rideshare service, driving unaccompanied minors poses a significant risk.
Rideshare companies are great services, but they’re not without their fair share of bad publicity.
With allegations of sexual harassment and assault, the risks of transporting minors are probably more than it’s worth for Lyft and other TNC companies.
How Old Do You Have to Be to Drive for Lyft?
Driving for rideshares like Lyft are great ways to make extra money.
While in the United States, 18-year-olds are considered adults, you may not be able to drive for Lyft at 18 years old.
The age requirement to drive for Lyft varies depending on where you live.
The minimum age for Lyft drivers is between 21 and 25 years old.
Most states like Florida and Hawaii require drivers to be at least 25 years old.
New York allows people as young as 19 to drive for Lyft.
One thing to keep in mind is that in some states, regardless of if you meet the minimum age requirements, you’ll still need to have at least one year of driving experience under your belt.
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Alternative: HopSkipDrive
As a parent, you live a busy life, and when you’re trying to juggle multiple after-school activities and other events, sometimes you can’t get your kid there yourself.
Luckily, there’s a safe option for those under 18 to use, HopSkipDrive.
What is HopSkipDrive?
HopSkipDrive is a safe alternative to your children riding in a vehicle like Lyft or Uber.
This rideshare company launched in 2015 to provide kids with a safe way to get to and from places where parents may not be able to assist.
It can provide children transportation to and from school and after-school activities.
The strict safety protocols make it something both moms and dads love.
How Does HopSkipDrive Work?
HopSkipDrive lets parents or guardians plan a trip for their children.
They can choose between a one-time trip or regularly scheduled ones.
Once parents schedule this ride, they’ll be connected to HopSkipDrive’s network of drivers.
A driver in the area will pick up your ride, and you’ll get a confirmation update with who is coming to get your kid.
An available driver will come to pick up the children and confirm their identities before allowing the kids into their vehicle.
Is HopSkipDrive Safe for Minors?
This ride-sharing service is safe for minors.
It’s essentially Lyft for unaccompanied minors.
The developers designed it with minors in mind.
They wanted to develop a way to help students get to school when their parents or guardians can’t help them.
According to their website, most of the drivers for this app are parents themselves.
All of the rideshare drivers are fully vetted and the background checked prior to being able to drive your children.
As an adult, you’ll have full access to your driver’s phone number throughout the journey should you need to reach them or your kids.
The app will send you notifications for every stop they have to make before getting to your child’s destination.
This feature helps parents feel like their child is safe, and they know where they’re at, at all times.
Final Thoughts
Whether you’re a parent who has a complicated work schedule or a lot going on at once, utilizing a rideshare service to get your underage kids to and from school and other activities can be beneficial.
Unfortunately, Lyft and other major companies don’t drive minors without an adult present.
The good news is that there’s an alternative that can assist.
HopSkipDrive is the perfect and safe alternative to get your young ones to their destination safely without you having to change your schedule.
