• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Current price of oil as of June 15, 2026

2

Current price of silver as of Monday, June 15, 2026

3

Team USA star Ricardo Pepi grew up in a trailer in El Paso—and his parents pawned their car title to fuel his soccer dream. Now, he’s in the World Cup

1

Current price of oil as of June 15, 2026

2

Current price of silver as of Monday, June 15, 2026

3

Team USA star Ricardo Pepi grew up in a trailer in El Paso—and his parents pawned their car title to fuel his soccer dream. Now, he’s in the World Cup
TechUber Technologies

Uber Loosens Background Check Policy For California Drivers

By
Kia Kokalitcheva
Kia Kokalitcheva
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Kia Kokalitcheva
Kia Kokalitcheva
Down Arrow Button Icon
January 13, 2016, 9:25 AM ET
Uber At $40 Billion Valuation Would Eclipse Twitter And Hertz
The Uber Technologies Inc. logo is displayed on the window of a vehicle after dropping off a passenger at Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA) in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2014. Uber Technologies Inc. investors are betting the five-year-old car-booking app is more valuable than Twitter Inc. and Hertz Global Holdings Inc. Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesPhotograph by Andrew Harrer — Bloomberg via Getty Images
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

This story has been updated. See below.

Ride-hailing giant Uber is reconsidering its background check policy for drivers in California—and it’s not making it stricter.

In fact, Uber has decided to no longer reject applicants with records of certain non-violent or non-sexual offenses, such as petty theft and check fraud, the company told the Wall Street Journal. Presumably, Uber is loosening its stance only on certain misdemeanor—meaning, legally less severe—crimes, not felonies, though that’s not entirely clear.

The company also plans to provide more transparency to its application process by informing applicants when it rejects them due to criminal felony convictions. It will also direct them to steps they can take to reduce their criminal record under Proposition 47, a law that redefined certain crimes from felonies to misdemeanors and gives non-violent offenders an opportunity to reduce their conviction if they submit an application by Nov. 4, 2017. Uber might also refer them to organizations that help former inmates find work and readjust to life after incarceration.

“California voters told us when they overwhelmingly passed Proposition 47 that people with nonviolent, low-level offenses must be given a chance to get back on their feet. To do our part, we can make sure people have a fair chance to earn a living with Uber,” Uber chief security officer Joe Sullivan said via a statement the company later sent to Fortune. “Moreover, as a technology platform, we can focus on safety before, during and after each ride in ways that are more fair and effective than relying on criminal records alone.”

Uber’s motivation for changing its policy isn’t exactly clear. While it would in theory allow it to hire more drivers including applicants it previously rejected, and therefore continue to compete with taxis and rival Lyft, the company told the Journal that it would only affect a small number of applicants. The company denied that it had any business or growth motivations.

This change is nevertheless bold given Uber’s history when it comes to screening its drivers. The company has come under fire a number of times following assault incidents that have revealed it has failed to catch the criminal records of some drivers. Critics have pointed out that unlike many taxi companies, Uber doesn’t use LiveScan, a service that includes fingerprinting and continuous criminal status monitoring. Instead, in California Uber uses Checkr, a startup that touts its ability to make background checks fast thanks to its online forms and ease of use.

 

There is an ongoing civil lawsuit against the company for its weak screening practices that have led to registered sex offenders, burglars, a convicted murderer, and others joining as drivers. The district attorneys of San Francisco and Los Angeles are blaming Uber’s process for this.

In any case, Uber maintains that it will continue to reject applicants who have been convicted of any misdemeanor or felony driving, sexual, or violent crime, it told the Journal.

The story has been updated with a statement from Uber.

About the Author
By Kia Kokalitcheva
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

CEO of Tesla and SpaceX Elon Musk
InvestingSpaceX
SpaceX just surpassed Amazon’s market cap, overtaking the 31-year-old company on day three of public trading
By Eva RoytburgJune 16, 2026
46 minutes ago
Anthropic’s Fable fiasco leaves the door open for open-source AI, particularly cheaper models from China
AsiaAnthropic
Anthropic’s Fable fiasco leaves the door open for open-source AI, particularly cheaper models from China
By Nicholas GordonJune 16, 2026
2 hours ago
Dario Amodei, co-founder and chief executive officer of Anthropic, during the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026.
AIAnthropic
Anthropic’s IPO pitch has a new problem: the government can shut it down
By Eva RoytburgJune 16, 2026
3 hours ago
Dario Amodei, co-founder and chief executive officer of Anthropic, at Bloomberg House
AIAnthropic
The shutdown of Anthropic’s Mythos model sparks a global scramble for sovereign AI
By Beatrice NolanJune 16, 2026
3 hours ago
AI won’t transform your business—until you redesign work itself 
AIWorkforce
AI won’t transform your business—until you redesign work itself 
By Francesca CassidyJune 16, 2026
4 hours ago
Cursor’s 25-year-old CEO is a former Google intern who just cemented a $60 billion deal with SpaceX
AITech
Cursor’s 25-year-old CEO is a former Google intern who just cemented a $60 billion deal with SpaceX
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJune 16, 2026
4 hours ago

Most Popular

Current price of oil as of June 15, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 15, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 15, 2026
1 day ago
Current price of silver as of Monday, June 15, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of silver as of Monday, June 15, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 15, 2026
1 day ago
Team USA star Ricardo Pepi grew up in a trailer in El Paso—and his parents pawned their car title to fuel his soccer dream. Now, he’s in the World Cup
Success
Team USA star Ricardo Pepi grew up in a trailer in El Paso—and his parents pawned their car title to fuel his soccer dream. Now, he’s in the World Cup
By Preston ForeJune 15, 2026
1 day ago
Hundreds of Stanford students walked out of their grad ceremony to protest Google CEO’s commencement speech. It wasn’t all about AI
Big Tech
Hundreds of Stanford students walked out of their grad ceremony to protest Google CEO’s commencement speech. It wasn’t all about AI
By Tristan BoveJune 15, 2026
1 day ago
Current price of gold as of June 15, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of gold as of June 15, 2026
By Danny BakstJune 15, 2026
1 day ago
Meet Gwynne Shotwell, the engineer-turned-COO who runs SpaceX in platform heels and is now worth over $2 billion
Startups & Venture
Meet Gwynne Shotwell, the engineer-turned-COO who runs SpaceX in platform heels and is now worth over $2 billion
By Eva RoytburgJune 15, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.