What Is an Uber Background Check in Ontario?
If you want to drive or deliver for Uber or Uber Eats in Ontario, you need to pass a background check. It's a safety requirement to protect riders, customers, and other road users.
Uber uses ISB Global Services to run background screenings on all Ontario applicants. Once you are approved, Uber conducts annual re-screening and has maintained continuous monitoring since 2018, so your record is checked on an ongoing basis - not just at sign-up.
If you live in Ontario, you will need one of the following documents:
Criminal Record & Judicial Matters Check (CRJMC)
RCMP Fingerprint-Based Criminal Record Check
Vulnerable Sector Check (VSC) - required once at sign-up
Heads up: The CRJMC is specific to Ontario, not all of Canada.
What Does the Uber Background Check Look For?
Uber evaluates two things: your driving history and whether you have a criminal record.
Motor Vehicle Report (Driver Abstract)
If you are applying to drive (not just deliver on foot or bike), Uber will pull a three-year driver abstract. To qualify, you must meet all of the following:
Hold a valid Ontario G driver’s licence
Have at least one year of licensed driving experience in Canada (three years if you are under 25)
No more than 3 minor violations in the past 3 years, such as:
Examples of minor violations:
Speeding tickets
Driving without proper documentation
Traffic light or stop sign violations
Other moving violations
You must also have no major violations in the past 7 years, including:
Hit-and-run accidents
Excessive speeding (40+ km/h over the posted limit)
Stunt driving (see updated penalties below)
Impaired driving (DUI/DWI)
Driving while suspended
Stunt Driving Thresholds in Ontario
Ontario defines stunt driving under the following thresholds, which Uber treats as automatic disqualifiers:
40+ km/h over the posted limit in a zone under 80 km/h
50+ km/h over the posted limit in a zone of 80 km/h or higher
150+ km/h anywhere, regardless of the posted limit
Updated Stunt Driving Penalties (Effective November 28, 2025)
Ontario’s Moving Ontarians More Safely (MOMS) Act and Highway Traffic Act amendments brought in escalating penalties that make stunt driving convictions more serious for Uber applicants:
1st offence: 1-3 year licence suspension + $2,000-$10,000 fine
2nd offence: 3-10 year licence suspension
3rd offence: Lifetime licence suspension
4th+ offence: Lifetime suspension with no possibility of reduction
Roadside penalties are also stricter: a 30-day immediate licence suspension (up from 7 days) and a 14-day vehicle impoundment now apply at the roadside, before any court appearance.
January 1, 2026 Highway Traffic Act Changes
As of January 1, 2026, additional HTA amendments came into force that further tighten penalties for impaired driving, extend lookback periods for repeat offenders, and introduce automatic licence suspensions for auto theft convictions. If you have anything on your record, make sure to review it before applying.
Proposed legislation (Andrew’s Law) may introduce further changes, including 7-day suspensions for careless driving (30 days if harm or death results), escalating penalties for driving while suspended, 90-day suspensions for dangerous driving, and lifetime suspensions for causing death. This bill has not yet been passed, but drivers should keep an eye on it.
Criminal Background Check
Your criminal history is reviewed as part of the CRJMC. The following will typically disqualify you:
Felonies or indictable offences
Offences related to intoxication or impairment
Resisting arrest
Child endangerment or abuse
Violent crimes (assault, robbery, etc.)
Driving-related criminal convictions
Sexual offences
Serious criminal convictions - like assault or sexual offences - are automatic disqualifiers regardless of when they occurred.
Your Rights as an Uber Driver in Ontario (Digital Platform Workers’ Rights Act)
As of July 1, 2025, Ontario’s Digital Platform Workers’ Rights Act (DPWRA) is in force. Every Uber and Uber Eats driver should understand what it means for them.
What the DPWRA Gives You
Minimum wage guarantee for each work assignment. Pay is calculated from the moment you travel to the pickup point through to delivery completion.
Tip protection: Platforms cannot withhold, deduct from, or redistribute your tips under any circumstances.
Transparency: Within 24 hours, Uber must disclose how your pay is calculated, how tips are handled, what factors their algorithm uses to assign work, and how the rating system works.
Notice before removal: If Uber plans to remove you from the platform, they must give you advance notice and a reason.
Reprisal protection: You cannot be penalized for exercising your rights under the Act.
Ontario-based dispute resolution: Any disputes must be resolved within Ontario, not in another jurisdiction.
Penalties for Non-Compliance
Platforms that violate the DPWRA face penalties of up to $50,000 per corporate offence and up to $500,000 for quasi-criminal violations.
What the DPWRA Does Not Cover
The DPWRA does not classify gig workers as employees. That means you still do not get:
Paid sick days
Holiday pay
Overtime pay
CPP, EI, or WSIB contributions from the platform
There is also a notable gap in the minimum wage guarantee: it covers your active assignment time (travel to pickup through to drop-off), but not the time you spend waiting for orders. According to industry critics, waiting time can account for roughly 40% of a driver's shift, so a good chunk of your working hours go unpaid under this legislation.
Even with its limitations, the DPWRA is worth knowing about. Understanding your rights helps you make better decisions about how and when you work.
How to Complete Your Uber Background Check Quickly
The quickest way to get your Ontario background check done for Uber is through CRJMC.net. The service is fully online, takes about 15 minutes, costs $54.99, and is accepted by Uber.
To complete your CRJMC, you will need:
Your full legal name
Current address
Valid government-issued identification
Consent for the background check
Once your CRJMC is complete, Uber also requires a one-time Vulnerable Sector Check (VSC), which you can also obtain through CRJMC.net.
How Long Does an Uber Background Check Take?
With CRJMC.net, many applicants finish the background check in about 15 minutes. The traditional process can take 5-10 business days or longer.
Your total timeline may vary depending on:
The accuracy of the information you provide
How quickly Uber reviews your completed check
Whether any issues require further investigation
Some applicants see delays because of staffing shortages at government agencies. CRJMC.net's digital process helps avoid those delays.
Understanding Your Uber Application Status
After your background check is submitted, your Uber app will display one of these statuses:
Onboarding: Your documents are being reviewed and your background check is in progress.
Waitlisted: There may be issues with your documentation that need to be resolved.
Active: You have passed the background check and can start driving or delivering.
Rejected: Your application has been denied, usually due to something found in the background check.
What to Do If Your Application Is Denied
If Uber turns down your application, contact them directly to find out why. If you believe there is an error on your background check, you can:
Request a copy of your background check report and review it for inaccuracies
Address any fixable issues, such as minor traffic violations that may be eligible for removal
Reapply after approximately 2-4 months
Tips for Passing Your Uber Background Check
Check your driving record before applying to catch any surprises. You can order a driver abstract from ServiceOntario.
Look into traffic school to see if minor violations can be removed from your record (check Ontario-specific rules).
Consider a record suspension (pardon) for qualifying criminal offences.
Be completely honest in your application - discrepancies between what you report and what the background check finds can lead to automatic rejection.
Use CRJMC.net for a fast, reliable background check that meets Uber’s requirements.
Know your rights under the new Digital Platform Workers’ Rights Act so you understand what protections you have once you start driving.
Summary
Every Uber and Uber Eats driver in Ontario needs a background check. The good news is that CRJMC.net’s 15-minute, $54.99 online process makes it quick and easy.
Here is what to remember:
Keep your driving record and criminal background clean - Uber checks annually and monitors continuously.
Ontario's stunt driving penalties got stricter in late 2025, with escalating suspensions and fines.
The Digital Platform Workers’ Rights Act (effective July 2025) gives you new protections around pay, tips, and transparency - but does not make you an employee.
New HTA amendments effective January 1, 2026 mean harsher impaired driving penalties and longer lookback periods.
If you meet the requirements and pass your background check, you can start driving for Uber or delivering with Uber Eats in Ontario.
Ready to go? Start your background check at CRJMC.net today.