Gig Work and Driving Apps: What Actually Disqualifies You
Before you spend a week waiting on Uber's background check, know what it's actually checking for.
You need money now. Not in two weeks after some HR person "gets back to you" -- now. Gig work looks like the answer: sign up, pass a check, start earning. No interview where you have to explain anything to a stranger's face.
Then you hit submit on the application and the anxiety kicks in. What's this background check actually going to find? Is one old charge going to lock you out of every app on your phone? Do you even bother applying, or is this a waste of a week you don't have?
I've coached a lot of people through this exact moment. Here's what I can tell you straight: these platforms are not all the same, they don't all look for the same things, and a record that knocks you out of Uber doesn't automatically knock you out of DoorDash or Instacart or the warehouse down the street. This guide walks you through how these background checks actually work, what tends to disqualify you and what doesn't, and what to do if you get turned down.
One thing up front: I'm going to give you the general landscape here, not a guaranteed list. These companies change their policies, and the rules differ by state. Where I can't tell you an exact number with confidence, I'll tell you that -- and I'll tell you where to go check the current policy yourself before you apply. That's not me dodging the question. That's me not selling you a number I can't back up.
Why These Checks Exist (And Why That Matters to Your Strategy)
I'm not going to pretend the background check is some arbitrary hoop. Rideshare and delivery platforms are built on a stranger trusting another stranger -- a passenger getting in your car, a customer opening the door for you, a shopper walking through someone's kitchen. That trust is the entire product. When a platform gets a high-profile safety failure wrong, it's a news story and a lawsuit, and the company knows it.
That's not me making excuses for a system that can be unfair to people who've already served their time. It's context that changes how you approach this. These companies aren't screening you out of spite. They're managing risk the way any company managing millions of daily interactions between strangers has to. Understanding that helps you see why some categories (violence, sexual offenses) get treated as close to permanent, while others (an old theft charge, a possession case from a decade ago) get treated as something that fades with time and distance. It's not personal. It's a formula. And formulas can be read, understood, and worked around.
The Background Check Vendor Behind Most of These Apps
Here's something that surprises people: Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, Instacart, and TaskRabbit all use the same background check company -- a firm called Checkr. Amazon runs its Flex background checks through its own screening process, which works similarly but isn't run by Checkr.
Why does this matter to you? Because it means the mechanics of the check -- what shows up, how long it takes, how you dispute an error -- are similar across most of these platforms even though each company sets its own rules for what counts as disqualifying. Learn how Checkr's process works once, and you understand most of the apps on your phone.
Checkr pulls from:
- County and state criminal court records, going back several years (this is commonly referred to as a "lookback period" or "lookback window")
- National sex offender registry checks -- these typically have no time limit
- Motor vehicle records (driving-specific violations, license status) for any role that involves driving
- Identity verification to confirm you are who you say you are
That's the general shape of it. The exact lookback period and exact list of disqualifying offenses is set by each platform and by state law, and it does change. Don't take a number you read on a forum as gospel -- check the current policy on the platform's own help site before you apply.
What Tends to Disqualify You (Across Most Platforms)
Every platform draws its own lines, but there's a pattern. Two categories show up again and again.
Category 1: Offenses That Are Usually Disqualifying No Matter How Old
Rideshare and delivery platforms build their business on strangers getting into a car with you, or letting you into their home to drop off groceries. Because of that, certain offenses tend to be treated as permanently or near-permanently disqualifying, regardless of how long ago they happened:
- Murder or homicide
- Sexual assault or other sex offenses, and any current registration on a sex offender registry
- Kidnapping
- Terrorism-related offenses
- Other violent felonies, in some cases regardless of when they occurred
Uber, for example, has publicly stated it treats sexual assault and murder as indefinitely disqualifying, and has broadened that lifetime disqualification to cover other violent and sexually-related offenses like strangulation. This is not a technicality you can appeal your way around. If you're carrying one of these convictions, I'm not going to blow smoke at you: these specific platforms are probably closed to you, full stop. I'll talk about real alternatives further down.
Category 2: Offenses Inside a "Lookback Window"
Most other offenses -- theft, fraud, most drug charges, most non-violent felonies -- aren't permanent disqualifiers. They're evaluated against a lookback window: a number of years the platform will look back at your record. Convictions older than that window typically don't show up as disqualifying, even though the arrest record itself might technically still exist somewhere.
You'll see the number "seven years" referenced a lot in industry reporting on Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, and Amazon Flex. That figure lines up with a common pattern in consumer reporting law and with what several state laws around background checks already require. But I want to be straight with you: the exact window can vary by state (some states cap it shorter, some longer, some ban lookback limits from applying at all for certain offense types) and platforms update these policies. Don't build your plan around a specific year count you read in a blog post, including this one. Pull up the platform's actual help center page for background checks before you apply and read what it says today.
What commonly falls inside that window and can block you:
- Violent felonies
- Theft or property-crime felonies (this is a common sticking point for delivery apps specifically -- you're being trusted with someone's packages or groceries)
- Fraud-related convictions
- Certain drug distribution or trafficking felonies
What commonly does NOT block you, once outside the lookback window or if it never rose to that level:
- Older, non-violent felonies once they age past the window
- Most misdemeanors, especially older ones
- Simple drug possession in many cases (this has been loosening across platforms as more states decriminalize or reduce penalties)
- An arrest that never led to a conviction (platforms generally can't hold this against you the same way -- more on that below)
A word on why this split exists: these platforms aren't reading your file and making a judgment call about who you are today. Most of this is automated pattern-matching against a list of offense codes and dates. That's actually useful information for you -- it means the system is mechanical, not moral. A charge that's aged out of the window is treated as if it doesn't exist for this purpose, full stop, regardless of the story behind it. Knowing the mechanism takes some of the mystery (and some of the sting) out of the process.
DUI Convictions Get Their Own Rules
If you're applying to drive -- Uber, Lyft, DoorDash's driving tier, Amazon Flex -- a DUI or reckless driving conviction gets checked against your driving record, separately from your criminal record. Platforms generally look for DUI, reckless driving, or hit-and-run convictions within a shorter recent window (commonly discussed as roughly the past three years, though again, confirm the current figure directly), plus a pattern of moving violations or at-fault accidents.
A single old DUI from a decade ago is a very different situation from a recent one, or from a pattern of driving violations. If driving-specific work is closed to you right now because of a recent DUI, that's often a "not yet" rather than a "never" -- these driving-record checks tend to look at a rolling window, so the disqualifying event ages out over time even while other parts of your record don't matter for this purpose at all.
A script for thinking this through, not for saying out loud:
"I've got a DUI from four years ago. Is that inside Uber's driving-record lookback right now? Let me check Uber's actual help page instead of guessing, and if it's still inside the window, let me look at what doesn't require me to drive -- in-store Instacart shopping, TaskRabbit, or Flex work that doesn't touch my MVR the same way."
Pending Charges Are Treated Differently Than Convictions
This one trips people up. If you have a charge that's still working its way through court -- nothing decided yet -- some platforms will flag that as disqualifying on its own, separate from what a conviction would trigger. Uber, for example, has been public about blocking access for pending charges in certain categories, not just convictions. That's a hard thing to hear if you're mid-case and just need income, but it's better to know it going in than to get blindsided by a denial you didn't expect.
If you're in that spot, this is exactly the kind of situation where the non-driving, warehouse, and W-2 alternatives further down this guide matter most -- they give you income while your case resolves, instead of you sitting with no options until a court date months out.
Individualized Assessment: Not Every Platform Runs a Flat Rule
A few of these companies -- TaskRabbit is the clearest public example -- have said they don't apply an automatic, one-size-fits-all exclusion. Instead, someone actually looks at the type of offense, how long ago it happened, and whether it has anything to do with the actual work you'd be doing. That's a meaningfully different process than a computer matching your record against a disqualifier list and auto-rejecting you. If a flat-rule platform turns you down, it's worth trying a platform that's said publicly it does individualized review instead of assuming every app will treat your record the same way.
How the Actual Check Runs, Step by Step
You apply and consent. Under federal law (the Fair Credit Reporting Act, or FCRA), the platform has to get your written permission before running a background check on you. Read what you're signing -- it's routine, but you have the right to know what's being pulled and who's pulling it.
Checkr (or the platform's own vendor) pulls your records. This usually takes anywhere from a day to about a week, depending on how fast county courts respond. Rural counties and courts still working from paper records can slow things down considerably compared to a county with a modern digital court system. If your check is taking longer than a platform's stated average, it's often the courthouse, not you.
The platform runs your results against its own adjudication rules. This is the part people miss: Checkr doesn't decide whether you're approved. Checkr reports what it finds -- names, dates, case dispositions. The platform decides what to do with that report, based on its own written policy for what counts as disqualifying and for how long. Two people with the identical report could get different outcomes on two different platforms, because the platforms are applying different rules to the same facts.
If something disqualifying turns up, you get a "pre-adverse action" notice. This is required by federal law before the platform can take final action against you. It has to include a copy of the report itself, not just a summary. This step exists specifically so you get a chance to review what they found and flag anything that's wrong before a final decision locks in.
You get a window to respond before the final decision. This is your moment. If the report has an error -- wrong person, outdated info, a case that was actually dismissed or expunged -- this is when you fix it. Don't assume the platform will catch its own mistake. Nobody is double-checking this for you; you have to be the one who flags it.
Final decision. Approved, denied, or in some cases "deactivated" if you were already active on the platform and something new turned up during periodic rechecks. Several of these platforms run continuous or annual rechecks, not just a one-time check at signup -- meaning your status can change later even if nothing changes about how you're doing the work itself.
If Your Report Has an Error: The Dispute Process
This matters more than people realize. Background check reports are wrong more often than you'd think -- mixed-up records from someone with a similar name, a case listed as open when it was actually dismissed, a charge that was expunged or sealed still showing up because the record wasn't updated everywhere.
Here's the general process for disputing a Checkr report (since it covers most of these platforms):
- Get your copy of the report. You're entitled to it, and it usually comes attached to the pre-adverse action notice.
- Find the specific error. Wrong charge, wrong disposition, wrong person, expired lookback window still showing an old case -- be precise about what's wrong.
- File the dispute directly with Checkr, not just with the platform. Checkr has a formal "report an error" process on its site. Attach documentation if you have it -- court paperwork, an expungement order, anything that proves your case.
- Checkr has to investigate. Under federal law, they generally have around 30 days to look into a dispute and respond.
- If they correct the report, the platform still has to act on it. Getting Checkr to fix the record doesn't automatically flip your account back on -- the platform has to review the corrected report and make its own call. Follow up with the platform directly once the correction comes through.
A script you can actually use, adapted to your situation:
"I'm disputing an error on my background check report. The report lists [specific charge/case number] as [what it incorrectly says]. The correct information is [what actually happened], and I've attached [court documentation / expungement order / proof of dismissal]. Please investigate and provide a corrected report."
Keep copies of everything you send. If a dispute drags out or gets denied and you believe the error is real, that's a conversation worth having with a consumer attorney -- FCRA disputes are one of the few areas of consumer law with real teeth, and there are attorneys who take these cases without an upfront fee.
Documents Worth Having Ready Before You Apply
You can't stop a background check from running, but you can make sure you're not caught flat-footed if something needs correcting. Before you apply to any of these platforms, it's worth having on hand:
- Your own copy of your criminal history report. Most states let you request this directly from the state court system or a state justice department for a small fee or free. Knowing exactly what's there before a platform pulls it means no surprises.
- Expungement, sealing, or dismissal paperwork, if you have any case that was resolved in your favor or later cleared. Courts don't always update every database that feeds into a background check company's records, so having your own proof matters.
- A driving record printout, if you're applying to drive. Your state's DMV or equivalent agency can usually provide this. If there's an old violation you thought had cleared, you'll know before the platform tells you.
- Basic ID documents -- state ID or driver's license, Social Security card, proof of insurance if you're driving your own vehicle. Every one of these platforms needs identity verification before anything else happens, and a missing document is the single most common reason an application stalls for no good reason at all.
None of this guarantees approval. What it does is put you in control of the process instead of finding out what's on your record the same day a platform does.
Platform-by-Platform: What I Can Tell You With Confidence
I'm going to keep this section general on purpose. These policies get updated, they vary state by state, and the last thing I want is for you to walk into an application with a number in your head that changed six months ago. Here's the shape of each platform, and where to verify the current details.
Uber and Lyft
Both use Checkr. Both maintain a short list of offenses treated as permanently disqualifying (violent and sexual offenses, primarily), and a broader lookback window for other felonies. Both run ongoing monitoring after you're approved, not just a one-time check -- new charges can surface later and trigger a review. Check the current policy at Uber's and Lyft's own driver help centers before applying; don't rely on a secondhand list.
DoorDash
Uses Checkr. Generally regarded as similarly structured to Uber and Lyft but with some room for individual review on older, non-violent cases, especially once they're outside the lookback window. Theft-related convictions get particular scrutiny given the nature of the job (you're handling someone's food and their payment info).
Instacart
Uses Checkr for its independent-contractor "full-service shopper" role. Its in-store shopper role, covered further down, is a separate W-2 employee position with its own hiring process -- worth looking at separately if the driving-role background check is a concern.
Amazon Flex
Runs its own background check process rather than going through Checkr, but it looks for similar categories: violent or theft felonies within a lookback window, sex offender registry status, and driving-record issues (DUI, reckless driving, suspended license) within a shorter recent window. Amazon doesn't publish a full public list of exact disqualifiers, which is honestly the norm across this industry, not an exception -- another reason to check current guidance directly rather than trust an old list.
TaskRabbit
Also uses Checkr, but structurally different from the driving apps: TaskRabbit has said publicly that it doesn't run a blanket exclusion for anyone with a record. It evaluates convictions individually -- looking at the type, severity, and how long ago it happened -- rather than applying a flat rule. Certain categories (violent crime, sexual offenses, theft, fraud) still tend to disqualify, but the individualized review is a real difference worth knowing about if a flat lookback rule elsewhere has shut you out. Note that TaskRabbit has historically charged applicants a background check fee to apply -- confirm the current amount before you sign up, since it's money out of your pocket before you've earned a dime.
My advice across all five: before you apply anywhere, pull up that specific platform's official background check or safety help page and read the current language yourself. Five minutes of reading beats a week of waiting to find out the hard way.
If You're Currently on Probation or Parole
A few extra things to think about if you're still under supervision.
First, check your own conditions before you check the platform's policy. Some probation or parole terms restrict out-of-state travel, require pre-approval for certain kinds of work, or limit hours you can be away from home (especially if you're on electronic monitoring). None of that is about what the platform will or won't allow -- it's about what your supervision terms allow. Talk to your agent before you sign up for driving work that could take you across a county or state line, or that runs late into curfew hours.
Second, a pending case matters more than a closed one. As covered above, several platforms treat pending charges as their own category, separate from convictions. If you're actively under supervision for something that hasn't fully resolved, or you're waiting on a case tied to the same conviction, that's more likely to surface as a problem than an old, closed conviction would be.
Third, ask your agent if they've seen this work before. Probation and parole agents see a lot of people try gig work as a first move after release or during supervision. Yours may already know which platforms tend to work out and which ones create friction with reporting requirements. That's a free resource sitting right in front of you -- use it.
Can You Reapply After a Denial or a Deactivation?
Sometimes, yes. A lot of these platforms aren't a permanent "no" the first time -- especially if the reason was a lookback-window offense that will age out, a pending charge that later resolves in your favor, or an error that gets corrected through a dispute. Policies on exactly when and how you can reapply differ by platform and aren't always publicized in detail, so I won't give you a fixed waiting period here. What I will tell you: if you were denied for something that's since changed (the charge aged past the lookback window, the case was dismissed, the record was expunged), it's worth checking that specific platform's current reapplication policy rather than assuming the door is closed forever.
If you were deactivated after already working on a platform -- meaning something new turned up during a recheck, or a rider or customer filed a complaint -- that's a different process than a first-time application denial, and it often involves a specific appeal path through the platform's support system rather than a simple reapplication. Read whatever notice they send you closely; it usually spells out whether an appeal is available and how to start one.
Gig Work That Doesn't Put Your Driving Record (Or Your Whole Record) Front and Center
If the driving apps are closed to you right now, or you don't have a reliable car, or you just don't want to bank your income on one background check clearing -- there's real work outside the rideshare lane.
Instacart In-Store Shopping (No Car Needed)
This is different from the delivery-driver role. In-store shoppers work as W-2 employees based inside a specific grocery store, filling online orders and handing them off to a delivery driver. No car, no driver's license required -- a valid state ID is enough. Since it's a distinct employee role with its own hiring track, it's worth applying to separately even if you're unsure about the delivery-driver background check.
TaskRabbit-Style Handyman, Moving, and Odd-Job Work
If you've got real skills -- moving furniture, assembling furniture, minor home repair, yard work, cleaning -- platforms like TaskRabbit connect you directly with people who need that specific job done, priced by the task or the hour. As covered above, TaskRabbit's individualized review process gives you a real shot even with some history on your record, especially if it's older or non-violent.
Warehouse and Fulfillment Center Work
This is the bridge a lot of my clients don't think about. Amazon warehouses, third-party logistics companies, and regional fulfillment centers hire constantly for picking, packing, and sorting roles. These aren't the same background check as Flex driving -- you're not on the road, so driving-record issues don't come into play at all, and many of these employers have their own individualized review process rather than an automatic disqualifier list. It's steady, it's W-2 (meaning taxes come out automatically and you're building an employment record), and it's a real foothold while you sort out longer-term plans.
The honest tradeoff: gig apps (Uber, DoorDash, Instacart full-service, TaskRabbit) tend to pay out fast, sometimes same-day, and give you control over your hours. Warehouse and fulfillment work tends to pay more predictably and comes with the kind of steady paycheck that helps you rebuild credit and rental history -- but it's a set schedule, not gig flexibility. Neither is automatically the better move. It depends on what you need right now: speed and flexibility, or stability and a documented work history you can point to on your next resume.
Using Gig and Bridge Work as a Stepping Stone, Not a Ceiling
I want to say this plainly because I've seen people get stuck here: gig work is a bridge, not a destination, unless you decide you want it to be. Every shift you complete -- whether it's a TaskRabbit job, a warehouse shift, or a hundred Instacart orders -- is real, documented work history. It goes on a resume. It gives you a reference. It closes the employment gap that makes the next application, the one for the job you actually want, look stronger.
Don't think of the six months you spend doing bridge work as time lost. Think of it as time you're building a paper trail that says "reliable, shows up, gets it done." That paper trail is worth more to your next employer than almost anything else you can put in front of them.
A script for how to talk about this stretch of work later, in an interview:
"I did gig and warehouse work for about six months while I got my footing back. It kept me working every day, on time, no gaps. I'm looking for something steadier now, and I wanted the interviewer to know that period wasn't idle time -- it was me staying employed and reliable while I found the right fit."
A Word on State and City Law
Background check rules aren't set entirely by the platforms. Federal law (the FCRA) sets the floor for disclosure, consent, and dispute rights everywhere. On top of that, individual states and some cities layer on their own rules -- things like how far back a report can look, whether certain older or lower-level offenses can be considered at all, and whether you get extra notice before a final decision. Some states also give job seekers broader "fair chance" protections that go further than federal law requires.
I'm not going to hand you a state-by-state chart here, because it would be outdated within a year and I'd rather you have the truth than a stale list. What I will tell you: if you get denied and something about the process feels off -- no pre-adverse action notice, no chance to respond, a report that pulled something it legally shouldn't have -- that's worth a conversation with a legal aid office or a consumer attorney in your state. You may have more protection than the platform's rejection email made it sound like you had.
What to Do Before You Apply Anywhere
Know exactly what's on your record. Pull your own criminal history report before a platform does. If there's something you thought was expunged or sealed that's still showing up, you want to know that now, not after a denial. A lot of people carry around an assumption about what's "on their record" that's a few years out of date -- go look at the actual document.
Read the platform's current background check policy directly. Not a blog, not a forum thread, not this guide as your only source -- the platform's own help page. Policies change, and the number you saw in a Reddit thread from two years ago may not be true today.
Apply to more than one platform at once. Don't put all your hope in Uber while you wait a week to hear back. Apply to two or three platforms that fit your situation and let whichever clears fastest start carrying you while the others process.
If you get denied, read the pre-adverse action notice carefully. It has to tell you what was found and give you the actual report. Don't skim it and assume the worst -- read exactly what it says was disqualifying. Sometimes it's a fixable error. Sometimes it's accurate but the window it's citing is wrong. You won't know until you read it.
If it's wrong, dispute it immediately. There's a clock running once you're notified. Don't sit on it.
Have a backup lane that isn't background-check-dependent on the same terms. Warehouse work, a TaskRabbit-style skill, anything that gives you income while a dispute or a lookback window runs its course. Waiting with zero income while a 30-day dispute plays out is a rough spot to be in -- don't let yourself be there if you can help it.
Keep a simple log. Which platform, what date you applied, what the response was, and if denied, what the notice said. When you're juggling three or four applications at once, this keeps you from losing track of who owes you a response and who you've already heard back from.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does one felony conviction automatically disqualify me from every gig app?
No. Each platform sets its own rules, and most non-violent felonies are evaluated against a lookback window rather than treated as permanent disqualifiers. An older conviction that's aged past a platform's lookback window often won't block you at all. The offenses that tend to be treated as permanently disqualifying across nearly all these platforms are violent and sexual offenses -- not the full range of felony convictions.
Do Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, and Instacart all use the same background check company?
Yes, all four commonly use Checkr as their background check vendor, which is why the dispute process and general mechanics are similar across them. Amazon Flex runs its own background check process rather than going through Checkr. Each platform still sets its own rules for what counts as disqualifying, even when the vendor pulling the records is the same.
How far back do these background checks look?
It varies by platform and by state, and the exact window changes over time, so I won't hand you a fixed number to rely on. Industry reporting commonly references a roughly seven-year lookback for criminal history on several of these platforms, with shorter windows (commonly discussed as around three years) for driving-record issues like DUIs. Check the specific platform's current help center page before you apply.
What if my background check report has a mistake on it?
You have the right to a free copy of the report and the right to dispute errors directly with the background check company, usually Checkr. File the dispute with specific details about what's wrong and attach any documentation you have, like a dismissal order or expungement paperwork. The company generally has around 30 days to investigate, and if it's corrected, you'll need to follow up with the platform to get your application or account reviewed again.
Can I still work for a gig platform without a car?
Yes. Instacart's in-store shopper role is a W-2 position that doesn't require a car or a driver's license, just a valid state ID. TaskRabbit tasks and warehouse or fulfillment center work also don't require a vehicle. If a driving-specific app is closed to you right now, these are real, legitimate paths to income that don't depend on your driving record at all.
Will an arrest that didn't lead to a conviction show up and hurt me?
Generally, background check companies and platforms are supposed to weigh a conviction differently than an arrest that never led to one, and many jurisdictions restrict how arrest-only records can be reported or used. That said, practices and state laws vary, and this is exactly the kind of detail worth confirming with the platform's current policy or, if you're unsure, with a consumer attorney -- especially if an old arrest with no conviction is showing up on a report and affecting a decision.
If You've Been Turned Down by Every App on Your Phone
I hear from people who've hit denial after denial across every platform and are starting to think none of it is possible. Before you land there, a few things worth knowing.
Staffing and temp agencies often have their own hiring standards, separate from any of these apps. Many placement and staffing agencies work directly with warehouses, manufacturing plants, and distribution centers, and they run their own case-by-case reviews rather than an automated lookback rule. If gig apps keep saying no, a local staffing agency is worth a call -- they place people into work every single day, and a good one already knows which employers in your area are realistic for your situation.
Fair-chance and second-chance employer programs exist outside the gig economy entirely. A number of major employers -- retailers, food service companies, manufacturers -- run explicit hiring initiatives for people with records. That's a different, often more stable lane than gig work, and it's worth pursuing in parallel, not instead of.
A denial from one platform is not a verdict on your character. It's a computer matching your file against a rule written by a legal team trying to limit corporate liability. That's it. Don't let five automated rejections in a row convince you that you're unemployable. You're not. You're dealing with a narrow set of companies applying a narrow set of rules. The broader job market, and the people in it who actually meet you and talk to you, is a different conversation entirely -- and that's the conversation your resume needs to be built for.
The Bottom Line
Gig work isn't a loophole around your record -- it's still a background check, run by real companies, with real rules. But it's not one monolithic wall either. Five different platforms, five different policies, and real non-driving alternatives sitting right next to all of them. The difference between getting shut out and getting to work is usually just knowing which door to walk up to first.
Don't guess. Don't build your week around a number you read in a forum post. Pull up the actual current policy, apply to more than one platform, and if something comes back wrong, fight the error -- you have the right to.
Ready to Build Your Resume?
Gig work is often a bridge, not the whole plan. While you're sorting out which platforms will clear you, it's worth building the resume that gets you into steadier, better-paying work down the line. Forge, our free career intelligence tool, helps you build a resume that's honest about your record and still built to get you hired -- no cost, no credit card required.
I've spent over a decade doing this work -- starting at a halfway house as an alum, then through sober living homes, treatment centers, jails, and prisons across Wisconsin. I know what it's like to need income now and not know which door is actually open to you. If you're stuck on a specific platform's decision or you're not sure where to start, reach out. Call me at (262) 391-8137 or email troy@steelmanresumes.com.
Last Updated: July 2026
Sources: Uber Newsroom ("Background checks" and "How We Keep Our Platform Safe" pages, uber.com/newsroom); Uber driver safety screening page (uber.com/ride/safety/driver-screening); Checkr company background and dispute process information (checkr.com); TaskRabbit Trust and Safety and background check support pages (support.taskrabbit.com); Instacart shopper requirements information (Instacart official shopper help resources); general industry reporting on Amazon Flex, DoorDash, and gig-platform background check practices. Exact lookback windows and disqualifying-offense lists vary by platform and state and change over time -- always confirm current policy directly on each platform's official help center before applying.