# In which states are ride sharing apps like Uber and Lyft illegal ?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-states-are-ride-sharing-apps-like-uber-and-lyft-illegal/689952>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 3, 2014, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-states-are-ride-sharing-apps-like-uber-and-lyft-illegal/689952 "2014-06-03T19:26:13Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\
**Post date:** [June 9, 2014, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-states-are-ride-sharing-apps-like-uber-and-lyft-illegal/689952/21 "2014-06-09T18:09:52Z")

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> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#):
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> Cab and limousine companies generally own their vehicles (this is less true for cabs), or at least portions of their fleets. Uber doesn’t own _any_ vehicles. All its drivers are independent contractors, who may or may not have adequate insurance or even road-legal cars.

Maybe, but the fact that they are independent contractors ( which is also true of drivers at some cab, car service and limousine companies) doesn’t mean the licensing/insurance etc requirements are different from those who drive company-owned vehicles. In NYC , it doesn’t matter who owns the vehicle -both the vehicle and the driver must be properly licensed with the TLC. I suspect there are few , if any, places where I can legally act as a cab or car service with my regular passenger vehicle license and my personal car insurance.  
That’s where I get confused about Uber - is the argument that drivers and vehicles don’t have to follow the licensing requirements simply because you order a car through an app rather than by phone? Actual ride sharing would probably be exempt, but at the point where there is a profit (not merely sharing expenses on a trip both people would be taking anyway) it’s no longer ride sharing.

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**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\
**Post date:** [June 9, 2014, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-states-are-ride-sharing-apps-like-uber-and-lyft-illegal/689952/22 "2014-06-09T18:48:14Z")

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“Ride sharing” seems to be code for “pretending not to be a cab company”.

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**Author:** ![fiddlesticks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddlesticks/32/18129_2.png) [@fiddlesticks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fiddlesticks)\
**Post date:** [June 9, 2014, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-states-are-ride-sharing-apps-like-uber-and-lyft-illegal/689952/23 "2014-06-09T18:55:39Z")

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> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#):
>
> “Ride sharing” seems to be code for “pretending not to be a cab company”.

It’s all basically along the same lines as escorts claiming they’re not prostitutes because the money spent is for the date, not whatever might top off the date.

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