Deactivated by Uber or Lyft in NYC: What to Do Next

In short: First, read the deactivation message and find which kind of reason it gives: documents, background check, safety, fraud, discrimination or ratings. Each kind goes to a different process. Then check your TLC license status, save your evidence, and file the appeal in the app (for Uber, the Review Center). NYC's deactivation law is blocked by a court, so today the company's own process is what you have.

This guide is a triage plan for the first days after a deactivation. It does not promise any result, and it is not legal advice.

Step 1: Identify your reason category

Uber's page Deactivations — Losing Account Access lists the reasons it uses. Find yours in the message, then follow the matching path.

If you drive for Lyft, we did not find an official Lyft page describing its NYC appeal process, so we don't describe it here. Use the appeal or help option in the Lyft Driver app.

Not sure which path fits? Use the deactivation path finder.

Step 2: Check your TLC license status

Many app removals start with a TLC problem: a suspended or expired license, or an expired document. Call TLC at (718) 391-5501, option 2 to check your license status (TLC contact page). If TLC suspended you, the app does not have to give you notice before cutting you off: TLC's lockout rule has an exception for "lack of licensing credentials." Fix the suspension first: see TLC license suspended: what to do and will the apps cut me off if TLC suspends me.

Also make sure this is really a deactivation and not a one-day block. A short block is a lockout with different rules: see is a lockout the same as a deactivation.

Step 3: Fix document cases quickly

If the reason is expired documents, this is often something you can fix yourself. Upload the current document in the app (for example, your renewed TLC license, vehicle documents or insurance). Uber's 2020 NYC panel page says "waitlisted" accounts, such as those with inactive documents, should use Uber's help center, not the panel.

Step 4: Gather evidence before you appeal

Uber says you can ask for a review in the in-app Review Center and add information to support your case, such as audio or video recordings. Uber also says it may use phone sensor data about your driving, and that it considers sensor data showing safe driving when there are rider complaints. Collect what you have now, before it is deleted:

For complaints from riders, also read deactivated after a rider complaint. For dashcam rules, see dashcams in TLC vehicles.

Step 5: File the appeal

Write your appeal in simple words. Say what the notice says, why it is wrong, and which attachments prove it. Do not guess or add things you are not sure about. More detail on the panel is in Uber's NYC driver appeals panel.

A simple way to write the appeal

You can use your own language if English is hard for you, but short and clear sentences work best in any language. A structure that keeps you on point:

1. Who you are: your name as it appears in the app, and your TLC license number.
2. What the notice says: copy the reason exactly.
3. What really happened: the date, time and trip ID, in a few sentences. Stick to facts you know.
4. Your proof: list each attachment and what it shows ("Dashcam clip, 9:42–9:50 p.m., shows the rider leaving the car calmly").
5. What you are asking for: a review and reinstatement of your account.

What not to do

• Don't open new accounts or use someone else's account. Uber lists fake or duplicate accounts as fraud and says account sharing is not permitted in the US. See can someone else use my Uber account.
• Don't contact the rider directly about the complaint.
• Don't delete trip messages, photos or dashcam files, even if you think they hurt your case. Ask a lawyer or advocate how to handle them.

Step 6: Background check cases are different

Uber says losing access for a background check failure "is considered a loss of eligibility, not a deactivation," and these cases are generally not part of the Review Center appeal process. Uber adds that in some places local law treats it as a deactivation, and then Uber includes the rights that apply in its message to you. Uber says checks look at things like felonies, pending charges, multiple moving violations or accidents, and DUI. Read failed Uber's background check for your options.

Step 7: Protect your income

A deactivation stops your pay from that app right away. Things to check:

• Paid sick leave balance. Uber and Lyft drivers in New York earn sick leave under the 2023 Attorney General settlements. See paid sick leave for Uber and Lyft drivers. We have not confirmed whether an unused balance is paid out after deactivation; ask the company.
• Unemployment insurance. Whether you qualify is decided by the NYS Department of Labor. See unemployment benefits for app drivers.
• Settlement money. If you drove in past years, check the $328 million Uber/Lyft settlement.
• Other bases. Your TLC license is separate from your app account. You may be able to keep working through another base or app.
• Benefits help. TLC's Owner/Driver Resource Center helps licensees apply for public benefits; see the driver help finder.

What NYC's deactivation law would change (blocked)

Local Law 52 of 2026 would require just cause, 14 days' notice in most cases, a 15-day informal resolution step, DCWP complaints, and reinstatement with back pay for wrongful deactivations. A federal court blocked it in July 2026, and the case is on appeal. Keep your records anyway: the law includes a lookback for drivers deactivated in the 7 years before it takes effect.

Avoid "account recovery" scams

Uber says it will "never call, text, or email you to request your password, verification code, or banking details" (Uber). Never share your login code. Only appeal through the app, Uber's help site, or an organization you can verify. See driver unions and advocacy groups.