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Injured as a passenger in an Uber or Lyft in Texas: what Texas law says about riders

What Texas law says when a rideshare passenger is hurt in a crash: when a ride counts as prearranged, what the company must show and send a rider, how long it keeps ride records, the insurance periods in outline, a passenger's own coverage, complaints and Houston.

11 min readPublished October 30, 2026Last updated October 30, 2026Edited by Joseph Budzinski, CTO, InjuryClaimGuide

The short answer

Texas law describes a rideshare passenger as a "transportation network company rider," and a "prearranged ride" begins when a driver accepts a ride requested through the company's digital network and ends when the last requesting rider leaves the vehicle (Ins. Code §1954.001). Around that definition, Texas requires the company to show riders who the driver and vehicle are, send a receipt, and keep individual ride records for at least five years (Occ. Code ch. 2402). It also requires insurance, maintained by the driver, by the company on the driver's behalf, or by both, with a higher required minimum while a ride is under way (Ins. Code §§1954.051, 1954.053).

This guide is about a passenger in an Uber or Lyft, which is a different question from the one our guide on rideshare crashes in Texas answers. It provides general informational guidance and is not legal advice. It does not say who is responsible for any crash, which coverage applies, or which deadline applies to anyone; an attorney can tell you that.

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Key facts (as of October 30, 2026)

  • A ride is "prearranged" from acceptance to the last rider's exit. It excludes shared-expense carpools and vanpools, and transportation in a taxicab, limousine or similar for-hire vehicle (§1954.001).
  • Riders must be shown the driver and vehicle first. The company must provide the driver's first name and picture and the make, model and license plate number before the passenger enters the vehicle (Occ. Code §2402.104).
  • A receipt must follow the ride. It shows the origin and destination, the total time and distance, and an itemization of the fare (§2402.105).
  • Ride records are kept at least five years. Individual ride records must be kept for at least five years after the ride (§2402.151).
  • The required insurance minimum is higher during a prearranged ride. The amounts are in chapter 1954 (§1954.053).
  • A city may not regulate rideshare companies. Regulation is an exclusive state function, with exceptions for airports, cruise ship terminals and local traffic rules (§2402.003).

Who is a "rider," and when is a ride "prearranged"?

A "transportation network company rider" is "an individual who uses a transportation network company's digital network to connect with a transportation network company driver who provides a prearranged ride to the individual in the driver's personal vehicle between points chosen by the individual." A "prearranged ride" begins "at the time a driver accepts a ride requested by a rider through a digital network controlled by a transportation network company" and ends "at the time the last requesting rider departs from the driver's personal vehicle." It does not include "a shared expense carpool or vanpool arrangement or service" or "transportation provided using a taxicab, limousine, or similar for-hire vehicle" (Ins. Code §1954.001).

A driver who is logged in to the network may not solicit or provide a ride for compensation unless the passenger "has been matched to the driver through the digital network" (Occ. Code §2402.108). TDLR, the state agency that issues the permits, says the same in plain words: you cannot hail a rideshare driver on the street (TDLR). A ride may also be shared by several passengers if they consent to sharing it (§2402.102).

What must the company show and send a passenger?

Occupations Code chapter 2402, which regulates these companies, sets several rules that produce records a passenger may later have:

  • Before the ride: fares. A company that charges a fare must disclose the fare calculation method on the digital network and, before the passenger enters the vehicle, provide the applicable rates and the option to receive an estimated fare (§2402.103).
  • Before the ride: who is driving. The company must provide "the driver's first name and picture" and "the make, model, and license plate number of the driver's vehicle" (§2402.104).
  • After the ride: a receipt. Within a reasonable time, the company must send a receipt by email or text message with the origin and destination, the total time and distance, and an itemization of the total fare paid, if any (§2402.105).
  • Privacy. A company may disclose a passenger's personal identifying information to a third party only if the passenger consents, the disclosure is required by a legal obligation, or it is required to protect or defend the company's terms of use or investigate a violation of them. It may share the passenger's name with the driver to identify the passenger or to communicate (§2402.153).

How long are ride records kept, and what can an insurance investigation ask for?

A transportation network company must keep "individual ride records for at least five years after the date the ride was provided," records showing compliance with the chapter for two years, and driver records for at least five years after a driver stops being authorized to log in (§2402.151).

In an insurance claim investigation, the company and any insurer providing the coverage that subchapter B of chapter 1954 requires "shall assist each insurer involved in the claim by providing information to directly interested persons and an insurer of the transportation network company driver." The information must include "the precise times that a driver logged on and off of the transportation network company's digital network in the 12-hour period immediately preceding and the 12-hour period immediately following the accident" and a clear description of the coverage, exclusions and limits (§1954.154).

A driver must also disclose on request, to a directly interested person, an automobile insurer and the investigating peace officer, whether the driver was logged on to the company's digital network or engaged in a prearranged ride at the time of the collision (§1954.056(b)).

What does the insurance chapter provide, in outline?

Insurance Code chapter 1954 is covered in detail in our guides on rideshare crashes in Texas and the chapter 1954 reference entry, including the amounts. In outline, for a passenger's purposes:

  • Two periods, and a higher minimum for a ride. The chapter sets required coverage between prearranged rides and during prearranged rides (§1954.053). For both periods, it also calls for uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage and personal injury protection "where required" by chapter 1952 (§1954.052).
  • A back-stop for a lapsed policy. If the driver's policy "has lapsed or does not provide the coverage required," the company "shall provide the coverage required by this subchapter beginning with the first dollar of a claim against the driver" (§1954.054).
  • No need to be denied elsewhere first. The company's coverage "is not contingent on a transportation network company driver's personal automobile insurer initially denying a claim" (§1954.055).
  • A driver's personal policy may exclude the ride. An insurer may exclude loss or injury that occurs while the driver is logged on or engaged in a prearranged ride (§1954.151).

Chapter 2402 adds that "the requirements of Chapter 1954, Insurance Code, apply to transportation network companies and drivers logged in to a digital network" (Occ. Code §2402.101). Which of these provisions applies to a particular crash depends on facts this guide does not decide.

Is the driver an employee of the company?

Texas has a specific rule. A driver who is authorized to log in "is considered an independent contractor for all purposes, and not an employee of the company in any manner," if the company does not prescribe the specific hours the driver must be logged in, restrict the driver's use of other companies' networks, limit the territory, or restrict the driver from another occupation or business, and the company and the driver agree in writing that the driver is an independent contractor (Occ. Code §2402.114). Insurance Code §1954.102 adds that a company "does not control, direct, or manage a personal vehicle or a transportation network company driver who connects to the company's digital network except as agreed by written contract" (§1954.102). This guide does not say how either section applies to a particular driver or company.

What coverage can a passenger have of their own?

Chapter 1952 of the Insurance Code describes two coverages that an insurer must provide in or with a Texas auto liability policy, unless an insured named in the policy rejects the coverage in writing (§1952.101; §1952.152):

  • Personal injury protection (PIP) pays reasonable expenses that arise from an accident, are incurred not later than the third anniversary of the accident, and are for necessary medical and similar services, lost income for an income producer, and certain essential services. By its terms it covers the named insured, members of the insured's household, and "any authorized operator or passenger of the named insured's motor vehicle, including a guest occupant" (§1952.151). If a guest or passenger described in that section makes a liability claim against the vehicle's owner or operator, or their liability insurer, the owner, operator or insurer is entitled to an offset, credit or deduction against any award to the guest or passenger, equal to the PIP amounts the owner, operator or their liability insurer paid to that guest or passenger (§1952.159).
  • Uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage protects insureds who are legally entitled to recover from the owners or operators of uninsured or underinsured motor vehicles (§1952.101).

Whose policy those provisions reach in a rideshare crash depends on the policies themselves. Our guides to personal injury protection and uninsured and underinsured motorist claims explain the general rules.

How do shared responsibility and seat belts fit in?

Texas uses proportionate responsibility. The trier of fact determines the percentage of responsibility of each claimant, each defendant and each designated responsible third party, among others (Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code §33.003), and a claimant "may not recover damages if his percentage of responsibility is greater than 50 percent" (§33.001).

Separately, Texas makes it an offense for a person at least 15 years old to ride in a passenger vehicle while it is being operated, in a seat equipped with a safety belt, without being secured by the belt (Transp. Code §545.413). Our guide on seat belt law and injury claims explains how the rule is described in Texas law. Our guides to the 51 percent rule and to proportionate responsibility explain the general framework.

What does Texas say about complaints?

  • About a driver. TDLR says to submit complaints about a driver directly to the company through its app or website (TDLR).
  • About suspected intoxication. A company must keep a policy that prohibits a logged-in driver "from any amount of intoxication," include on its website a notice of the policy and a way to make a complaint, and on a passenger complaint alleging a violation, investigate and "immediately suspend the driver's access to the company's digital network for the duration of the investigation." It must keep records relevant to the complaint for at least two years (§2402.106).
  • About the company. TDLR says complaints about a ride-sharing company itself can be submitted online or by phone at 800-803-9202 (TDLR).

A complaint to the company or to TDLR is separate from an insurance claim or a lawsuit.

What happens at the scene?

The driver's duties after a collision are the same as for any Texas driver. A driver involved in a collision that results or is reasonably likely to result in injury to or death of a person must stop and remain at the scene until they have complied with the information and assistance duties (Transp. Code §550.021), which include giving a name and address, the vehicle registration number and the insurer's name to any person injured, and reasonable assistance to anyone injured (§550.023). Our guides on duties after a crash and what to do after a car accident explain the rules for everyone involved.

Are there Houston rules for rideshare passengers?

There are no City of Houston rideshare rules to describe. Under Occupations Code §2402.003, regulation of these companies, their logged-in drivers and their vehicles "is an exclusive power and function of this state" and "may not be regulated by a municipality or other local entity," including by requiring an additional license or permit or by setting rates. The section has three exceptions: an airport owner or operator may impose regulations, including a reasonable fee, on a company that provides digitally prearranged rides to or from the airport; the governing body of a governmental entity with jurisdiction over a cruise ship terminal may do the same for rides to or from the terminal; and the chapter does not affect a local authority's ability to adopt or enforce traffic rules that apply to rideshare vehicles and drivers in the same manner as other vehicles and drivers. Airport and terminal regulations may not conflict with the chapter or add driver requirements beyond §2402.107 (§2402.003). We did not read any airport or cruise terminal rules, so this guide does not describe them. Our guide to getting a crash report in Houston explains the report process.

How long does Texas law generally allow to file an injury lawsuit?

Texas generally requires a personal injury suit to be brought not later than two years after the day the cause of action accrues, with exceptions the Code states (Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code §16.003). Our guide to the Texas statute of limitations for injury claims explains the general rule.

Records a passenger may want to keep after a rideshare crash

It can help to keep these in one place:

  • The trip receipt the company sent, and screenshots from the app showing the driver's name and picture and the vehicle's make, model and license plate
  • The date, time, pickup and drop-off points, and the crash report number and the agency that took the report
  • Photos of the vehicles and the scene, if it was safe to take them
  • The driver's and any other driver's names, insurers and registration numbers, as exchanged under §550.023
  • Names and contact details of witnesses, including other passengers
  • Medical bills and records, and records of missed work and pay
  • Your own auto policy's declarations page and any claim numbers or letters from an insurer

Our guides on what evidence helps an injury claim and what to do after a car accident in Houston explain how records like these are used.

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About InjuryClaimGuide

InjuryClaimGuide is a legal advertising service. We are not a law firm and do not provide legal advice. We do not recommend or endorse any attorney, and we do not analyze the merits of any potential claim. Routing to participating firms is based on geography, practice area, language, and firm capacity.

Frequently asked questions

When does Texas law consider a rideshare ride "prearranged"?
Insurance Code §1954.001 defines a prearranged ride as transportation provided by a transportation network company driver to a rider, "beginning at the time a driver accepts a ride requested by a rider through a digital network controlled by a transportation network company and ending at the time the last requesting rider departs from the driver's personal vehicle." The term does not include a shared expense carpool or vanpool, or transportation in a taxicab, limousine or similar for-hire vehicle.
What insurance does Texas require when a rideshare passenger is in the car?
Chapter 1954 sets required coverage for two periods, while the driver is logged on and available and while the driver is engaged in a prearranged ride, and the required minimum is higher for the second period. It also says that if the driver's policy has lapsed or falls short, the company must provide the required coverage beginning with the first dollar of a claim against the driver. The dollar amounts are in our chapter 1954 reference entry. This guide does not say which coverage applies to any crash.
What must a rideshare company show and send a passenger in Texas?
Before the passenger enters the vehicle, the company must provide through its digital network the driver's first name and picture and the make, model and license plate number of the vehicle (Occ. Code §2402.104), and the applicable rates and the option to receive an estimated fare (§2402.103). Within a reasonable time after the ride, it must send a receipt by email or text message showing the origin and destination, the total time and distance, and an itemization of the fare paid, if any (§2402.105).
How long does a rideshare company have to keep ride records in Texas?
Occupations Code §2402.151 requires a transportation network company to keep individual ride records for at least five years after the date the ride was provided. Separately, Insurance Code §1954.154 says that in an insurance claim investigation the company must provide information that includes the precise times the driver logged on and off the digital network in the 12 hours before and the 12 hours after the accident, and a clear description of the coverage, exclusions and limits.
Is a rideshare driver an employee of the company under Texas law?
Occupations Code §2402.114 says a driver is considered an independent contractor for all purposes, and not an employee of the company in any manner, if the company does not prescribe the hours the driver must be logged in, restrict the use of other networks, limit the territory, or restrict the driver from another occupation, and the company and driver agree in writing that the driver is an independent contractor. This guide does not say how it applies to any particular driver.
Does the City of Houston have its own rideshare rules?
Occupations Code §2402.003 makes regulation of these companies, their logged-in drivers and their vehicles an exclusive power of the state and says a city may not regulate them, for example by requiring an additional license or permit. It lets an airport owner or operator, and a governmental entity with jurisdiction over a cruise ship terminal, impose regulations, including a reasonable fee, on a company that provides rides to or from the airport or terminal, and it preserves local traffic rules applied to rideshare vehicles and drivers in the same manner as other vehicles and drivers.
Can InjuryClaimGuide tell me who is responsible for my rideshare injuries?
No. InjuryClaimGuide is a legal advertising service. We do not apply the law to anyone's situation and do not evaluate any claim. An attorney can advise you about your specific situation.

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