Transport of Unaccompanied Minors by TNCs

Background

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) regulates the transportation of unaccompanied minors by Transportation Network Companies (TNCs), including requirements for driver background checks. In 1995, the Commission opened Rulemaking 95-08-002 to set safety rules for passenger state corporations (PSCs) that specialized in transporting infants and children, along with parents, guardians and child-care providers accompanying the infants and children. Decision (D.) 97-07-063 adopted rules for specialized PSC carriers whose operations “primarily concern, or specialize in, the transportation of unaccompanied infants and children.” The Commission ordered those drivers primarily transporting unaccompanied to be fingerprinted and undergo a criminal background check through the California Department of Justice’s TrustLine Unit. 

D.24-12-004

On December 5, 2024, the Commission adopted D.24-12-004, which requires any Transportation Network Company (TNC) driver who wishes to be eligible to transport an unaccompanied minor in California to pass the fingerprint-based background check requirements previously adopted in Decision 97-07-063, and any additional background checks that the TNC may wish to administer.

Each TNC whose drivers intend to transport unaccompanied minors in California must file an informational Advice Letter describing how the TNC implements live trip tracking accessible by parents and/or guardians; the safety procedures at pickup and drop-off locations; and how the TNC implements driver training on issues specific to transporting an unaccompanied minor. Each TNC shall maintain current insurance requirements for trips transporting unaccompanied minors. In their Annual Reports submitted to the CPUC, each TNC shall specify if the ride reported on, involved the transport of an unaccompanied minor.

CPUC staff will monitor the above requirements, as well as incident and annual data reporting requirements for trips involving unaccompanied minors to determine whether staff should impose additional background and reporting requirements in the future.

Advice Letters:

Listed below are the Advice Letters filed with the CPUC by TNCs that wish to be eligible to transport unaccompanied minors in California.