Lyft Expands Ride-Hailing to Teens in 200 U.S. Cities

Rival Uber has offered teen accounts for two years, but Lyft is now catching up with its own teen ride-hailing service.

Published on Feb. 9, 2026

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Lyft has launched a new teen account feature that allows minors as young as 13 to hail rides without an adult in 200 U.S. cities, including major markets like Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, and New York. The new service comes with various safety features like PIN verification, audio recording, and real-time tracking to give parents visibility and control over their teen's rides.

Why it matters

The move by Lyft to open its ride-hailing service to teens signals growing competition in the mobility space, as rival Uber has already offered teen accounts for the past two years. Expanding access to ride-hailing for minors could provide more transportation options, but also raises safety and oversight concerns that both companies are aiming to address through various parental controls and driver requirements.

The details

Lyft's new teen accounts can only be created by a parent or guardian, who must also provide a shared payment method to cover the teen's rides. Drivers matched with teen passengers must meet additional criteria and pass yearly background checks. Teens can also bring guests along with parental permission, and features like PIN verification, audio recording, and real-time tracking allow parents to monitor their teen's rides.

  • Lyft launched teen accounts on Monday, February 9, 2026.
  • Uber first tested teen accounts as early as 2017 and rolled out a commercial product in spring 2024.

The players

Lyft

A major U.S. ride-hailing company that has now opened its service to allow teens as young as 13 to use the app without an adult.

Uber

Lyft's main rival in the ride-hailing space, which has offered teen accounts for the past two years before Lyft's launch.

David Risher

The CEO of Lyft who announced the company's plans to open the ride-hailing service to teenagers.

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What’s next

Lyft's new teen account feature is one of numerous new products and expansions the company has introduced since CEO David Risher took over, including autonomous vehicle partnerships and the $197 million acquisition of German multi-mobility app Freenow, which opened up the European market to Lyft for the first time.

The takeaway

The launch of Lyft's teen ride-hailing service demonstrates the growing competition in the mobility space, as companies vie to provide transportation options for a wider range of customers, including minors. While this could increase access, it also raises safety and oversight concerns that both Lyft and Uber are aiming to address through various parental controls and driver requirements.