# Rideshare endorsement

> What a rideshare endorsement is, why personal car insurance excludes driving passengers for pay, and which coverage gap the add-on is meant to fill.

Canonical page: https://statecover-guide.com/glossary/rideshare-endorsement/  
Last reviewed: October 28, 2026 by the StateCover Guide editorial team  
General information, not legal or insurance advice.

## Quick answer

A rideshare endorsement is an add-on to a personal auto policy that covers some or all of the time you drive for a transportation network company (TNC), such as a ride-hailing app. Without it, a personal policy usually excludes carrying passengers for pay.

## How it works

North Dakota's insurance department explains that most personal auto policies exclude transporting passengers for a fee, often through a livery exclusion. The Texas Department of Insurance likewise lists driving for a ride-hailing service, or delivering food or other items for a fee, among things most policies do not cover.

State TNC laws split a driver's time into periods. North Dakota's law is a typical example:

- **App off.** The TNC does not have to provide insurance, so your personal policy is what applies.
- **App on, waiting for a ride request.** The TNC or the driver must provide primary coverage that meets limits set by state law.
- **Ride accepted until the passenger gets out.** The TNC or the driver must provide primary coverage with much higher liability limits.

North Dakota warns that if a personal policy excludes ride-hailing, a driver likely has no coverage for those incidents unless they have a TNC-specific endorsement. What an endorsement covers, and in which periods, varies by insurer and state, so ask how it handles the waiting period and damage to your own car.

## Related terms

- [Personal auto policy](https://statecover-guide.com/glossary/personal-auto-policy/)
- [Endorsement](https://statecover-guide.com/glossary/endorsement/)
- [Exclusion](https://statecover-guide.com/glossary/exclusion/)
- [Primary and secondary coverage](https://statecover-guide.com/glossary/primary-and-secondary-coverage/)
- Guide: [Rideshare insurance for Uber and Lyft drivers](https://statecover-guide.com/drivers/rideshare/)

## Sources

- [North Dakota Insurance Department, Transportation Network Company Guidance](https://www.insurance.nd.gov/sites/www/files/documents/Communications/Educational%20Materials/FINAL%20for%20Print-20170314%20Transportation%20Network%20Company%20Guidance.pdf) — livery exclusion, the three TNC coverage periods, TNC-specific endorsements
- [Texas Department of Insurance, Auto insurance guide](https://www.tdi.texas.gov/pubs/consumer/cb020.html) — ride-hailing and paid delivery driving excluded from most policies