Airport regulations
Per airport regulations, drivers must adhere to the terms below. Failure to do so may result in the receipt of a citation or even restriction of access to airport trips. The full list of airport rules and regulations can be found here.
First things first
- Before picking up at any Chicago airport, Uber drivers must first complete this airport quiz.
- At all times, the documents listed below are required. Drivers can obtain decals by filling out this form to receive one by mail.
- Uber Decal: While driving in Chicago, the Uber vehicle decal must be displayed on your front passenger windshield facing outward.
- Airport Decal: When taking trips at ORD or MDW, local regulations require you to display the airport decal on the rear passenger windshield facing outward.
- TNP License: Beneath the Uber decal, place your TNP license on your vehicle’s dashboard. You may also display an electronic version of your TNP license on a mobile device. Uber will provide you with this documentation as you cannot take trips without it.
- Note that Uber’s technology uses a geofence-based virtual queue system at airports to dispatch trips. This means you need to be located in the designated waiting area to receive a trip request. Drivers waiting elsewhere will not receive trip requests.
Quick hits from the airport
- When on airport property, the Driver app must be open at all times. Drivers must not go offline until exiting the airport area.
- When in the waiting area, drivers must abide by the one-hour time limit as best as possible.
- Please follow the instructions of the airport staff as well as all rules and posted signage in the waiting area and throughout airport property, including signage regarding access to certain parts of airport property.
Additional information
- Trip cancellations can take away from the Uber experience that both riders and drivers expect. Please remember that drivers who improperly use the app and intentionally disrupt the service, including excessively canceling rides or asking riders to cancel rides, may lose the ability to receive trip requests to and from the airport through the Uber Driver app.
- Drivers involved in non-injury accidents occurring within or at the entrance of the O’Hare Airport TNP waiting lot must head to the designated TNP accident investigation site for reporting purposes. The TNP accident investigation site is located within the helipad area. Once at the site, please stand by for the police to report the accident. The O’Hare Airport emergency number is 733-894-9111.
- Please note that Uber will not pay for any citations that drivers may incur.
Pickups at the airport
Although airport dropoffs operate as normal on the Departures level of the airport, pickups are quite unique
Waiting for requests
You need to be located in the designated waiting area to receive a trip request. Drivers waiting elsewhere will not receive trip requests. ORD has two designated waiting areas: (1) the Alpha Lot is located off Balmoral Avenue and (2) the Delta Lot is located at the intersection of Mannheim and Montrose.
Some things to know about FIFO queues:
- The queue operates on a first-in-first-out (FIFO) basis.
- Proximity to the terminal within the zone does not create an advantage for drivers or move you closer to the top of the queue.
- You can lose your place in line if:
- You go offline on your Uber Driver app
- You drive outside the zone
- You do not accept multiple incoming trip requests in a row
- You cancel a ride (if the rider cancels, you will remain at the top of the queue)
Picking up your rider
Once you accept a trip request, the Uber Driver app will navigate you to the selected pickup location at the airport. The pickup locations are product-dependent:
TNP Rides
- Terminal 2 (Departures level)
Livery Rides
- Terminal 1 (Arrivals level)
- Terminal 2 (Arrivals level)
- Terminal 3 (Arrivals level)
- Terminal 5 (Arrivals level)
Once you reach the pickup location, we ask that you yield to emergency vehicles, avoid bus pickup zones and ADA-accessible spaces, and do not block the curb.
Airport Map
Note: This shows the airport’s primary waiting area. In the event that the lot is full, a secondary lot (shown here) is available at the intersection of Mannheim and Montrose.
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