If you’re a rider, please visit the IAH dropoff page or IAH pickup page instead.
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Airport regulations
Regulations for driver-partners
- Driver cancelations: Trip cancelations can take away from the great Uber experience that both riders and driver-partners expect. Please remember that driver-partners 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.
- Ground transportation and airport security staff: Airport rules are as important as traffic rules. Airports expect driver-partners to follow the instructions of the airport staff.
- Trade Dress: The Uber decal (trade dress) must always be displayed on the front passenger windshield facing outward. Driver-partners can request to receive replacement Uber decals by mail.
Level 1 Violations
Level 1 violations will result in a warning from the airport on the first documented violation, followed by a suspension from airport trip access for future violations. Examples of Level 1 violations include:
- Turning off or disabling the app while providing rideshare services, unless departing the airport after a drop-off or otherwise not intending to provide rideshare services
- Picking up or dropping off customers, or their baggage, at any location other than the marked/designated areas
- Waiting, standing, or idling on roadways
- Failing to operate a vehicle in a safe manner
- Failing to comply with posted speed limits and traffic control signals
- Using profane or vulgar language
- Operating a vehicle which is not in a safe mechanical condition or which lacks mandatory safety equipment
- Creating a nuisance that negatively affects the customer experience
- Obstructing traffic flow for the purpose of loading or unloading customers
- Improperly or not displaying trade dress while providing rideshare services
- Littering on airport property, or causing or producing any unusual, noxious, or objectionable smoke, gases, vapors, or odors
- Parked in an area designated as a Fire Lane
- Parked in an area designated as No Parking
- Not using designated driveway at the staging area
- Playing loud music in the staging area
- Using a vehicle’s horn in the rideshare pickup area, unless in the event of an emergency
- Parked in an area designated as a handicap or ADA space
Level 2 Violations
Level 2 violations will result in a permanent suspension from airport trip access on the first documented violation. Examples of Level 2 violations include:
- Circumventing, by any method, the airport geofence
- Allowing operation of a vehicle on airport roadways by an unauthorized driver
- Transporting a customer in an unauthorized vehicle
- Failing to provide personal information, licence plate number information, or providing false information, or police officers or airport personnel
- Failing to immediately comply with request of airport personnel or law enforcement
- Leaving a vehicle or any item unattended anywhere on airport property, except while in the staging area provided that the driver remains in the staging area
- Loitering, congregating, or creating a nuisance inside or outside of the staging area
- Making or causing to make any improvements, modifications or alterations to airport property
- Making or causing any damage or destruction to airport property
- Abandoning containers of human waste or materials contaminated with human waste on airport property
- Failing to provide digital identification, waybill, manifest, or confirmation that the app is activated while on airport property
- Displaying, to an airport official, digital identification, waybill, manifest or other identification in an altered or fictitious form
- Using or possessing any alcoholic beverage, illegal drug or narcotic while offering or providing rideshare services
- Soliciting customers on airport property, other than through the app
- Attempting to solicit payment in excess of the published fare
- Soliciting for or on behalf of any hotel, club, nightclub, or other business
- Soliciting of any activity other than the provision of rideshare services or any activity prohibited by airport regulations
- Operating a vehicle at any time during which Driver’s authority is suspended or revoked
- Engaging in criminal activity
- Engaging in acts of violence or aggression
- Engaging in lewd or lascivious activities
- Carrying firearms in restricted areas
- Attempting to bypass the app and solicit cash payment from a customer
- Unauthorized parking or staging
Staging area rules
Houston Airports has a zero-tolerance posture regarding physical or verbal abuse, disorderly conduct, harassment, nuisance behavior, fighting, torment, or embarrassment of a person. Abusive, indecent, profane, or vulgar language will not be tolerated.
- All rideshare vehicles must display trade dress in windshield and be kept visible to passengers and regulatory enforcement officers
- Drivers must remain with their vehicle within the staging area at all times unless using the bathroom or smoking in the designated area
- Smoking outside the designated area is prohibited
- Littering in the staging area or upon entering or exiting the the staging area is prohibited. This includes but is not limited to:
- Disposing of bodily fluids (urine or feces) onto the staging area pavement or grounds
- Failure to properly dispose of toilet paper containing fecal matter in the restroom commodes
- Leaving vehicle parts (seats, tires, etc) in the staging area
- Vandalism will result in permanent suspension
- Signal jamming is prohibited. Violators will be permanently suspended
- Fighting or horseplay is prohibited. Violators will be permanently suspended
- Alcohol presence or consumption is prohibited in the staging area and airport grounds
- Firearms, knives, or other weapons are prohibited in the staging area
- Vehicle parking must be in designated parking spaces
- Vehicle repairs or maintenance are prohibited in the staging area
- Advertising, soliciting, selling of food or drink, or any product is prohibited
Pickups at the airport
Pickups at the airport
It is easy to receive trip requests from riders leaving the airport. However, these trips work a little differently than other requests.
Waiting for requests
The airport’s designated waiting lot is located at 6135 Will Clayton Parkway. The entrance is accessible from Kenswick Drive.
Rather than being matched with a specific rider while in the waiting lot, you may receive an in-app ExpressMatch offer to begin navitating to the UberX pickup area. ExpressMatch operates at all terminals. Drive to the designated pickup area, then wait to receive the next UberX pickup request. If you don’t accept too many trips in a row, you will have to return to the staging lot to continue receiving trip requests.
Some things to know about the queues:
- Proximity to the terminal within the waiting lot does not create an advantage for driver-partners or move you closer to the top of the queue.
- If there are no driver-partners in the waiting lot, trip requests will go to Uber driver-partners in the area outside of the waiting lot based on proximity and other factors.
- You can lose your place in line if:
- You go offline on your Uber driver app
- You drive outside the waiting lot
- You do not accept multiple incoming trip requests in a row
- You cancel multiple rides (if the rider cancels, you will remain at the top of the queue)
Picking up your rider
Once you accept a trip request, check your app for the terminal and pickup location.
- In Terminal A, pickups occur in the former employee parking lot on the western side of the terminal building.
- In Terminal C, pickups occur on the ground floor of the Terminal C Parking Garage. Follow signs for the Uber pickup zone.
- In Terminal D & E, pickups occur on the Departures level curb along the outermost lane. Follow signs for Ride App pickup zone.
Due to ongoing construction, pickups are not permitted at Terminal B.
Dropoffs at the airport
Dropoffs at the airport
Based on the operating agreement with the airport, riders can be dropped off at the arrivals area of their terminal. If you’d like to receive a trip request afterward, you’ll need to keep the Uber Driver app on to maintain your place in the queue.
Rematch feature
We’ve also launched the Rematch feature at the airport. To qualify for Rematch, driver-partners must first complete a drop off at the airport. Rematch then allows any driver-partner who just completed an airport drop off to temporarily receive a pick up request without having to go to the Staging Lot. Once you drop off at the airport, if you wish, you can head towards the waiting lot to wait in the queue for an airport request. Upon navigation to the staging lot, you may receive a Rematch request. Airport regulations prohibit loitering in the terminal area or idling at the curb.