HB339: HB339 Motor vehicles; exempt ride share drivers or ride share network services from definition of motor carrier

Georgia law currently regulates most for-hire transportation businesses as 'motor carriers' under a set of rules in Title 40 of the Official Code of Georgia. This bill leaves the general motor carrier definition largely intact but adds a new legal protection specifically for ride share network services, the companies that run apps connecting passengers with drivers. The bill adds a new Code section stating that a ride share network service cannot be held liable, under any legal theory including vicarious liability or product liability, for injuries or property damage caused by a ride share driver operating a personal car. This protection applies only if the company itself was not negligent or criminally at fault, followed its legal obligations to drivers, and conducted or obtained a criminal background check on the driver at least once every two years. The bill also makes small wording updates to existing definitions in the motor carrier law and repeals any conflicting laws.

• Adds a new law (O.C.G.A. § 40-1-201) that protects ride share network services from most lawsuits over injuries or property damage caused by ride share drivers using their personal cars.
• Conditions that legal protection on the company not being negligent or criminally at fault itself.
• Requires ride share companies to have conducted or obtained a criminal background check on each driver at least once every two years to keep the protection.
• Clarifies that the digital app or network a ride share company runs counts legally as a 'service' rather than a 'product', which affects what kinds of lawsuits can be brought against it.
• Makes minor wording revisions to existing definitions of 'elderly or disabled passenger' and adds a definition for 'Department' meaning the Department of Public Safety, within the motor carrier law.

Ride share companies such as Uber and Lyft, the drivers who work through those apps, and passengers who ride in ride share vehicles. It also touches anyone injured in a crash involving a ride share driver, since the bill limits who can be sued.

If someone is hurt in a crash involving a ride share driver, this bill would make it harder to sue the ride share company itself, shifting legal responsibility more toward the driver, as long as the company met its background check and compliance duties under the law.

• Section 1 revises definitions in O.C.G.A. § 40-1-100, updating the 'elderly or disabled passenger' definition and adding a definition of 'Department' as the Department of Public Safety.
• Section 2 creates new Code Section 40-1-201, exempting ride share network services from liability for injuries or property damage caused by ride share drivers, subject to three conditions.
• The liability exemption requires no negligence or criminal misconduct by the company, compliance with other legal requirements for ride share drivers, and a criminal background check every two years.
• Section 2 also states that a ride share company's digital or internet network is legally a 'service,' not a 'product,' affecting product liability claims.
• Section 3 repeals any existing laws that conflict with this Act.

1. 2025-05-14Effective Date 2025-07-01
2. 2025-05-14Act 257
3. 2025-05-14House Date Signed by Governor (House)
4. 2025-04-08House Sent to Governor (House)
5. 2025-04-02Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate)
6. 2025-04-02Senate Third Read (Senate)
7. 2025-04-02Senate Taken from Table (Senate)
8. 2025-04-02Senate Tabled (Senate)

• Rob Leverett (R, HD-123)Primary sponsor
• Chuck Efstration (R, HD-104)
• Bruce Williamson (R, HD-112)
• Houston Gaines (R, HD-120)
• Stan Gunter (R, HD-008)
• Demetrius Douglas (D, HD-078)
• Brian Strickland (R, SD-042)

1. PassedHouse voteMarch 4, 2025

   166 yea, 0 nay (8 not voting, 6 absent)

   Passage: House Vote #173

2. PassedSenate voteApril 2, 2025

   46 yea, 7 nay (2 not voting, 1 absent)

   Passage: Senate Vote #421

• ride share regulation
• motor vehicle liability
• Uber and Lyft
• transportation law
• driver background checks