Ride-hailing companies Uber and Lyft have agreed to perform comprehensive background checks on all of their Massachusetts drivers starting in January.
Gov. Charlie Baker's administration says the agreement announced Monday calls for the most stringent background checks for the companies of any state in the nation.
Uber and Lyft will begin screening drivers on Jan. 6, with a guarantee that all drivers in the state will have passed a full criminal background check by April 3.
A law approved by the Legislature and signed by the Republican governor this past summer called for a two-tiered system in which drivers would be screened both by their companies and the state.
The administration says the agreement calls for the background checks to be completed a year ahead of schedule.
