[St. Paul, MN] The Minnesota Department of Human Rights today announced a settlement and reaffirmed that under state law, rideshare companies must accommodate riders with a disability, and drivers cannot refuse rides to Minnesotans because they have a service dog. Commissioner Rebecca Lucero was joined by Minnesotans with disabilities who have been harmed by rideshare discrimination.

Commissioner Lucero announced a settlement agreement with Lyft that followed discrimination against Tori Andres, a student who was repeatedly denied rides because of her service dog, Alfred. These updates benefit riders nationwide.

“For people with disabilities, access to rideshares like Lyft is not a convenience, it is a civil right,” said Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero. “This settlement with Lyft is an important step forward. It makes it clear that Minnesota will hold transportation providers accountable, and it reinforces that Minnesotans must be treated with dignity and afforded full access under the law.”

The agreement follows a comprehensive investigation by the Department of Human Rights, which found that Lyft drivers repeatedly canceled rides for Tori Andres, a Minnesotan traveling with her service animal. While the case focused on one individual, it reflects broader concerns raised by Minnesotans with disabilities across the state who experience canceled rides from rideshare services and other service denials.

Tori Andres is one of the Minnesotans who brought a complaint of discrimination to the Minnesota Department of Human Rights against a rideshare company. Andres is blind and travels with a service dog that is trained to assist her with daily tasks. “This case has been deeply personal to me,” said Tori Andres. “My guide dog Alfred is my freedom, he is the reason that I am able to live my life as a college student and athlete completely independently. I will never stop fighting for my rights and the many service dog teams out there who deserve to go about their lives without worrying about access issues.” 

The Disability Law Center, which represented the plaintiff in the Lyft case, highlighted how rideshare refusals can be a common issue for people with disabilities, leading to missed work hours and doctor’s appointments. "Under Minnesota law, people with disabilities have the right to access transportation services with their service animals, yet refusals still happen far too often,” said Chad Wilson, a supervising attorney from Minnesota Disability Law Center of Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid, who represented Andres in the case. “This agreement reinforces accountability, advances Lyft’s compliance, and warns transportation companies and their drivers that denying service to riders with service animals is illegal. No one should be turned away from a ride simply because they are traveling with a service animal."

“On-demand transportation is essential to daily life,” said David Dively, executive director of the Minnesota Council on Disability. “This settlement underscores the importance of protecting riders who use service animals from discrimination and ensuring equal access in practice. We welcome continued progress with rideshare providers to strengthen access, accountability, and independence for Minnesotans with disabilities.” 

Key findings from the investigation 

Between November 2021 and January 2023, Lyft drivers canceled multiple rides after learning rider Tori Andres was traveling with a service animal. Andres has a trained service dog that wears a leather harness typical of guide dogs trained to support people with visual disabilities. In one instance, a Lyft driver hung up the phone and canceled the ride immediately after being informed about the service animal by Andres’ mother, who was providing directions to the driver. In another, two separate drivers canceled within minutes of each other after seeing the service animal, causing Andres to miss a medical appointment.

The Department of Human Rights concluded that Lyft violated the Minnesota Human Rights Act, which prohibits public places—including rideshare vehicles— from denying people access because they have a disability. 

Settlement agreement has national impact 

The Minnesota Department of Human Rights reached a robust settlement agreement that benefits riders cross the United States, promoting independence and connection. The settlement includes improvements to policies, driver education, and updates to the Lyft app. It also strengthens accountability for drivers who violate these policies by clarifying that they may be deactivated and therefore unable to continue driving for Lyft. The agreement also includes a monetary settlement of $63,000 for the rider in the case. The Department of Human Rights will monitor Lyft’s compliance with the settlement agreement for the next three years.

While this agreement is specific to Lyft, the Minnesota Department of Human Rights has received complaints of widespread discrimination against people with disabilities from multiple rideshare services and transportation providers. All rideshare companies must follow the Minnesota Human Rights Act. 

What this means for riders and drivers 

To ensure that Minnesotans with disabilities can access Lyft without discrimination, the Department of Human Rights wants riders and drivers to understand their rights and responsibilities. 

Riders

• You have the right to ride: By law, Lyft drivers cannot cancel or refuse a ride because you have a disability – that includes riders with wheelchairs and service animals and riders who are blind or low vision. 

• Optional disclosure: Riders can choose to notify the driver in the Lyft app that they are traveling with a service animal. The video below demonstrates how riders can disclose their service animal in their Lyft app settings.

• How to report problems: If a driver refuses to give someone with a service animal a ride, riders should report it to Lyft through their website, app, email or by phone. Under the settlement, Lyft must follow up on every report.

A video from the Minnesota Department of Human Rights shows how riders can update their Lyft app settings to disclose a service animal.

Drivers

• It’s the law: Drivers cannot cancel or refuse a ride because a rider has a disability – that includes riders with wheelchairs and service animals and riders who are blind or low vision. Service animals are not pets.

• “Always Say Yes” reminders: Drivers attempting to cancel or refuse a ride for a rider traveling with a service animal and who disclosed it in the app will immediately receive an in-app message. The message reminds drivers that canceling or refusing the ride violates both the law and company policy—and that doing so may lead to termination. 

• Training and education: The settlement requires Lyft to provide drivers with information on how to determine whether an animal is a service animal, train new drivers, and regularly remind drivers to follow the Service Animal Policy. 

Lyft’s website shows drivers will receive a warning message if they attempt to cancel a service animal ride.

How to report discrimination  

If you believe you have been discriminated against, contact the Department of Human Rights by submitting this online form.

The Minnesota Department of Human Rights is the state’s civil rights enforcement agency and is responsible for enforcing the Minnesota Human Rights Act, one of the strongest state civil rights laws in the country.

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