After Gov. Jared Polis spiked a sweeping rideshare safety bill last year, Colorado regulators are quietly taking another run at tightening the rules for Uber, Lyft, and other app-based services. The Colorado Public Utilities Commission and the Department of Regulatory Agencies are back in the spotlight, kicking off pre-rulemaking outreach and a public survey this winter. Riders and drivers are in for a months-long process that could reshape how trips are monitored and how safety complaints are handled.
A recent review by the Department of Regulatory Agencies laid out a slate of tougher measures, including a requirement that companies use facial-recognition checks to stop driver impersonators and a new criminal penalty for people who pose as drivers, according to The Denver Post. The same review urged clearer reporting rules and stronger enforcement tools as regulators look for ways to close the gaps left by the veto.
PUC launches outreach and pre-rulemaking
The Colorado Public Utilities Commission has opened a pre-rulemaking process and rolled out an online "Rideshare Engage" portal to collect complaints and feedback from riders, drivers, and the companies themselves as it drafts possible rule changes. The commission has posted draft redlines and scheduled stakeholder meetings to gather input, according to the Colorado PUC.
PUC Director Rebecca White has framed the effort around blocking imposter drivers and making sure background checks actually screen out dangerous people. "If you have used a rideshare and have ideas about how to improve vehicle, passenger, and driver safety, please give us your thoughts at Rideshare Engage," she said in the commission notice. The Colorado PUC provided the statement.
Polis veto left a policy gap
Gov. Jared Polis vetoed House Bill 25-1291 in May 2025, calling parts of the proposal "unworkable" and warning that it could clash with state privacy laws and even drive rideshare companies out of Colorado. Instead of signing the bill, Polis directed DORA and the PUC to pursue narrower administrative changes and beefed-up audits of background checks, according to Colorado Politics.
Industry pushback and safety claims
Uber and Lyft fought hard against the bill at the Capitol, warning of service disruptions and challenging how big the safety problem really is. Uber told lawmakers that roughly 0.006% of 6.3 billion U.S. trips from 2017 to 2022 involved reports of sexual misconduct, and Lyft has pointed to transparency figures showing that the vast majority of trips take place without serious incidents, as reported by The Denver Post.
Legal notes
The policy fight is rooted in real-world cases. Rep. Jenny Willford alleges she was assaulted in February 2024 by a person posing as a Lyft driver and later filed suit against the company. Prosecutors charged a suspect in the alleged attack, and survivors pressed lawmakers for new protections, stronger background checks, and reporting reforms, according to Colorado Newsline.
What to watch
The PUC is working through outreach and draft redlines before issuing any formal Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, giving riders, drivers, and the companies several months to weigh in and try to shape the final rules. Regulators have said they may look at increased reporting, public summaries of rider refusals, and stiffer penalties, all items flagged in the DORA review, and that details and deadlines will appear on the commission's rulemaking page and in its newsletter, according to the PUC newsletter.
For now, the showdown over how to police the gig economy is unfolding in commission filings, stakeholder meetings, and courtrooms instead of a single sweeping law. Coloradans who ride with or drive for these apps will want to keep an eye on the PUC rulemaking page and the Rideshare Engage portal for chances to speak up.
