Your Prop 22 Guide
Overview
Prop 22 went into effect on December 16, 2020. If you’re dashing in California, here’s a quick breakdown of how Prop 22 impacts your experience:
Under Prop 22, you are:
Eligible to enjoy guaranteed minimum earnings on all deliveries with a pickup location in California.
At the end of the week, if your DoorDash pay is less than the guaranteed earnings for the week, we'll automatically add a pay adjustment for the difference and initiate the bank transfer on Monday morning of the following week (note: the transfers may take up to three (3) business days to show up on your account)
Required to take an uninterrupted 6-hour break when you dash for more than 12 hours in a 24-hour period.
Eligible for a healthcare stipend at the end of each calendar quarter if you dash an average of 15 or more active hours per week and have a qualifying health plan.
Required to complete a state-mandated safety course.
Below you will find detailed information about the following topics:
Dasher Pay
Healthcare Stipend & Eligibility Requirements
Online Safety Course
Mandatory Breaks
Prop 22: A Deeper Look
1. Dasher Pay
Earn with even more peace of mind. Here’s what you should know:
What stayed the same:
Earn on your own time. As always, you enjoy the independence and flexibility of choosing when, where, and how much you earn.
Get paid as you deliver. You still receive base pay for each delivery and receive 100% of tips on top of this amount.
Tips are extra and yours to keep. You receive 100% of your tips collected by DoorDash.
Promotions. You can take advantage of promotions like Peak Pay and Challenges to earn extra money. Once you complete them, they’ll be included in your DoorDash delivery pay.
Get paid each week. You can still see your weekly earnings in the app and have the option to cash out daily for a small fee with Fast Pay.
Get paid instantly with Crimson. You'll still be able to receive Instant Payouts if you use Crimson as your payment method (please find Crimson FAQ page here).
What did Prop 22 Change:
Guaranteed minimum earnings. Earn with even more confidence:
When you dash in California you earn at least 120% of minimum wage (based on the local minimum wage at the pick-up location) for active time on the platform (time spent on a delivery, starting from when you accept an offer to when you complete it), plus $0.37 per mile * during active time, when driving a motor vehicle (for example, a car, motorcycle, motor scooter).
*Reflects 2026 rate. The CA Treasurer’s office is responsible for publishing mileage rates, which are updated on an annual basis.
Keep in mind:
Guaranteed earnings are just a minimum. If you earn more than this, you always keep the entire amount.
Tips don’t count toward your guaranteed earnings.
How it works:
Each week, your earnings are reviewed to ensure your total DoorDash pay meets or exceeds the amount you’re guaranteed under Prop 22.
If, at the end of the week, your DoorDash pay is less than the required guaranteed earnings for the week, we'll automatically add a DoorDash pay adjustment for the difference. No action is required from you.
If the amount of DoorDash delivery pay you earned is equal to or greater than your guaranteed earnings, your pay will stay the same.
Keep in mind: You will only receive a pay adjustment if you’re eligible for additional earnings. Your earnings will never be reduced.
What this looks like: For example, let’s say that you dashed with your car in California, and the following were true for a given week:
Your active time was 600 minutes (10 hours)
You drove 100 miles to complete deliveries
Your DoorDash delivery pay for the week was $190
You earned $110.50 in customer tips
The minimum wage based on your pickup locations was $16.90 per hour
Your guaranteed earnings for the week would be: ((120% x $16.90) x 10 active hours) + ($0.37 x 100 miles) = $239.80.
Since your DoorDash delivery pay ($190) was less than your guaranteed earnings ($239.80), you would receive a $49.80 DoorDash pay adjustment for the difference. This would bring your total earnings for the week to $350.30 ($190 delivery pay + $49.80 pay adjustment + $110.50 tips).
In this example, what would happen if you earned above the guaranteed earnings minimum?
Instead, let's say you dashed at peak hours to hit your earnings goals, totaling $240 in DoorDash delivery pay (instead of $190), plus $125 in tips. Since your DoorDash delivery pay exceeded the guaranteed minimum for the week ($239.80), your pay would remain the same.
The total of $365 ($240 DoorDash delivery pay + $125 tips) in earnings would be yours to keep—and you'd earn above the guaranteed earnings minimum.
FAQs:
Q. What is the definition of active time?
A. Active time refers to the time you’re actively on a delivery. It begins the moment you accept an offer and ends once you complete it.
Q. How do you calculate active time for batched offers?
A. Active time includes all the time you are on any delivery, starting from when you accept an order until when you complete it. For batched offers, this starts from when you accept the first order and ends when you complete the last dropoff.
Q. Will I be paid back for tolls and fees?
A. No. You are responsible for tolls and fees (parking fees, parking tickets or traffic tickets). To learn more, see here.
Q. Am I still going to receive tips?
A. Yes, tips are extra and yours to keep. As always, you will receive 100% of your tips, in addition to your DoorDash delivery pay.
Q. If I’m eligible for a pay adjustment, when will I receive it?
A. If you’re eligible for a pay adjustment, we’ll initiate the bank transfer on Monday morning. The pay adjustment will be reflected on your earnings screen immediately, though transfers may take up to three business days to show up in your account. Your regular weekly earnings will continue to be deposited in your bank account as usual, and you’ll still be able to access FastPay.
Q. If I normally dash outside of California but want to dash in California temporarily, what does that mean for me?
A. You are able to dash wherever you choose, but you need to complete a state mandated safety course in order to dash in California. You can find details about the safety course below. Keep in mind, only deliveries with pickups in California are subject to the guaranteed earnings requirements described above, and only dashes in California will count as active hours for the California-specific healthcare stipend.
Q. Do referral bonuses count toward my guaranteed earnings?
A. No, referral bonuses do not count toward your guaranteed earnings.
Q. Should I still keep track of my travel mileage for tax deduction purposes?
A. Yes, we recommend that you continue to track your total mileage while dashing. While California Dasher pay includes guaranteed earnings based on active time mileage, you may still be able to deduct your total mileage on your taxes. Consult with a tax advisor to determine your ability to take this deduction, and learn more about standard mileage rates here.
Q. Need help tracking your mileage?
A. We’ve got you covered. We partner with Everlance to make tracking your mileage and expenses simple and easy. Learn more about how Everlance can help you here.
2. Healthcare Stipend and Eligibility Requirements
As part of Prop 22 you are eligible to receive a quarterly healthcare stipend if you meet the criteria outlined here. The windows to submit your application for the healthcare stipend are:
Q1 stipend: April 1 - April 15
Q2 stipend: July 1 - July 15
Q3 stipend: October 1 - October 15
Q4 stipend: January 1 - January 15
For more information on whether or not you qualify to apply, read more on the Guide to the Prop 22 Healthcare Stipend.
3. Online Safety Course What’s required:
Dashers in California need to complete an online safety course on safe driving, food safety, and sexual harassment. This course is required under California law.
How it works:
Dashers need to complete the state-required course prior to their first dash in California.
Keep in mind:
You will not be able to dash in California if you do not complete the state-required course. This includes Dashers that are only temporarily in the state.
4. Mandatory breaks
What’s required:
You need to take an uninterrupted 6-hour break if you dash more than 12 hours within a 24-hour period. This requirement is for your safety and the safety of others. Dashers who dashed more than 12 hours in a 24-hour period at least once in the last 7 days may receive a reminder email of this state-mandated requirement.
Example:
If you dash from 9:00 AM-9:00 PM, you will need to take a 6-hour uninterrupted break beginning at 9:00 PM.
Keep in mind:
This is a legal requirement for your safety and the safety of others.
FAQs:
Q. How do you calculate the 12 cumulative hours?
A. It’s the sum total of dash time (the time you’re logged in and available to receive a delivery opportunity) in a given day.
Q. What if I work a total of 12 hours but take breaks in between dashes?
A. You’ll still need to take an uninterrupted 6-hour break before you start your next dash.
