Im brand new… just posted my owner home description and my first dates. My intent is to offer my car to the sitter. Is it fair to ask for a copy of their drivers license before choosing them? My hesitation is that i’d be getting access to their address… feels a little stalky… but i would need to confirm they’re a licensed driver before offering them the job. How is this handled?
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If I’m going to be using your car I’ll happily send you a copy of my driver’s license. I don’t care if you have my address, I’m about to have yours!
The fact that you are considerate about maintaining boundaries shows you are a conscientious host, so don’t worry about it. Very reasonable request when entrusting someone with your vehicle.
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Agree wholeheartedly with @CoolCatAunt This is most definitely not an issue for me, I have done it many times when a HO needs to add me to their car insurance. Even if you aren’t doing that, I for one would be OFFERING my licence to a HO as it is so very kind of you to offer in the first place.
It’s all about trust which seems to be sadly lacking in today’s society and if a HO is opening their entire home up to me, the least I can do is offer my proof of licence and legal authority to drive their car, it is completely understandable.
Thanks for being so thoughtful 
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if the car is involved, absolutely fine to ask for the license and once insurance is set up, I’d also get a copy of that tbh.
Yes, no problem for me and it has often been necessary for the owner’s insurance company
I would expect to leave a copy of my dl if I were using a homeowner’s car. And I don’t see a problem with the homeowner having my home address either (although I’m sure there are sitters that would feel differently).
I’d be fine with that. I’ve actually been offered cars in the U.S. and U.K. and was surprised that my hosts never asked me for any proof of ability to drive, LOL.
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If they have their own vehicle, you can’t require a copy of ID. THS does a security check on the sitters (not the owners). If using your car, of course, your insurance will probably require this. So, perhaps they should forward a copy directly to the auto insurance company, who have secure email and fax.
As a side note: it’s not a job, it’s an exchange. You’re not employing the person, you’re making a mutual exchange agreement with the other party. That’s what THS is.
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Be mindful that email is not a secure way to send personal information like a license. Any data sent in email can be obtained by others.
I’d recommend you have another safer method.
Yep, totally OK. You may have read some threads on this forum where HOs asked for the sitter’s address for no apparent reason and were (appropriately) flamed. But this is a situation in which you legit need the DL and it should be provided. If the sitter prefers to shade out their home address on the copy they provide, that should be OK with you and hopefully your insurer. But most sitters won’t be bothered by it.
Also, just mention in your post the sitter providing a valid DL is a condition to the privilege of the car. Disclosure in advance is better than disclosure later. I’ve seen this in a few listings and never thought it odd. It actually indicates that you are responsible.
As mentioned, the fact that you are conscientious about this issue pretty much makes all the sitters on this forum want to sit for you 
So a hearty welcome to the THS community!
Yes, for Insurance purposes your Insurer will require a copy of their DL in the UK some want the share code from the DVLA to show driving history, like you do when you take out new Car Insurance. If there is no problem then it should not be a problem, you have trust the HO is not going to do anything wrong with your details.
I have had HO ask for DL and passport and we are all the in UK, if that eases their mind no problem.
I have had Insurance Co’s ask for both too, due to the HO being out of the Country for more than 8 weeks and my name having to go onto their Home Policy.
Happy travels
Hi @Ckerrnj and welcome to the forum
Absolutely you can ask for a copy of their drivers license if they will be using you car. However rather than asking before deciding and possibly ending up with the license of someone who didn’t end up being your chosen sitter or accepting the sit or didn’t need your car, perhaps wait until you have selected someone and spoken to them and they are happy to proceed and that they would like to use your car. Let them know you will offer the sit and if they accept they need to send a copy of their license within a certain time via an agreed method. Then if they don’t or the license isn’t correct you can cancel.
Thank you! I am reassured.
In the UK most insurers will require the driver details to add them on the policy. Even if that’s not the case in your country I think you are absolutely entitled to see their DL details to ensure they are entitled to drive your vehicle and have a good driving record. Its very generous of you to offer a car and many sitters will be able to apply who may otherwise not have- especially if you are rural.
I’ve been driving owner’s cars in UK and USA but each time it was their insurance company who required many détails : not only my driving license and sometimes my international driving license.
Many other questions were asked to me, such as “had i been involved in car accidents -material or physical- the last 5 years ?” ( with a record given by my insurance company for my own car)
Was i an owner and since when, married, since when etc.
The owner was sorry to ask me these private questions, explaing it was their insurer but on my side i much prefered to be sure i would be insured… i asked them à copy of their insurer answer about me, a copy of the vehicle paper i kept in my wallet
If an owner does not ask anything, he might be generous but naive, ignore his insurance will not cover the car damage made by the sitter who drived in case of problem
I don’t want to drive a car abroad ignoring If i could be sued in case i hurt or kill some pedestrian or other driver or my passenger. I want to know if the insurance will take the repair in charge!
Laws are so different in countries . I don’t want to be sued by the other part lawyer, obliged to sell my home to pay the expenses if i hurt some person who remains handicaped or badly injured.
I have been allowed to drive an expensive car, i wanted to be sure If i made damage, i would not have to pay huge amounts of money i could probably not afford.
Many people ignore insurance restrictions. If in Usa a car insurance is related to the home, in Europe it"s totally different. My insurance for my car only allows me and my husband to drive our car, nobody else . So i never let anybody else drive it.
So better to be informed BEOrE an issue happens.
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Yes completely acceptable. We have been both HO and Sitters. While THS verify I think this I’d
Policies vary in each country and among various insurers. My insurance in the U.S. covers people automatically if I lend them my car — no need to share info with the insurer. I asked them before I lent it for short stays for my friends and family. That likewise was the case for my sit.
In a separate case, I had an exchange student stay and use our car for more than a year. We had an extra car. Instead of adding them to my insurance, I signed the car over to them via the department of motor vehicles, as if I’d sold it to them. I didn’t charge them. I just had them insure the car for themselves, because that way they officially owned the car. After they were done with it, I had them transfer it back to me, as if they’d sold it to me, though we didn’t exchange any money.
Personally, I didn’t take up the use of the car I was offered as a sitter in the U.K. I had no need for it, since I could walk to the village high street for groceries or have them delivered.
I applied for a sit today and next we’re set to chat. They mentioned that their car would be available, even though that wasn’t posted in the listing. A nice surprise and I’d be fine with showing them my DL if they’d like, if I get the sit.