Valet attendant screening questions: license, driving record, key control and the curb at rush
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Valet attendant screening questions should confirm that the candidate holds a valid driver's license, will consent to a driving record check, and is old enough to drive on the job under federal child labor rules, then test how carefully they drive other people's cars: manual transmissions, push-button and electric vehicles, tight garages, a damage walk-around before every move, and strict key control. The rest of the screen is the curb itself: running between cars for a full shift outdoors, staying polite with a line of guests waiting, and handling tickets, keys and cash tips honestly. As of October 2026, some cities also regulate valet operations, so check the stand's location.
This page covers valet attendants and parking attendants at restaurants, hotels, hospitals, residential buildings and events. For drivers who make deliveries on public roads all day, see delivery driver screening questions. Hotel valets often work beside the bell desk and concierge; concierge screening questions and restaurant host screening questions cover the guest-facing roles next to the stand.
Which valet operation is it?
| Operation | What changes | Ask the candidate |
|---|---|---|
| Restaurant or nightlife stand | Evening and late shifts, rush at seating times and closing, short drives to a lot, cash tips | "How did you handle twenty cars arriving in fifteen minutes?" |
| Hotel | Overnight parking, luggage, cars stored for days, a garage with tight ramps | "How did you keep track of cars stored for several days?" |
| Hospital or medical center | Patients with limited mobility, wheelchairs, worried families, steady volume | "How did you help a patient who needed a wheelchair at the curb?" |
| Residential building | Same residents daily, retrieval on request, long-term key storage | "How did you handle a resident who needed their car in five minutes?" |
| Event or one-day valet | Hundreds of cars in and out at once, temporary lots, darkness and weather | "What was the largest event you worked, and how did the exit go?" |
Rules that shape a valet screen
As of October 2026, not legal advice. Driving, records and valet permits are governed by state law and city codes as well as the federal rules below. Confirm the rules for the stand's location.
Age and driving
The Department of Labor's Hazardous Occupations Order 2, 29 CFR 570.52, treats driving a motor vehicle on public roads as hazardous for 16- and 17-year-olds. A 17-year-old may drive only under a list of conditions, including daylight hours only, no moving violations at hire, a state-approved driver education course, and driving that is "occasional and incidental", which the rule defines as no more than a third of a workday and 20 percent of a workweek. When the route to the lot uses a public street, valet driving is the whole job, not a third of it, so ask "Are you at least 18?" as a job requirement. The operator's insurer may set a higher minimum age; ask the client rather than assuming.
City valet rules
Some cities license valet operators and set rules for attendants. Two examples:
- Sacramento. The city's valet permit application requires attendants to hold a valid California driver's license, wear identification and clothing with the valet company's name, obey traffic and parking laws, use the approved traffic route, and not leave vehicles unoccupied in the valet zone for more than five minutes, under City Code chapter 10.46.
- Chicago. The city's Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection requires a valet parking operator license for anyone providing valet service to a business establishment, with a separate license for each loading area.
These are the operator's licenses, not the attendant's, but they explain why clients ask for a clean license, a uniform and a set route.
Driving records
The federal Driver's Privacy Protection Act, 18 U.S.C. 2721(b), lists the purposes for which motor vehicle records may be released; one is any requester who has the individual's written consent. When a background screening company supplies the record, treat it as a background report under the Fair Credit Reporting Act: a standalone disclosure and written authorization before you order it, and the pre-adverse action notice with a copy of the report before you decide not to hire because of it. The steps are in the FCRA process for recruiters.
Knockout questions
| Question | What a strong answer sounds like | Red flags |
|---|---|---|
| Do you hold a valid driver's license issued in [state, if the city requires it], and when does it expire? | Yes, with the expiry date. | Suspended, expired, or "it's being sorted out". |
| The client checks driving records before hire. Will you sign the authorization? | Yes. Some candidates mention a ticket up front, which is a good sign. | Refuses or wants to know whether it can be skipped. |
| Can you drive a manual transmission? (only if the client requires it) | Yes, and when they last did. | "I can figure it out." |
| Are you at least [18, or the client's minimum]? | Yes. | Hesitation. Ask only about the minimum. |
| Shifts are [days and hours], outdoors in all weather, mostly on your feet and running between cars. Can you do that, with or without reasonable accommodation? | Yes. | None from the answer. No medical follow-ups. |
Driving and vehicle questions
-
"Walk me through taking a car from the guest to its parking spot."
- Strong answer: greets the guest, issues the ticket, walks around the car noting existing damage (and photographs it if the company uses that), asks about anything unusual (a valet key, a dog in the back, a car seat), adjusts only what is needed, drives the set route slowly with no phone, parks for an easy exit, locks, and stores the key in the right slot.
- Red flags: skips the walk-around, or describes driving fast to keep up.
-
"How do you drive a car you have never seen before, like an electric car with no start button you can find?"
- Strong answer: asks the guest how it starts and shifts before they leave, checks the parking brake type, takes it slowly because electric cars accelerate quickly and quietly.
- Red flags: "I'd figure it out once they're gone."
-
"Tell me about the last time you or a coworker damaged a car. What happened next?"
- Strong answer: a specific account: stopped, told the supervisor at once, documented it, and the procedure that followed.
- Red flags: never, in years of valet work; or a story that ends with "we didn't say anything".
-
"How do you back into a tight spot on a garage ramp?"
- Strong answer: mirrors and camera if fitted, slow, gets out and looks if unsure, asks a coworker to spot, chooses a different spot rather than force it.
- Red flags: relies only on parking sensors.
Keys, tickets and money
| Question | What a strong answer sounds like | Red flags |
|---|---|---|
| How did your stand keep keys secure? | A locked key box or cabinet, keys tagged to ticket numbers, never left in cars or on the podium, one person responsible at a time. | Keys on a pegboard anyone can reach. |
| A guest has lost their ticket and wants their car. What do you do? | Follows the lost ticket procedure: confirms identity and ownership (ID matching the registration, or a supervisor's check), logs it, involves the supervisor. | Hands over the car because the guest describes it. |
| How were tips handled at your stand? | Clear answer: pooled or kept, counted at the end of shift, recorded as the company required. | Vague, or describes taking from the pool. |
| A guest leaves a wallet on the seat. What happens? | Leaves it, locks the car, notes it on the ticket, tells the supervisor, or secures it under the lost-property procedure. | "I'd hold it for them in my pocket." |
Guest service at the curb
- "Fifteen guests are waiting for their cars after an event. What do you do?" Strong: calls numbers in order, tells guests a realistic wait, keeps the curb clear, runs but does not drive fast. Red flag: speeds to catch up.
- "An elderly guest needs help getting into their car." Strong: offers an arm, holds the door, asks what helps, has a wheelchair available at a hospital stand. Red flag: hurries them.
- "A guest says their car has a new scratch." Strong: stays calm, does not argue or admit fault, checks the walk-around record or photos, calls the supervisor, follows the claims procedure. Red flag: accuses the guest.
How valet experience gets overstated
- Self-park attendant as valet. Taking payment at a booth is not driving guests' cars. Ask how many cars they parked a shift.
- Event volume quoted as personal volume. "We parked 800 cars" with a crew of twenty. Ask about their share.
- Manual transmission claims. Ask when they last drove one, and in what.
- "No incidents" over several years. Ask how the stand recorded damage claims.
Scoring the screen
Pass or fail: valid license (and in-state if the city requires it); consents to the driving record check; meets the minimum age for driving on the job; drives manual if required; can do the physical, outdoor duties with or without accommodation.
Scored 0 to 2 each (10 possible):
- Careful driving: walk-around, set route, slow in garages.
- Unfamiliar vehicles: asks before the guest leaves.
- Damage reporting: reports at once, every time.
- Key and ticket control: secure keys, lost-ticket procedure followed.
- Guest service under pressure: calm, honest wait times, helps guests who need it.
Legal cautions
Make the driving record check part of a consistent process for everyone at the same stage, and use the FCRA adverse action steps if a report changes your decision. Criminal history questions before an offer are restricted in many states and cities; see ban-the-box interview questions. Ask about age only as a minimum the job requires, and about physical duties only in the "with or without reasonable accommodation" form. The full list is in illegal interview questions. This page is general information, not legal advice.
Questions people ask
How old do you have to be to work as a valet?
Federal child labor rules (Hazardous Occupations Order 2, 29 CFR 570.52) bar 16-year-olds from driving on public roads on the job and allow 17-year-olds only occasional and incidental driving, defined as no more than a third of a workday and 20 percent of a workweek. Valet driving that uses public roads is the core of the job, so in practice it needs drivers who are 18 or older. The operator's insurer may set a higher minimum, so ask the client (as of October 2026).
Can I check a valet candidate's driving record?
Yes, with the right steps. The federal Driver's Privacy Protection Act lets a requester obtain motor vehicle records with the individual's written consent, and when a background screening company supplies the record, the Fair Credit Reporting Act's disclosure, written authorization and pre-adverse action steps apply. State law and the state motor vehicle agency's own forms may add requirements.
Do valet attendants need a special license?
Usually a regular driver's license is enough for the attendant, but some cities regulate valet operations. Sacramento's valet permit terms require attendants to hold a valid California driver's license and wear identification with the company's name, and Chicago requires a valet parking operator license for each loading area. Check the city where the valet stand operates.
What question best shows whether a valet candidate is a careful driver?
Ask them to walk you through taking a car from the guest to the parking spot. Careful drivers mention a walk-around for existing damage, adjusting the seat and mirrors only as needed, a slow and set route, no phone, and parking so the car can come out without a tight turn. Then ask about the last time they or a coworker damaged a car and what happened next.