A car provides comfort and safety. During your trip, this vehicle is, first of all, a reliable friend that will give you a lot of positive emotions and beautiful landscapes. Convenience and complete freedom of travel are the main advantages, which is why car rental is so popular in the USA.
How old do you have to be to rent a car in the US? The age at which it is allowed to rent a car and what are the restrictions
Many people said that under 21 car rental is impossible! Renting a car in the US is not that difficult, and when compared with the rules in other countries, you can ultimately be convinced of the availability and ease of this offer. This practice is very popular because fast movement around the city without a car is simply impossible. Many use this feature as soon as they arrive in the country. It is much more convenient and faster, especially if numerous visits to different places are planned and the day promises to be active.
In most countries, car rental for 18-year-olds drivers is allowed. While rental providers are willing to rent cars to young people, this is likely to come with additional rental payments and certain limits on the available rental fleet.
It is important to note that, for drivers aged 18 to 20 years, there are restrictions on car rentals from economy class to full-size (inclusive). This may be due to the size of the car. After all, for example, vehicles of the full-size class are known as large cars, which is a category of large cars.
The minimum age to rent a car at most car rental locations in the US and Canada is 21. The minimum age to rent a car in New York and Michigan is 18 years old.
Car rental under 25 is available from Enterprise, Alamo, Avis, Budget, Thrifty, Dollar, Hertz, Advantage, ACE, Routes, Fox, Sixt, and local companies.
In general, car rentals under 21 is possible if you meet the following criteria:
- You must have a passport and a valid visa to be legally in the US if your visa is expired.
- A driver's license may not necessarily be made in the USA.
- Be prepared to pay the "young driver" surcharge (practiced by some agencies).
Why do you have to be 25 to rent a car? Features of renting at 25: how does it work?
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, drivers under the age of 25 are statistically more likely to be involved in car accidents than drivers over the age of 25. The accident rate of young drivers is one of the reasons for the so-called "lease with some conditions."
That is why car rentals for 19 year olds are still limited, and at least up to 20 years old, it has its own characteristics. For 25-year-old motorists, the rules are a little different. By law, they need to have a driver's license with them and be over 21 years old; in many rental companies, this parameter reaches 25 years.
However, safe and qualified drivers aged 20 to 24 (or 18 to 24 in Michigan and New York) may rent cars. To do this, young tenants will have to pay a commission for persons under 25 years old, or "young drivers." We emphasize that rental cars for 20 year olds are already quite free in many US states.
The "Young Driver Fee" is an additional charge that is charged in addition to the standard car rental rate when booking drivers aged 20 to 24. After all, as already mentioned, according to the Highway Traffic Safety Administration, drivers under the age of 25 are more likely to get into traffic accidents. To resolve such a problem, motorists under 25, and in some centers even 30 years old, are required to pay an additional fee, called the "young driver fee." It is characterized by the fact that it is charged for each day of rental, and the rental itself is limited to a short period of time. Also, a young driver, unfortunately, cannot use a premium-class car. This is due to the power and dimensions of such models.
The young driver fee is a daily fee that compensates car rental companies for the additional risk of accidents when young renters drive their cars.
The accident rate drops significantly after the age of 25, and car rental companies cover this risk by charging a fee.