How to Rent a Car when You're Under 21

Determining If You’re Old Enough

Check the minimum age policies of different companies. Car companies have different minimum age requirements. While some companies won’t rent a car to you unless you’re over 21 years old, others, in certain places, will let you if you’re at least 18 years old. In most locations, Dollar, Hertz, Thrifty, and some other major car rental companies will let you rent a car if you’re at least 20 years old. Some local and discount rental companies, on the other hand, will rent to you if you’re at least 18 or 19. Most major car sharing services will also let you rent a car if you’re at least 18 years old.

Search what the legal minimum age is where you’re traveling. The legal minimum age you must be to rent a car also varies by region. In some countries, you must be at least 21 to rent a car. In other localities, however, you can rent a car if you’re at least 18 years old. Check the websites of car rental companies to see if you can rent a car in the location where you’ll be traveling. You can rent a car from any rental car company in Michigan and New York if you’re at least 18 years of age, as long as you have a valid driver’s license and a debit or credit card. In Australia, on the other hand, you must be at least 21 years of age to rent a car. If you’re under 18, you probably won’t be able to rent a car anywhere.

See if your employment status will allow you to rent a car. If you’re at least 18 years old and have a position in the United States government or military, for example, you can rent a car in the United States if you need a rental car for official business. Just show the attendant at the rental office your official orders. Some companies may also have corporate contracts with rental car agencies that allow their under-21 employees to rent cars while traveling for work. If you’re living or traveling outside of the United States, similar policies may exist.

Booking and Paying for a Traditional Rental Car

Present a valid driver’s license in good standing. Make sure your driver’s license hasn’t expired and won’t expire during the period you want to rent a car. Most rental companies will also require that your license be in good standing for at least 1 year before renting a car to you. So you probably won’t be able to rent a car if you got your license last week. A license in good standing means that it hasn’t been suspended, revoked, surrendered, or canceled. The license will also have to be valid in the location in which you’re driving.

Have a valid debit or credit card. You’ll need to present the physical card if you’re renting a car in person. If you’re renting a car online, you’ll need your card’s number, as well as your name, billing address, the card’s expiration date, and the security code, which you can find on the back of your card. Use a card that is under the same name as your license. Some rental car companies may not accept cards issued by all credit card companies. Make sure the company accepts your specific type of card before finalizing your travel arrangements.

Pay a daily “young renter fee." If you’re under 25, expect to pay an additional young renter fee on top of the standard rental rate for a car. The amount you’ll be charged will vary by your age, the class of car you’re renting, the rental company, and local laws. If you’re under 25, you may also have a more limited selection of car models from which to choose when renting a car. Most rental cars don’t let drivers under 25 years of age rent the most expensive cars on their lots. You can avoid paying this fee at Hertz if you’re a member of the American Automobile Association (AAA). Other companies may have similar arrangements with other membership organizations. You may also be able to avoid paying this fee if you’re traveling for work and your company has a corporate account with the rental company.

Reserving and Paying for a Shared Car

See if you’re eligible to join a car sharing service. If you’re under 21 years of age, it’s typically easier to get a car through a car sharing service than a traditional rental car company. Zipcar, Maven, and car2go are the 3-major car sharing services with the broadest geographical reach. They each have different age eligibility requirements and charge different fees, so you’ll have to do some research to see which one is best for you. If you’re at least 18 years old, you’re eligible for a membership with both Maven and car2go. To join Zipcar, on the other hand, you must be at least 21 years or older, unless you’re affiliated with a college or university, in which case you can join if you’re at least 18.

Have a valid driver’s license in good standing. Make sure your license is valid in the location where you’ll be driving. If your license is suspended, revoked, or restricted in anyway, the car sharing services probably won’t approve your application for membership. If you’re applying with a foreign driver’s license, you’ll likely need to present copies of your driver’s license and your passport before being approved.

Sign up for a car sharing service online or through an app. Visit the website of a car sharing service or download the service’s mobile app. Then, follow the directions to sign up for the service. You’ll need a debit or credit card, a valid driver’s license, and an email address to complete your registration. To join Maven, download the Maven app. Membership with Maven is free. After registering, it takes a few minutes to several hours to be approved. Once you’re approved, you can reserve a car immediately via the Maven app. You can sign up for car2go at https://www.car2go.com/US/en/ or through the car2go app. Membership is also free. It typically takes 1-2 days for the service to approve your registration. Once you receive a confirmation email, you can start driving. To become a member of Zipcar, sign up online at https://www.zipcar.com. Unlike the other 2 car services, Zipcar charges a $70.00 annual, or $7.00 monthly, membership fee and a $25 application fee. Once you’re approved, Zipcar will send you a physical card, known as a Zipcard, which you’ll use to unlock any Zipcar you use. It will take anywhere from 3-7 days to receive the card in the mail.

Make a reservation for a car through a car sharing app. All 3 services allow you to reserve a car through their apps. Just select the car nearest to your location and punch in your desired start and end times to get started. You can book a Maven car for up to 28 days at a time, but you won’t be able to book a one-way trip. If you drive over 180 miles per day, you will be charged an additional fee of $0.42 a mile. You can cancel a reservation 24 hours ahead of time without having to pay a fee. You don’t need a reservation to reserve a car2go car, but you can make one, if you’d like, through the car2go app. To use a car for more than 24 hours, you’ll have to select a Trip Package on the app. Car2go also charges a fee of $0.45 if you exceed the mileage limit of your package. You can make a Zipcar reservation online or by phone if you don’t want to use the app. You can reserve a Zipcar for as long as 7 days, but can book one-way trips only in a few select cities.

Pay for a reservation with the debit or credit card you registered with. When you sign up for a car sharing service, you’ll have to enter a debit or credit card number, along with its expiration date and the security code on the back of the card. When you rent a car from a car sharing service, the company will automatically charge your card. Before using a car, make sure your payment information is up-to-date, so you don’t incur any additional fees.