POLICIES AND
REQUIREMENTS
What is the minimum
age requirement?
Can I rent a car if I
am less than 25 years of age?
Who else can drive
the car?
What types of
requirements do additional drivers have to meet to be allowed to
drive the rental car?
Is it a problem if I
let someone else drive the car without first listing them as an
additional authorized driver?
What about all those
tickets I have; will they effect me?
Do I have to return
the car to the same location?
How far can I drive
the rental car?
How are rentals
outside the United States different from those in U.S.?
How can I get an
International Drivers Permit?
What can help me prepare if I'm
planning on driving in Europe?
What is the minimum
age requirement?
All Rental Companies have a minimum
age requirement, usually 25.
Some will rent to those 21 years old
with a surcharge, which tend to range from $5.00 to $25.00 a day.
Ask about this policy if you are under 25.
Some Rental Car Companies will rent
to those 18 and above in certain situations. Government or Military
personnel on official business are often allowed to rent. Some
companies will rent a car as an insurance replacement vehicle.
The minimum age requirement applies
to the renter as well as any additional drivers.
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Can I rent a car if I
am less than 25 years of age?
Some Rental Companies offer rentals
to those less than 25 and over 21. They will usually charge a daily
surcharge ranging from $5.00 to $25.00 a day.
The minimum age policy and surcharge
policy varies from company to company and can even vary between a
companys different locations.
Youll not only want to find out who
will rent to you, but also shop their surcharge fee to see if you
can save some money.
Some Rental Companies that have a
general policy of renting only to those over 25, have special
agreements with certain corporate accounts allowing rentals to
corporate employees who are under 25. In some cases, they will also
wave any surcharge for those employees. However, the corporate
employees are often limited to renting the car for only business
purposes. You can check with the Rental Companies or your corporate
travel departments to see if you are eligible for these programs.
U.S. Government employees or military
personnel as young as 18 years old can often arrange to rent if they
are on official business and traveling with orders.
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Who else can drive the
car?
Additional drivers usually need to be
listed on your rental contract. Ask about the companys additional
driver policy.
Who else is allowed to drive the car?
What are the additional costs if
others drive the vehicle?
What requirements must be met for
additional drivers to be listed on the contract?
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What types of
requirements do additional drivers have to meet to be allowed to
drive the rental car?
Additional drivers are often required
to meet most, if not all, of the same requirements as the renter.
Rental Companies may be flexible about the credit card requirements.
Additional drivers must usually also
be present to present their valid drivers license to the Rental
Companys representative.
Many Rental Companies will charge a
fee to list an additional driver.
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Is it a problem if I
let someone else drive the car without first listing them as an
additional authorized driver?
Yes, and it can be a big one. If
someone else drives the car without the Rental Companys permission,
you have most likely violated the contract terms and any protection
you had under that contract may be voided.
This violation could complicate or
even negate claims against your personal insurance and negatively
impact any coverage you receive from your credit card.
If the police stop an unauthorized
driver, that driver can be detained or even arrested because they
dont have any legal right to have possession of the car.
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What about all those
tickets I have; will they effect me?
Yes, they can. Some states, including
Florida, allow Rental Companies to do online drivers license checks
at the time of rental and some will refuse a rental based on this
check.
If you have a questionable driving
record, especially a D.U.I, you should ask the reservation center
about this part of the rental qualification policy.
You might be able to find these
policies on the companys web page; or the reservation centers
should have it available in their computers; or have another phone
number available to call to check these policies.
Your reservation is useless if you
dont qualify to rent.
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Do I have to return
the car to the same location?
Not always, some Rental Companies
allow you to drop off their car at their other locations in town, in
other cities or even other states.
Youll need to ask about each
particular case to see if it is allowed.
Youll also need to know the cost
since there is usually a charge for this convenience.
Some companies have special low
shuttle rates available between two popular locations.
Some companies have special low rates
available if they need the car moved to another location. Often,
parts of rental fleets are moved south to north for the summer and
north to south for the winter to adjust for seasonal needs. So, if
you do happen to be going that way you can really find some good
deals.
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How far can I drive
the rental car?
Ask about any mileage charges and
limitations.
There may be limits placed on the
mileage if you take the vehicle out of state.
There may be mileage limits for
certain types of vehicles especially specialty or luxury vehicles.
If you go over these limits, the
charges can add up quickly.
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How are rentals
outside the United States different from those in U.S?
Every country has its own rules, but
heres a list of some items you may want to consider.
You may need an international
drivers license or permit in addition to your U.S. drivers
license.
Some countries charge a fee for a
permit that allows you to drive on their roads.
The rental contract may not be in
English. See if they have rental contracts or at least an
explanation of contract terms available in English. Also, see if
they will have any English speaking counter personnel available to
assist you when you arrive.
Your personal insurance or credit
card coverage may not be valid or acceptable to the rental company,
so you may need to purchase extra coverage.
Most rental car fleets outside the
U.S. are made up of much smaller cars.
Many foreign rental fleets will have
a large percentage of manual transmission automobiles.
A car with air-conditioning may be
considered an upgrade in some foreign fleets.
Road signage may be in unfamiliar
languages and the colors and shapes of those signs may be different
than those in the U.S.
The direction of the lanes may be
opposite of those in the U.S. Road conditions may be considerably
worse than those found in the U.S.
Gauges may only read in the metric
system, 100 kilometers=60 miles.
Gasoline is usually considerably more
expensive and is often sold by the liter, 3.78 liters=1 gallon.
Many countries have even higher taxes
on rental cars than those in the U.S.
Fuel prices are often considerably
higher than those found in the U.S.
Some countries have both a minimum
and a maximum rental age.
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How can I get an
International Drivers Permit?
www.aaa.com/vacation/idpf.html
The American Automobile Associations
International Driving Permit web page. This site contains
information on how to get an International Driving Permit. This
permit, used in conjunction with your valid U.S. drivers license,
is valid in 150 countries. Check out the sites IDP FAQ link for
further information.
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What can help me
prepare if I'm planning on driving in Europe?
www.travlang.com/signs/
This site contains information on
traffic codes, road signs, parking and road vocabulary for these
planning on driving in European Countries.
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