Can You Drive a Rental Car with a Permit?
In the United States, you cannot drive a rental car with a permit. Instead, prominent car rental companies such as Dollar, Avis, Enterprise, Budget, and SIXT will ask for an active and valid driver’s license.
This is a mandatory prerequisite for the primary driver or renter. However, driving a rental car in some regions with a temporary license is still possible.
Why Do Car Rental Companies Not Allow Permits?
If you want to know whether a driver can drive a rental car with a permit, the companies offering the service generally do not allow it. However, it is necessary to understand why permits are not accepted. The simple reason for it is that a rental company needs assurance that the driver is meeting the age, legal, and insurance standards.
Besides, there are several reasons why permits are not accepted to drive a rental car.
Liability and Insurance: The rental contracts and insurance policy rules are voided if a person is not driving with a valid license. As a result, it has many financial risks if accidents occur.
Legal limitations: For the permits, there are stringent rules. There are certain age and other legal aspects that a person will need to fulfill to rent a car.
Verification: Permits cannot fulfill the verification standards like permanent licenses. Since car rental companies need to validate the driving privileges, identity, etc., permits are not effective.
Policy of the company: Most car rental companies explicitly mention that the permits of learners and photocopies of them are not accepted. Rental cars can only be given when a physical and valid license is presented.
What is Needed to Rent a Car If Permits are Not Accepted?
Since a learner's permit for a rental car is not accepted, one must know the basic requirements to rent a car from a rental car company. These include:
A valid driving license with a photo on it.
A government-issued photo ID, such as a passport.
Credit card (since most companies accept payment through it, check the availability of other modes).
The minimum age of the primary driver should be 25 years (it may vary from one company/region to another).
For underage drivers, an additional fee will be levied.
Can I Drive a Rental Car with a Temporary License?
Yes, you can, but not every car rental company allows it. Service providers, like Hertz, accept temporary licenses and offer a hassle-free and straightforward process for them. However, temporary license-holders will need to fulfill certain aspects:
Address proof
Formal ID or passport
Physical copy of the temporary license
Applicable handling fees
International driving permits (for non-US residents)
Credit card
Note: The temporary license will only be accepted if it is issued by the United States, Canada, or other qualifying nations.
Can I Drive a Rental Car with My Non-US License?
The state-specific rules for non-US citizens with a valid license may vary. Therefore, it is mandatory to go through the same to avoid legal issues. In case regions allow, the following will be needed:
A home nation’s driving license that is not expired and issued by a valid department.
Digital license, even if it has a photogram will not be accepted.
When the license is in a different language, International Driver Permits are recommended for translation purposes.
Valid government-issued and approved documents may be required in some regions.
Note: To avoid penalties and legal issues, it is better to review the state-specific requirements for renting a car.
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