William Lipovsky
Most car rental companies don’t offer after-hours pick-up. Some airport locations allow pick-ups 24/7, but car-sharing services like Zipcar and Turo tend to offer more flexible pick-ups since there are no general hours of operation or time restrictions.
After-hours drop-off, on the other hand, is available at some or all locations of each major U.S. car rental company. Where available, most agencies require advance notice and ask you to leave the keys in a drop box.
Below, we detail the after-hours services each rental agency offers, plus the procedures to follow when picking up or dropping off your rental.
What We Recommend
Zipcar is the best option for after-hours pick-up and drop-off because it doesn’t have a traditional check-in counter.
You’ll lock and unlock the vehicle with your Zipcard or the Zipcar app, and you can book a rental for any time of night or day.[1][2][3]
You can change your reservation time and pay the difference through the app, as long as the vehicle is available.[1]
Note that Zipcar does require a paid membership, which costs $9 per month or $90 per year.[4]
If you’d like to avoid Zipcar’s membership fees, Turo is also a flexible option. Each individual car owner sets their own pick-up and drop-off guidelines.[5]
If you need to change the pick-up or drop-off time after making a Turo reservation, you can send a request to the owner through Turo.[6]
Comparison Table
Use the table below for a quick overview of which rental companies allow after-hours pick-up and drop-off.
You can sort the information by tapping the arrows at the top of each column. Select a company name to find more details in our list below.
| Rental Company | Allows After-Hours Pick-Up? | Allows After-Hours Drop-Off? |
|---|---|---|
| ACE Rent a Car | No | Yes, at some locations |
| Alamo Rent a Car | No | Yes |
| Avis Rent a Car | Only at some airport locations | Yes, at some locations |
| Budget Rent a Car | No, but some airport locations are open 24/7 | Yes, at some locations |
| Dollar Car Rental | No | Yes, at some locations |
| Enterprise Rent-A-Car | No, but many airport locations are open 24/7 | Yes, at some locations |
| Fox Rent A Car | No | Yes, at some locations |
| Getaround | Yes | Yes |
| Hertz | No | Yes, at some locations |
| National Car Rental | No, but most airport locations are open 24/7 | Yes, at some locations |
| Payless Car Rental | Yes, at some locations | Yes, at most locations |
| SIXT | No | Yes, at some locations |
| Thrifty Car Rental | No | Yes, at some locations |
| Turo | Yes | Yes |
| Zipcar | Yes | Yes |
The List
Below, we list after-hours policies for each major car rental company.
The list is in order of the overall best options based on the availability of after-hours services and the ease of the pick-up/drop-off process.
We confirmed this information by contacting company representatives and viewing online policy documentation.
Keep in mind that late drop-off (after the end of your original reservation) will usually result in additional hourly or daily charges. Traditional rental agencies won’t check in after-hours returns until the next business day.[7][8][9][10]
Zipcar
- Allows after-hours pick-up? Yes; vehicles are available 24/7.[1]
- Allows after-hours drop-off? Yes; drop-off is available 24/7.[1]
- After-hours procedures:
- Pick-up instructions are available in the “Drive” tab when booking;[1] you can unlock a rental with your Zipcard or from the Zipcar app, and you’ll find the keys in the glove box.[2]
- Drop off the vehicle in its original pick-up location cleaned and with at least 1/4 tank of gas. Remove the keys from the ignition, but leave them inside the vehicle and lock it with your Zipcard or in the Zipcar app.[3][11]
- Find a rental
Turo
- After-hours pick-up available? Yes, at the vehicle owner’s discretion.[12]
- Allows after-hours drop-off? Yes, at the vehicle owner’s discretion.[12]
- After-hours procedures: Since vehicle owners set their own pick-up and drop-off procedures, you’ll find details in the individual rental listing. You can also contact the host for instructions.[5][13]
- Find a rental
Getaround
- Allows after-hours pick-up? Rentals are generally available 24/7; however, some may have time restrictions due to a parking garage or operational hours. Details are available in pick-up instructions.[14]
- Allows after-hours drop-off? As with pick-up, rentals are generally available 24/7, but there may be restrictions due to where the car is parked or other factors.[14]
- After-hours procedures:
- Find a rental
Payless Car Rental
- Allows after-hours pick-up? Yes, at some locations; some airport locations are open 24/7.[19][20]
- Allows after-hours drop-off? Yes, at most locations.[21][19]
- After-hours procedures: After-hours procedures vary by location; call ahead for instructions.[19][21]
- Find a rental
National Car Rental
- Allows after-hours pick-up? No;[22] however, most airport locations are open 24/7 for pick-up.[23]
- Allows after-hours drop-off? Yes, at some locations.[22][24]
- After-hours procedures: Procedures vary by location; some locations allow you to leave the keys in a drop box.[22][24]
- Find a rental
Enterprise Rent-A-Car
- Allows after-hours pick-up? No;[25] however, many airport locations are open 24/7 for pick up.[8]
- Allows after-hours drop-off? Yes, at some locations.[8][26]
- After-hours procedures: Check with the location at pick-up to see if after-hours drop-off is available; if it is, leave your keys in the after-hours drop box at the time of return.[8][26]
- Find a rental
Avis Rent a Car
- Allows after-hours pick-up? Only at some airport locations[27]
- Allows after-hours drop-off? Yes, at some locations.[27][28]
- After-hours procedures:
- You must request after-hours pick-up in advance; instructions for scheduling are given at the time of reservation.[27]
- You must also request after-hours drop-off in advance. Procedures vary by location, but you’ll generally park the rental in a designated, secure area and leave the keys in the drop box.[27][29]
- Find a rental
Budget
- Allows after-hours pick-up? No;[30] however, some airport locations are open 24/7[31] and others will stay open late for confirmed reservations associated with a delayed flight.[32]
- Allows after-hours drop-off? Yes, at some locations.[32][31]
- After-hours procedures:
- Find a rental
Alamo Rent a Car
- Allows after-hours pick-up? No[10]
- Allows after-hours drop-off? Yes[7][10]
- After-hours procedures: Varies by location; generally, you’ll drop the keys in a designated drop box.[10][35][36]
- Find a rental
Dollar Car Rental
- Allows after-hours pick-up? No[37][38]
- Allows after-hours drop-off? Yes, at some locations.[37][38]
- After-hours procedures: Leave the keys and rental agreement in the drop box.[37][38]
- Find a rental
Fox Rent A Car
- Allows after-hours pick-up? No[39]
- Allows after-hours drop-off? Yes, at some locations.[39][40]
- After-hours procedures: Leave the keys in the drop box.[39]
- Find a rental
Hertz
- Allows after-hours pick-up?No[41]
- Allows after-hours drop-off? Yes, at some locations.[42][41]
- After-hours procedures: If Express Return service is available, complete the Express Return slip, which is included with the rental agreement. Either leave it on the dashboard with the keys or drop the form and keys in the Express Return box.[42][41]
- Find a rental
SIXT
- Allows after-hours pick-up? No[9]
- Allows after-hours drop-off? Yes, at some locations.[43][9]
- After-hours procedures: Leave the keys in the drop box.[43][9]
- Find a rental
Thrifty Car Rental
- Allows after-hours pick-up? No[44][45]
- Allows after-hours drop-off? Yes, at some locations.[44][45]
- After-hours procedures: Leave the keys and rental agreement in the drop box to the right of the checkout counter.[44][45]
- Find a rental
