Can You Rent a Car With a DUI on Your Record? Answered

A person opening up the door of a silver rental car

You can rent a car with a DUI on your record. Companies like Enterprise and National will rent to drivers who have had a DUI as long as you have a valid, unrestricted driver’s license and are not required to use a Breathalyzer.

Other companies like Avis and Budget will not rent to drivers who have had a DUI in the past 48 months.

Can You Rent a Car With a DUI on Your Record?

Renting a car with a DUI on your record is possible — though sometimes restrictions are in place if you were recently convicted of a DUI or are a repeat offender.

We contacted the corporate customer service departments and various locations of the major rental car companies in the U.S. to learn their policies for customers with DUIs. We’ve detailed our findings below.

Note: Any time you book a car, it’s a good idea to contact the location and/or check the terms and conditions during the online booking process to make sure you have a clear understanding of all policies.

Violations of your rental contract (such as misrepresenting your driving history or driving without insurance) may result in fees, restrictions from future rental, or even legal action.[1][2]

Policies by Company

Below, we have the list of policies and restrictions by rental company, including Alamo, Hertz, Turo, and more.

We cover options for those who do and do not allow customers to rent with a DUI on their record.

ACE Rent a Car logo

ACE Rent A Car

  • Policy: Renters are generally not allowed to have any recent DUIs. The time frame for what is considered “recent” varies by location. Call your local ACE to confirm details. Some locations may have additional requirements.[3]
  • Make a reservation

Alamo logo

Alamo Rent A Car

  • Policy: Alamo will not rent to customers who have a restricted driver’s license or who are required to use a portable Breathalyzer.[4][5]
  • Make a reservation

Avis logo

Avis

  • Policy: To rent a car, you must not have had a DUI, DWI, or DWAI in the past 48 months.[6]
  • Make a reservation

Budget logo

Budget Car Rental

  • Policy: To rent a car, you must not have had a DUI, DWI, or DWAI in the past 48 months.[7]
  • Make a reservation

Dollar Car Rental logo

Dollar Car Rental

Enterprise logo

Enterprise Rent-A-Car

  • Policy: Enterprise will not rent to customers who have a restricted driver’s license or who are required to use a portable Breathalyzer.[10][11]
  • Make a reservation

Hertz logo

Hertz

National Car Rental logo

National Car Rental

  • Policy: National will not rent to customers who have a restricted driver’s license or who are required to use a portable Breathalyzer.[14][15]
  • Make a reservation

Payless Car Rental logo

Payless Car Rental

  • Policy: Driving history is considered on a case-by-case basis; Payless may or may not deny you a rental based on a DUI.[16][17]
  • Make a reservation

Thrifty Car Rental logo

Thrifty Car Rental

Turo logo

Turo

  • Policy: Turo’s Verifications team evaluates driver account applications on a case-by-case basis. It is possible to be approved with a blemished driving record, but it is not guaranteed.[20]
  • Make a reservation

Zipcar logo

Zipcar

  • Policy: Zipcar membership requires a valid driver’s license and a good driving record.[21] Zipcar does not accept drivers with alcohol- or drug-related violations, and if you get a DUI while you are a member, your membership will likely be suspended or voided.[22][23]
  • Make a Reservation

None of the above-listed companies mentioned fees for drivers with past DUIs.

Generally, there are only additional fees for young drivers, extra drivers, and/or other rental features.[24][25][26] However, fee policies may vary by location and the manager’s discretion.

  1. https://www.budget.com/en/legal-documents/rental-terms[]
  2. https://www.enterprise.am/terms-and-conditions[]
  3. ACE Rent A Car store customer service representative[]
  4. https://www.alamo.com/en/customer-support/car-rental-faqs/drivers-license-requirements.html[]
  5. Alamo Rent A Car customer service via Facebook chat[]
  6. https://www.avis.com/en/customer-service/faqs/usa/requirement-for-renting[]
  7. https://www.budget.com/en/help/usa-faqs/driving-record-policy[]
  8. Dollar Car Rental customer service via Facebook chat[]
  9. Dollar Car Rental store customer service representative[]
  10. https://www.enterprise.com/en/help/faqs/drivers-license-requirements-us-canada.html[]
  11. Enterprise Rent-A-Car customer service via live chat[]
  12. Hertz customer service via Facebook chat[]
  13. Hertz store customer service representative[]
  14. https://www.nationalcar.com/en/support/car-rental-faqs/drivers-license-policy.html[]
  15. National Car Rental customer service via Facebook chat[]
  16. https://www.paylesscar.com/en/customer-service/faq/global/requirements-for-renting[]
  17. Payless Car Rental customer service (800) 729-5377[]
  18. Thrifty Car Rental customer service via Facebook chat[]
  19. Thrifty Car Rental store customer service representative[]
  20. Turo customer service via live chat[]
  21. https://support.zipcar.com/hc/en-us/articles/220333808-Am-I-eligible-to-join-Zipcar-[]
  22. Zipcar customer service via Facebook chat[]
  23. https://www.zipcar.com/apply/rules-of-vehicle-use[]
  24. https://www.hertz.com/rentacar/misc/index.jsp?targetPage=charge_explained.jsp[]
  25. https://www.thrifty.com/CustomerCare/content/FAQ.aspx#14[]
  26. https://www.enterprise.com/en/help/faqs/car-rental-under-25.html[]

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