While most car rental companies have higher limits, Atwest Rent A Car, ACE Car Rental, Fox Rent A Car, Getaround, Rent-A-Wreck, Super Cheap Car Rental, Turo, U-Haul, and Zipcar will rent to drivers as young as 18.
Car rental companies typically set higher age requirements due to liability issues. This can make finding a rental car at 19 a difficult process — but there are options!
Below, you’ll find the list of car companies that will rent to you if you’re 19, the types of cars you can rent, accepted payment methods (many rental car companies require a credit card), and more.
How to Rent a Car at 19 From Any Rental Company
There are a few exceptions to the rules when it comes to renting a car when you’re under 25.
If you qualify for any of these exceptions, you may be able to rent a car anywhere at 19:
- In Michigan and New York, state law requires that car rental companies rent to customers who are 18 or older. You’ll probably still have to pay young driver fees, but you’ll get a car.
- If you have a military ID, you’ll typically be able to rent from any car rental company at 18, as long as you’re traveling on government orders. (Policies vary by the company regarding under-25 military personnel renting vehicles for leisure travel.)
- If you’re insured by the company you work for or your company has an agreement with a car rental agency, you can often rent a vehicle for work-related purposes if you’re under 25.
- If you’re on official government business as a government employee, you can rent at 18.
During payment, expect to put down a deposit of $200 or greater when using a debit or credit card. The deposit rate will change according to the specific policies of the rental company and the type of vehicle, but this requirement is standard for most car rental companies.
If you’re using a credit card, make sure your credit limit is high enough to cover both the payment and insurance deposit. If you’re using a debit card, you’ll need to have the total sum in your bank account. This money is refunded to you upon the return of the vehicle.
Rental Companies That Rent to 19-Year-Olds
Atwest Rent A Car (Los Angeles and San Francisco only)
- Age limit for renting a vehicle: Atwest Rent A Car’s minimum age is 18 if the driver has proof of his/her own auto insurance. If not, the required age is 21.[1]
- Payment types accepted: Cash, debit cards, and credit cards[1]
- Deposit amount: $250 when paying with a credit card; $350 when paying with cash or a debit card[1]
- Restrictions/requirements: Under-21 customers must provide proof of their insurance policies in order to rent a car.[1]
- Find out more
ACE Car Rental
- Age limit for renting a vehicle: At some locations, ACE will rent to drivers as young at 18. At most locations, however, the required age to rent a car is 21. To find out if your local ACE Car Rental allows young drivers, find your location and check “Local Policies.”
- Payment types accepted: Credit cards are accepted at all locations; debit cards and cash payments vary by location.[2][3] Call in or select a location online to check local policies.
- Deposit amount: Varies by location[4]
- Restrictions/requirements: Additional fees for young drivers; varies by location[4]
- Find out more
Fox Rent A Car
- Age limit for renting a vehicle: Fox Rent A Car requires its customers to be 19 years old to rent a car. Active duty military members can be 18.[5]
- Payment types accepted: Debit, credit, and cash[6][7]
- Deposit amount: $150 to $1,000 depending on location and payment method[5]
- Restrictions/requirements: Fox Rent A Car has a “young renter surcharge” of $25 per day for customers 18 to 20 and $20 per day for those 21 to 24.[6]
- Find out more
Getaround
- Age limit for renting a vehicle: Getaround requires customers to be 19 years old to rent a vehicle (and 25 for “specialty vehicles”). Customers renting in the Los Angelos-Orange County area must be 22.[8]
- Payment types accepted: Cars are booked online or through a mobile app, so you’ll have to pay online via a credit or debit card, or with Apple Pay.[9]
- Deposit amount: $150 for your first reservation;[10] a deposit may be required on other reservations.[11]
- Restrictions/requirements: You’ll need to register online, have a clean driving record if you’re under 21, and provide your license before you can rent with Getaround.[8]
- Find out more
Rent-A-Wreck
- Age limit for renting a vehicle: At most locations, Rent-A-Wreck requires customers to be 18 to rent a vehicle, though some locations require drivers to be 25.[12] Call your desired location to make sure.
- Payment types accepted: Credit and debit at all locations; cash at many locations[12]
- Deposit amount: Varies by rental length and vehicle size[12]
- Restrictions/requirements: For customers under 25, Rent-A-Wreck usually requires a credit card as payment. Younger renters are also subject to additional fees.[12]
- Find out more
Super Cheap Car Rental
- Age limit for renting a vehicle: 18[13]
- Payment types accepted: You can pay for the rental with cash, debit card, or credit card; however, the deposit must be paid with a credit or debit card.[13]
- Deposit amount: If you use your own car insurance, the deposit amount is your insurance’s deductible. If you’re using Super Cheap Car Rental’s insurance, the deposit is $400.[13]
- Restrictions/requirements: Drivers aged 20 and under must use their own car insurance.[13] Super Cheap Car Rental has airport locations in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Orange County, California.[14]
- Find out more
Turo
- Age limit for renting a vehicle: 18 with vehicle restrictions and underage fees[15]
- Payment types accepted: Credit cards issued by financial institutions; debit cards with the Visa or Mastercard logo; Apple Pay and Google Pay[16]
- Deposit amount: Varies based on the chosen vehicle and location[17]
- Restrictions/requirements: Renters aged 20 and younger aren’t able to rent a car with a market value of more than $20,000 and will be charged a minimum underage fee of $50 per day.[15]
- Find out more
U-Haul
- Age limit for renting a vehicle: U-Haul requires its customers to be 16 to rent a trailer and 18 to rent a truck.[18]
- Payment types accepted: Credit or debit cards are required to make a reservation, but U-Haul accepts credit, debit, and cash as forms of payment when the truck is returned.[18]
- Deposit amount: None if paying with a credit or debit card with a major logo (Mastercard or Visa); $100 if paying with cash.[19]
- Restrictions/requirements: None, except that the only vehicle available is a truck.
- Find out more
Zipcar
- Age limit for renting: Zipcar requires that its customers be at least 18 if associated with a university or college. Otherwise, customers must be 21 to rent a car.[20] Find out if your campus is affiliated with Zipcar.
- Payment types accepted: You’ll pay an annual membership fee per year, and then additional costs based on hours/days needed. Membership fees are discounted for students, but the amount of the discount depends on what school you attend. Because Zipcars are reserved through a mobile device, payments must be made with a debit or credit card, or by linking the app to your bank account.[21][22]
- Deposit amount: None, but there is a yearly membership fee.[23][24]
- Restrictions/requirements: To rent from Zipcar under 21, you must be associated with a participating university. There’s an underage fee of $15 per day for drivers ages 18-20 and $12.50 per day for drivers 21-24.[20]
- Find out more
Rental Companies That Generally Don’t Rent to 19-Year-Olds
Alamo
- Age limit to renting a vehicle: 21, young driver fees apply[25]
- Find out more about Alamo’s age policies
Audi on Demand
- Age limit for renting a vehicle: 21[26]
- Find out more about Audi’s age policies
Avis
- Age limit for renting a vehicle: 21[27]
- Find out more about Avis’Â age policies
Budget
- Age limit for renting a vehicle: 21[28]
- Find out more about Budget’s age policies
Dollar Rent A Car
- Age limit for renting a vehicle: 20[29]
- Find out more about Dollar Rent A Car’s age policies.
Enterprise Rent-A-Car
- Age limit for renting a vehicle: 21 with an additional young driver surcharge[30]
- Find out more about Enterprise Rent-A-Car’s age policies
Europcar
- Age limit for renting a vehicle: 21 and licensed for at least one year[31]
- Find out more about Europcar’s age policy
Hertz Car Rental
- Age limit for renting a vehicle: 20 at most Hertz Car Rental locations; call your location to check their requirements[32]
- Find out more about Hertz Car Rental’s age policies
Kemwel
- Age limit for renting a vehicle: 21, young driver fees apply[33]
- Find out more about Kemwel’s age policies
National Car Rental
- Age limit for renting a vehicle: 21 with an additional young renter fee[34]
- Find out more about National Car Rental’s age policies
Payless Car Rental
- Age limit for renting a vehicle: 21[26]
- Find out more about Payless Car Rental’s age policies
Sixt Rent a Car
- Age limit for renting a vehicle: 21 with an additional young driver surcharge, unless you live outside the U.S.[35]
- Find out more about Sixt Rent a Car’s age policies.
Thrifty Rental
- Age limit for renting a vehicle: 20[36]
- Find out more about Thrifty Rental’s age policies.
U-Save
- Age limit for renting a vehicle: 21 at almost all locations;[37] contact the location where you plan to rent to confirm the age requirements.
- Visit the website to find a U-Save location, then choose “Location Website” to find the contact information for that service center
Need a hotel room too? Here’s the List of Hotels That Allow 19-Year-Olds to Book.
I want to rent a rent a car in South Carolina Columbia and there’s literally nothing I haven’t found anything none of these are in South Carolina I need help I’m 19 btw
Hi Antonio,
You’re right, none of these are in Columbia, and most aren’t even in South Carolina at all (for me, only Zipcar showed cars in SC, and all very far from Columbia). And, it looks like Lyft isn’t even operating in Columbia — you just have Uber as a ride sharing option. Sorry I couldn’t give you better news.
Are there any rental companies that allow “additional” drivers to be age 19 if the primary renter is older? (Need a 1 way rental)
Hi Roy,
Generally, the same rules apply to the additional drivers as to the principal driver. So, if the company allows the main driver to be 19, additional drivers can also be 19. You can also see this article for more info on additional driver policies.