6 Places to Rent a Car Under 21 (+ Where You Can’t)

Young people in a car

You can rent a car under age 21 at select rental agencies, including Dollar Rent a Car, Getaround, Hertz, and Zipcar.

Many states require renters to be at least 21, but there are exceptions for renters in Michigan and New York (where the minimum age limit is 18), those traveling on military or government business, and (at some rental agencies) additional drivers listed in the rental agreement.

Be prepared to pay a daily underage driver surcharge of around $25 to $35 and, in some cases, vehicle selection may exclude higher-end cars.

Below, we explain the age See below for the list of places that will rent to drivers age 21 or younger, including exceptions and additional fees.

What We Recommend

If you’re looking for the cheapest option, ridesharing service Getaround doesn’t charge any underage driver fees for those under 21 — but availability is limited to certain areas of the U.S.

If Getaround doesn’t service your area, Hertz offers a good option for renters at least 20 years old. At many Hertz locations, the young renter fee is around $35 per day, which is comparable to other agencies. However, Hertz waives this fee if you’re a AAA member.

If you rent vehicles frequently, your cheapest option may be Zipcar. Zipcar requires a $9 monthly membership, but it has no additional underage fees. Students also get a discount.

The List

We checked each company’s policy documentation and contacted their corporate customer service departments to verify this information.

Dollar Car Rental logo

Dollar Car Rental

  • Minimum age to rent: 20
  • Exceptions: Drivers under 25 may not rent certain specialty vehicle classes, such as the StyleSeries
  • Additional fees: A Young Renter Fee applies to drivers under 25; exact fees vary by location
  • Reserve a car

Fox Rent A Car Logo

Fox Rent A Car

  • Minimum age to rent: 19
  • Exceptions: Drivers under 25 cannot rent higher-end vehicles
  • Additional fees: Drivers under 25 are subject to a surcharge of $20 to $26 per day, while drivers under 21 are subject to a surcharge of $25 to $35 per day. Exact fees vary depending on the location.
  • Reserve a car

Getaround

  • Minimum age to rent: 19
  • Exceptions: Drivers under 21 must have a clean driving record for the last three years. You must be 25 or older to rent a “Specialty” vehicle.
  • Additional fees: No
  • Note: Getaround currently operates in Atlanta, Berkeley, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, Miami, New Jersey, Oakland, Philadelphia, Portland, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington, D.C.
  • Reserve a car

Hertz

  • Minimum age to rent: 20
  • Exceptions: Drivers under 25 cannot rent from the Prestige or Adrenaline Collections
  • Additional fees: There is a Young Renter Fee of around $35 per day, though this will vary by location. If you’re a AAA member, Hertz will waive the underage driver fee. For other places where you can get a AAA rental discount, see our article.
  • Reserve a car

Thrifty Car Rental logo

Thrifty Car Rental

  • Minimum age to rent: 20
  • Exceptions: May vary by location
  • Additional fees: Fees apply to renters under 25 and vary by location
  • Reserve a car

Zipcar logo

Zipcar

  • Minimum age to rent: 18 if you’re a student; 21 for non-students
  • Exceptions: Zipcar requires membership to use. To rent, you’ll need to first apply for membership, wait for verification, and then receive a Zipcard in the mail.
  • Additional fees: Membership plans cost around $7 per month; teachers and students get a discount
  • Reserve a car

Places That Don’t Rent Cars Under 21

During our research, we found that the following rental agencies don’t rent to those under the age of 21:

  • ACE Rent a Car
  • Alamo Rent a Car (See our related research for an explanation of the Alamo rental hold and credit card deposit.)
  • Avis
  • Budget Car Rental
  • Enterprise Rent-A-Car
  • National Car Rental
  • Payless Rent a Car
  • Rent-A-Wreck
  • Sixt
  • Turo
  • U-Save Car and Truck Rental

Need a hotel, too? See our research on hotels that rent to travelers under 21.


71 comments


  • Brenda

    You should include a note to Hertz that anyone with an AAA Card/Membership can have the age surcharge dropped. My rental went down by almost half – $300!

    • First Quarter Finance logo
      First Quarter Finance | Rebecca Turley

      Hi Brenda,

      This is such a great tip for readers! The AAA membership eliminates Hertz’s underage driver’s for drivers between 20-24, which is about $30 a day. This is a significant savings! We added this information to the article. Thank you!

  • Alexia

    Hey! I’m going to LA 8/1-8/12! I am 19 years old and I was wondering if I could book/rent any cars Beside LAX? Please respond thank yky

    • First Quarter Finance logo
      First Quarter Finance | Laura Bachmann

      Hi Alexia, thanks for your question. You could try the LA location for Rent-A-Wreck; the number is (310) 826-7555 (there are no online reservations for this location). Rent-A-Wreck usually allows 19 years olds to rent. If you are looking to pick up the rental car at LAX Airport, you can try E-Z Rent-A-Car. And, Zipcar might be a good option for you, especially if you are a student. You can search for Zipcars near LAX or just in the LA area. Have a good trip!

  • Sean

    Hi,

    I’m 20 years old and would like to rent a car at LAX and return it to Vancouver 3 weeks later. Is there any company that would rent to me?

    • First Quarter Finance logo
      First Quarter Finance | Sarah Quinn

      Sean,

      Unfortunately, due to the volume of comments that we receive, we’re not able to help with specific, individual requests. I recommend a Google search for some of the locations listed above to see if they’re at LAX and allow you to take the vehicle to Canada; I also recommend calling your location of choice to make sure that they are able to rent to you at your age. I hope this helps!

  • Becca

    Hi,
    I am 19 and am trying to rent a car to drive from Syracuse NY to Philadelphia. The companies you mentioned that allow rentals under 21 (E-Z, Fox, Sixt) all do not have locations in Syracuse. But you did say at the top that if you are in New York State you can rent from ANY company as long as you’re 18… are you sure this is true?
    Thanks!

    • First Quarter Finance logo
      First Quarter Finance | Sarah Quinn

      Becca,

      Yes, I’m sure it’s true, and I’ve added a link to the article so that others can verify this information for themselves as well. The New York State Office of the Attorney General shares this: “Car rental companies in New York are required to rent to licensed drivers who are 18 years of age or older. However, they may charge a surcharge for drivers who are under 25. The amount of the surcharge can vary substantially from one car rental company to another, so shop around.” I recommend calling ahead to find out how much of a surcharge you can expect, as well as what additional fees may apply for you to take the car out of state to PA. I hope this helps!

  • Patrick

    Hi I have some questions. I’m flying to Miami to spend my high school senior year spring break for four days. I’m 18 years old, and it has only been about six months since I got my license. I saw on EZrentalacar policies that they require a credit card and full coverage insurance for drivers at my age. I only have a debit card under my name, but my dad is willing to help me out with his debit card, does that work? or does the credit card has to be under my name? Also, how do I know if my insurance is “full coverage”? Do you think Ez rent a car will work foe me? Do you have any recommendations? Thanks a lot!!!

    • First Quarter Finance logo
      First Quarter Finance | Sarah Quinn

      Patrick,

      Unfortunately, due to the volume of comments that we receive, we’re not able to help with specific, individual requests. I recommend contacting EZ Rental Car and asking them about their policies for using another person’s debit/credit card; you’ll also need to contact your insurance provider to find out if you’re carrying comprehensive insurance. I hope this helps!

  • Darlene

    Hey my son car broke down in Orlando where he lives. He is 19yrs old can he rent a car

    • First Quarter Finance logo
      First Quarter Finance | Hillary M. Miller

      Hi Darlene,

      E-Z Rent-a-Car has a location at the Orlando International Airport that will rent to drivers as young as 18 (with a credit card). Priceless Car Rental (an affiliate of Rent-A-Wreck) also has a location at the Orlando International Airport. Rent-A-Wreck generally has a minimum rental age of 18, but this particular location does not publish a minimum rental age, so it’s a good idea to double check whether your son would be able to rent from this location. (You can reach the Orlando Priceless Car Rental office at (888) 422-3782.) I hope this helps!

  • Thomas

    Thank you very much but they allow driving the car only in Nevada. But they want to drive also to California. So I guess the only chance is buying a cheap car and sell it at the end.

    Best regards

    Thomas

  • Thomas

    My son (18 years) is flying to Vegas with 3 mates (all 18). How can they rent a car for 4 weeks in july,

    Thanks

    Thomas

    • First Quarter Finance logo
      First Quarter Finance | Hillary M. Miller

      Hi Thomas,

      E-Z Rent-A-Car would be a good choice; this company does have a location at the Las Vegas International Airport that rents to 18-year-old drivers. This was the only rental car company I could find that would work for your son’s situation. I hope this helps!

  • Julie

    I’m flying to Texas in April and staying a week so I need a rental car but I’m only 19. I am however, a resident of New York state so does renting to people under 25 work just if you are renting in New York or will it work for me in Texas as well? Thank You!

    • First Quarter Finance logo
      First Quarter Finance | Hillary M. Miller

      Hi Julie,

      Unfortunately, the state laws of New York require car rental agencies to rent to drivers as young as 18; these laws don’t provide any privileges to New York residents outside of state lines. I’ve updated the article to clarify this point (thanks for the great question!).

      However, E-Z Rent-A-Car and Rent-A-Wreck both have locations in Texas, and many locations of these companies will rent to drivers as young as 18. You’ll need to get in touch with the specific location where you’ll be renting to verify the policy there, but hopefully one of these companies can provide you with the rental you need. I hope this helps!

  • Jack

    Really helpful post making some sense amid the confusion! Becoming a nightmare trying to jump through hoops on a budget. Trying to rent for me (20) and friend (21). Planning on having the 21 yo as the primary renter and adding me on as an additional driver. Wondering about credit card payments though. A lot of them allow 21+ to pay with debit but not 18-20, do you think we will be able to pay the additional fee+underage surcharge to add me on with a debit card or will they need a credit card (which I don’t have!) against my name?

    • First Quarter Finance logo
      First Quarter Finance | Hillary M. Miller

      Hi Jack,

      I’m happy to hear that the article has been helpful so far! As far as the debit card conundrum, it’s very tricky to find a company that allows additional drivers under 21 to rent with a debit card. Hertz may be an option; the company allows additional drivers to be as young as 20 and will accept a debit card from young drivers, at least at certain locations. You’ll need to contact the branch where you’ll be renting to verify that this is the case at that particular service center, as policies do vary. Otherwise, you may need to let your friend do the driving on this trip — this is the only company I could find that might fit the bill. Best of luck!

  • Kelly

    Hi I have a question. Im going to be traveling to Virginia and going to be arriving at the Dulles airport I wanted to know of any rental places that will rent to a 19 year old in the airport or close by. Thank you!

  • gwen

    Hi Will, I have a question for ya… My 16 year old needs to take his operator’s license (drive behind the wheel test) my car has a busted windshield so I was going to rent a car for the test. Is this possible with all of the age restrictions

    • First Quarter Finance logo
      First Quarter Finance | William Lipovsky

      Hi Gwen,

      Unfortunately, it won’t work. The minimum age requirement with all companies applies to all drivers – not just the one who pays. Otherwise, people would simply get someone older to rent the vehicle. Smart thinking though.

  • Roi

    Great article!
    I wanted to know if this only applies to american drivers?

    I’m from Israel ad im supposed to visit NYC in October , and I wish to know if I could use one of those loopholes (I’m over 18) or rent with one of the companies that allow drivers under 21 to rent a car

    Thanks

    • First Quarter Finance logo
      First Quarter Finance | William Lipovsky

      Hi Roi,

      Nope – this applies to everyone regardless of national origin.

  • Nate

    Hi Will!

    Just letting you know that FlightCar is completely gone! They shut down and liquidated!

    Thanks for the article, I’m 20 and this really helps!!

    • First Quarter Finance logo
      First Quarter Finance | William Lipovsky

      Hi Nate,

      You’re fast! It happened less than 24 hours ago. I just read it on the farewell page on the FlightCar website. It says FlightCar is no longer taking reservations and will be shutting down all of its stations.

      Thanks for your comment and I’m glad the article helped. If you have any questions ever – just drop another comment. Thanks a lot, Nate.

      The article has been updated to reflect this information.

  • MAGIC

    YO THANK U SO MUCH FOR POSTING THIS. YOU SAINT. THANK YOU.

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