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

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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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.