Car rental age restrictions can be complicated. Here’s what to know.

“We had by no means heard of this coverage, and the rental company didn’t ask our ages after we reserved the automobile,” says Boyle, a retired journalist who lives in Arlington, Va.

Undeterred, the Boyles walked over to attempt the Hertz counter. A consultant there stated they’d automobiles however couldn’t lease to the couple and not using a letter from their optometrist testifying that they may drive.

Like many different vacationers, Boyle was caught without warning that automobile rental corporations have age restrictions. They’re not all the time effectively publicized and may change with out warning.

What to find out about age restrictions

There are not any higher age limits in america, however automobile rental corporations could limit leases to younger drivers.

For instance, Enterprise and its manufacturers (together with Alamo and Nationwide) don’t allow retail rentals to anyone under 21 in america and Canada, besides in New York and Michigan, the place state legal guidelines set the minimal at 18. Avis and Budget are the identical.

When you’re youthful than 25, there’s yet one more potential impediment. Renters might need to pay a each day surcharge of as much as $35, presumably as a result of youthful drivers usually tend to get into an accident. Automotive-sharing app Turo charges each day “younger driver” charges within the U.S. of $50 (ages 18-20) and $30 (21-24), and should you’re 21 or youthful you’re required to buy a safety plan.

What it’s like to rent from Turo, a car-sharing app

Age restrictions differ by nation, too, even should you’re utilizing the identical firm.

For Enterprise, the minimal age requirement to lease a automobile in Eire and the U.Okay. is 25. In Germany, France and Spain, the corporate’s minimal age is 21. Sixt, nevertheless, lists the minimal age for renters in France as 18, so long as the motive force has held a legitimate license for 2 years. Europcar’s minimal for France can be 18. In lots of instances, the kind of automobile you wish to lease can even have an effect on the age restrict.

“In nations the place our franchisees function, it’s barely totally different,” Enterprise spokeswoman Lisa Martini says in an e mail. “Our franchise companions set the decrease and higher limits in line with native market situations.”

In different phrases, the age restrictions are everywhere in the map. Enterprise’s corporate-owned places don’t have any most age to lease a automobile within the U.Okay., Eire, Germany, France and Spain. However in Bulgaria it’s 75. Some corporations that impose an higher age restriction enable drivers over the restrict so long as they pay surcharges.

“If an organization doesn’t suppose renting to a senior is financially worthwhile, they gained’t lease to them,” says Maximilian Wühr, co-founder of the automobile subscription supplier Finn.

You most likely don’t want to fret about age restrictions should you’re between 25 and 70 years previous. However as a result of age restrictions can change, and so they rely on the corporate and nation, there’s just one technique to discover out about them: You need to do your analysis and speak to the corporate.

Don’t simply name the company workplace. You’re higher off contacting the placement instantly. Inform them how previous you might be and ask if you must present any further documentation on your rental.

Why corporations gained’t lease to younger drivers

The age downside is much more troublesome to handle should you’re younger. Hagr Elweshahy, an 18-year-old senior in highschool, is interning for a know-how firm in Linden, N.J., and wanted to lease a automobile to attend a week-long conference. Elweshahy is a straight-A pupil and on observe to be the category valedictorian. However no rental firm will lease her a automobile.

“They defined that as good and as accountable as I appear, statistically there’s merely the next likelihood of me stepping into an accident due to my age,” she says.

“Typically, age restrictions exist as a result of younger drivers are much less skilled, take extra pointless dangers behind the wheel, and are concerned in additional avoidable accidents,” says Narendra Khatri, principal of Insubuy, a journey insurance coverage firm. “This drives insurance coverage charges up, and makes it financially prudent for the rental firm to set a decrease age restrict on leases.”

Younger drivers are a threat that automobile rental corporations don’t wish to tackle, says Simon Mawdsley, the co-director of Grand Prix Grand Excursions, which presents driving holidays throughout Europe in unique sports activities automobiles. He gained’t lease to anybody youthful than 28. He advised me that whereas there could also be younger drivers who’re accountable, it’s too troublesome to display screen them.

Tips on how to keep away from points with age necessities

Lease from the precise firm

Typically, smaller, impartial or franchised automobile rental corporations are stricter about age limits. A global chain is extra more likely to lease to an older or youthful driver. Some massive automobile rental corporations will waive their restrictions on younger drivers should you lease by means of your employer.

Ask for a physician’s notice

Get a signed letter out of your normal practitioner stating that you’re match to function a motorcar. This could care for most medical documentation wants. One other technique to waive the age necessities is to indicate a letter out of your optometrist testifying you can see effectively sufficient to drive. The letter ought to point out whether or not eyeglasses are essential to function a automobile.

I requested Alex Villalobos, the director of operations at Costa Rican automobile rental firm Vamos Lease-A-Automotive, if the issues like Boyle’s would persist for so long as we lease automobiles. Not essentially, he stated.

“As on-line check-in turns into much more frequent, drivers are submitting their I.D. — together with date of start — earlier than their arrival,” he says. The techniques flag the rental and may then request further documentation, akin to a physician’s letter.

“That ought to assist to keep away from the last-minute discovery of restrictions for older drivers,” he says.

Boyle, the septuagenarian who couldn’t discover a automobile in Dublin, lastly requested Sixt if he might lease a automobile. It let him lease a automobile and not using a letter. He drove the automobile round Eire for 2 weeks, “with out incident,” he says.