Car Rental, just passed driving test.

jme2010

Hi Guys,

I am getting conflicting information online and over the phone on the requirements to rent a car in America.

Some sites say "a valid drivers license" that won't expire whilst on the trip is all it takes.

Other sites explicitly say I must hold it for at least 12 months. I even rang a the rental desk of a company with that policy in Oklahoma and the chap said "all you need is a full drivers license, sir".

Can anybody verify this please?

Thanks in advance.

InTheTrees

I'm looking at my Washington State drivers license and it doesnt say anything about how long I've had it.

And I've never been asked when renting a car.

ProudDUB

Each car rental company is different. There is no one universal policy that applies to all of them. If they state on their website, that you must have your license for 12 months, then don't rent from them, if you don't meet the criteria. That person you spoke to, may not have been fully aware of all terms & conditions listed on their website. It happens. Why run the risk of being turned away, if you get someone different on the day of pick up? Stick with the companies who don't have such a rule, even if it costs you more.

InTheTrees wrote: »

I'm looking at my Washington State drivers license and it doesnt say anything about how long I've had it.

And I've never been asked when renting a car.

Look at your WA license again. 4a is the issue date. (I have one too. )

Anyway, I think the OP is Irish, who has just passed their test here & now has a brand spanking new Irish license. It also carries the issue date on it.

I've never been asked how long I had my license either. But if the OP rocks up to the desk with a license that was just issued last month, and looks too young to have ever renewed it, it could be a problem if the car rental company have the 12 month stipulation.

coylemj

ProudDUB wrote: »

That person you spoke to, may not have been fully aware of all terms & conditions listed on their website.

+1 I can't believe the number of people who come on to forums here discussing car insurance, rules about hand baggage on flights, car rental etc. - they get information from a call agent which tells them one thing, then they ask total strangers on the internet (here) to confirm that what they were told is the case

Never believe what a call agent tells you on the phone. If you have to ask, chances are that you will get the wrong answer. Remember that you will be dealing with a different person on the day who may have a different interpretation of the rules. Check the company's website and if you're worried about the details, print the Ts & Cs from the website and bring them with you, that way you will have something to fall back on. Quoting what a call agent told you several weeks earlier will get you nowhere.

iusedtoknow

anecdotal but this was my experience

I got my full US license on Wednesday morning - my first ever drivers license - that Friday I flew to Seattle and rented a car with no issue.

This was with Hertz.

Ponster

My experience is that in the US you do not have to have held a license for a certain amount of time before renting though as has been already pointed out, there is no hard and fast rule. In NY I know of a 17-year old who on passing his test was able to rest in CA that same year.

In Europe though while there is still no rule for all companies or countries it is a lot more frequent to need to have held your license for at least 12 months before being able to rent.

jme2010

Thread update.

Well I had no problem renting with the 'issued a week earlier' license. The company was Alamo.

But I did loose my fecking wallet in Chicago. Luckily I had a photocopy, front and back for insurance policy issues.

I risked it and flew to Oklahoma to pick up the car. Lovely old southern style gentleman behind the desk looked at my police report of a lost wallet and the photocopies and responded with "You're Irish? You got any Guinness for me?"

That was it. I was off on my roadtrip. Lucky s.o.b I was.

stefanovich

Yep, go with Alamo. There'll be no issue. Just don't crash the car!