Are you waiting for your driver’s license card to arrive in the mail, and do you currently have a temporary driving permit? If you want to rent a vehicle with a temporary driver’s license, you might wonder if the rental car company will allow it. So, what are the rules about renting a car with a temporary license?
You can rent a car with a temporary driver’s license with most rental car companies as long as they can verify its authenticity, it’s valid for the entire car rental period, and you have another form of photo ID. Most U.S. car rental companies won’t accept foreign-issued temporary driver’s licenses.
This article will explain everything you need to know about renting a car with a temporary driver’s license.
Do Car Rental Companies Accept Temporary Driver’s Licenses?
You always need to present your driver’s license when renting a car. But what happens if you have a temporary driver’s license – can you still rent a car?
Most car rental companies accept temporary driver’s licenses, but they might conduct additional background checks or require extra documentation. You will also probably need to provide another form of photo identification.
I’ll discuss this in more detail below:
Authentication
If you have a temporary driver’s license and want to rent a car, the rental car company will likely want to check its authenticity.
Using the number on your temporary driving permit, they’ll verify if the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) has indeed issued it. The car rental company might refuse to rent a car to you if they can’t verify your identity or the authenticity of the temporary driving permit.
Additional Proof of Identification
Everyone knows that their driver’s license card acts as a form of identification. However, a temporary driver’s license is not official identification in the U.S. and is valid for driving eligibility only. Therefore, your car rental company will probably ask for an additional form of photo identification, such as your passport.
However, each rental car company has its own rules, so it’s worth checking what documents they require before you arrive to pick up your rental car.
Age
When renting a car with a temporary driver’s license, the same rules regarding the driver’s age usually apply.
Most states require the driver to be older than 21, but Michigan and New York-based car rental companies generally accept drivers aged 18. If you’re younger than 25, you might need to pay a young driver surcharge.
Clean Driving Record
One of the reasons car rental companies check your driver’s license is so they can see if you’re a responsible driver or not.
Before giving you access to a rental car, most companies will check your driving record on the DMV database or by using a screening company that has access to the DMV’s database.
They’ll do the same if you have a temporary driving license, and you may be refused a rental if you have:
- A Driving Under the Influence (DUI) conviction
- A suspended or invalid driver’s license
- Had three or more driving violations in the past three years
Country of Issue
If you’re renting in the U.S. or Canada, most car rental companies will accept an official temporary driver’s license if it’s from one of these two countries. However, depending on the rental car company’s rules, they might not accept a temporary driving permit from another country.
If your temporary driver’s license is in a foreign language, the car rental company might require a certified or sworn translation before they accept it.
If you want to rent a car in a foreign country, it’s best to check with the car rental company beforehand.
Validity
When you rent a car from a car rental company, they verify if your driver’s license will be valid for the entire car rental period.
The same is true for a temporary driver’s license. Since your temporary driver’s license is usually only valid for 30 days, it’s good to check this first.
Which Rental Car Companies Accept Temporary Licenses?
Now that I’ve explained that you’ll probably be able to rent a car if you hold a temporary license, do all rental car companies accept them, or is it worth checking before making a booking?
Most major U.S. rental car companies accept temporary driver’s licenses, but Alamo does not. National accepts temporary driver’s licenses, but you must also provide another form of photo ID.
According to VroomVroomVroom, a car rental comparison website, the following major U.S. car rental companies accept temporary driver’s licenses:
- Advantage Rent-A-Car
- Avis
- Budget
- Dollar Car Rental
- Enterprise
- Europcar
- EZ Rent A Car
- Fox Rent A Car
- Hertz
- Thrifty
National will only accept a temporary driver’s license if you have one due to a change of address or your license was stolen or lost. However, you’ll need to bring another form of photo identification, and the name on your temporary driving permit, your photo ID, and your rental car agreement must match.
Alamo doesn’t accept temporary licenses.
If you’re renting a car from a small car rental company, it’s advisable to read their terms and conditions or contact them about whether or not it’s okay to rent a car with a temporary license.
Can You Rent a Car With a Copy of Your Driver’s License?
You might be in a situation where you’ve misplaced your driver’s license card, but you have a copy of it. Does this allow you to rent a car?
You can’t rent a car with a copy of your driver’s license. Even though the rental car company can verify it using the driver’s license number, they need to see the original to be assured that it’s genuine.
The same goes if you have a digital copy or photograph of your driver’s license – it’s not enough to prove to the rental car company that you’re eligible to drive.
If you’ve lost your driver’s license and you need to rent a car, you’ll need to get a temporary driver’s license from the DMV.
Can You Rent a Car Without a Credit Card?
You might be one of the many people out there who do just fine without a credit card. However, if you want to rent a car, can you still do it if you don’t have a credit card?
You can rent a car without a credit card at most car rental companies. However, depending on their rules, you might need to undergo a credit check, pay a security deposit, show your passport, or provide proof of your travel arrangements.
Thrifty and Alamo require non-credit card holders to pay a security deposit, while others (like Budget and Dollar) need a hold on your debit card.
If you don’t have a credit card in your name, many airport-based car rental companies will ask you to provide proof of your travel arrangements.
Without a credit card, most rental car companies will ask for a second form of photo ID (in addition to your driver’s license), and some might only allow you, your spouse, or your domestic partner to drive the rental vehicle.
Stricter car rental companies might also restrict the vehicle types you can rent from them if you can’t produce a credit card.
Final Thoughts
A temporary driver’s license is usually only valid for 30 days, and most US car rental companies will accept it as long as they can verify that it’s been issued by the DMV. To do that, they may need another form of photo ID.
However, if you have a temporary driver’s license from a foreign country, it likely won’t be accepted.
