9 Places to Rent a Car at 19: Restrictions, Fees, etc Detailed

Of all the car rental companies out there, only Atwest Rent A Car, ACE Car Rental, EZ Rent-A-Car, Fox Rent A Car, Getaround, Rent-A-Wreck, Super Cheap Car Rental, U-Haul, and Zipcar will rent to drivers as young as 18. Here’s the deal: Many people get their driver’s license at 16, but car rental companies prefer to set age requirements higher for liability issues. This can make finding a rental car at 19 a frustrating process. But you do have options!

Below, you’ll find the list of car companies that will rent to you if you’re 19 (sometimes younger), the types of cars you can rent, accepted payment methods (many rental car companies require a credit card), and more.

How to Rent a Car at 19 From Any Rental Company

There are a few exceptions to the rules when it comes to renting a car when you’re under 25. If you qualify for any of these exceptions, you may be able to rent a car anywhere at 19.

1. In Michigan and New York, state law requires that car rental companies rent to customers who are 18 or older. You’ll probably still have to pay young driver fees, but you’ll get a car.
2. If you have a military ID, you’ll typically be able to rent from any car rental company at 18, as long as you’re traveling on government orders. (Policies vary by company regarding under-25 military personnel renting vehicles for leisure travel.)
3. If you are insured by the company you work for or your company has an agreement with a car rental agency, you can often rent a vehicle for work-related purposes — even if you’re under 25.
4. If you are on official government business as a government employee, you can rent at 18.

Oh, and one last thing: During payment, expect to put down a deposit of $200 or greater when using a debit or credit card. The deposit rate will change according to the specific policies of the rental company and the type of vehicle, but this requirement is standard for most car rental companies. If you’re using a credit card, make sure your credit limit is high enough to cover both the payment and insurance deposit. If you’re using a debit card, you’ll need to have the total sum in your bank account. Don’t get discouraged, though — this money is refunded to you upon return of the vehicle.

Rental Companies That Rent to 19-Year-Olds

To compare rental policies and prices at the following rental companies, see our car rental selection tool.

Atwest Rent A Car (Los Angeles and San Francisco only)

• Age limit for renting a vehicle: Atwest Rent A Car’s minimum age is 18 if the driver has proof of his/her own auto insurance. If not, the required age is 21.
• Payment types accepted: Cash, debit cards, and credit cards.
• Deposit amount: $250 when paying with a credit card; $350 when paying with cash or a debit card.
• Restrictions/requirements: Under-21 customers must provide proof of their insurance policies in order to rent a car. Young drivers are also subject to an unspecified underage surcharge.
• See more about Atwest Rent A Car’s age policies

ACE Car Rental

• Age limit for renting a vehicle: At some locations, ACE will rent to drivers as young at 18. At most locations, however, the required age to rent a car is 21. To find out if your local ACE Car Rental allows young drivers, find your location and check “Local Policies.”
• Payment types accepted: Credit cards are accepted at all locations; debit cards and cash payments vary by location. Call in or select a location online to check local policies.
• Deposit amount: Not specified, but the website states that ACE Car Rental “requires a refundable deposit, typically the rental amount for one day.”
• Restrictions/requirements: Additional fees for young drivers.
• See more about ACE Car Rental’s age policies (under “making a reservation”)

EZ Rent-A-Car

• Age limit for renting a vehicle: EZ Rent-A-Car requires its customers to be 18 years old to rent a vehicle.
• Payment types accepted: Debit and credit cards. Cash is accepted upon return but not at the time of rental.
• Deposit amount: $200
• Restrictions/requirements: The company has an underage surcharge of $35 per day for customers who are between 18 and 21, and $20 per day for those 22 to 25.
• See more about EZ Rent-A-Car’s age policy

Fox Rent A Car

• Age limit for renting a vehicle: Fox Rent A Car requires its customers be 19 years old to rent a car.
• Payment types accepted: Debit, credit, and cash (except in Phoenix, Ariz., and Oakland, Calif.).
• Deposit amount: $150
• Restrictions/requirements: Fox Rent A Car has a “young renter surcharge” of $25 per day for customers 19 to 21 and $20 per day for those 22 to 25.
• See more about Fox Rent A Car’s age policy

Getaround

• Age limit for renting a vehicle: Getaround requires customers to be 19 years old to rent a vehicle (and 25 for “specialty vehicles”).
• Payment types accepted: Cars are booked online or through a mobile app, so you’ll have to pay online via a credit or debit card, or with Apple Pay.
• Deposit amount: None.
• Restrictions/requirements: Getaround currently operates in San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley, Portland, Chicago, and Washington, D.C. You’ll need to need to register online, have a clean driving record, and provide your license before you can rent with Getaround.
• See more about Getaround’s age policies

Rent-A-Wreck

• Age limit for renting a vehicle: At most locations, Rent-A-Wreck requires its customers to be 18 to rent a vehicle, though the website states that some locations require drivers to be 25. Call your desired location to make sure.
• Payment types accepted: Credit and debit at all locations; cash at some locations.
• Deposit amount: Not specified, depends on the size of the car and length of the rental.
• Restrictions/requirements: For customers under 25, Rent-A-Wreck usually requires a credit card as payment. Younger renters are also subject to additional fees.
• See more about Rent-A-Wreck’s age policies

Super Cheap Car Rental

• Age limit for renting a vehicle: Super Cheap Car Rental will rent to 20-year-olds or those under 20 who have their own car insurance.
• Payment types accepted: Super Cheap Car Rental accepts traveler’s checks, Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, JCB, Union Pay, and cash.
• Deposit amount: $400 for all renters. The deposit must be made with a credit card, unless the renter is an international traveler with a valid passport (in which case a cash deposit is also accepted).
• Restrictions/requirements: Super Cheap Car Rental has airport locations in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Orange County, Calif. Customers under 21 are charged an additional $20 per day unless they have a valid, full-coverage insurance policy that covers rentals. There is no young driver fee for 21- to 24-year-olds.
• See more about Super Cheap Car Rental’s age policies

U-Haul

• Age limit for renting a vehicle: U-Haul requires its customers to be 16 to rent a trailer and 18 to rent a truck.
• Payment types accepted: Credit or debit cards are required to make a reservation, but U-Haul accepts credit, debit, and cash as forms of payment.
• Deposit amount: None if paying with a credit or debit card with a major logo (Mastercard or Visa); $100 if paying with cash.
• Restrictions/requirements: None, except that the only vehicle available is a truck.
• Learn more about U-Haul’s age policies
• See this article to discover if U-Haul will also price match a competitor and this article if you want a student discount.

Zipcar

• Age limit for renting: Zipcar requires that its customers be at least 18 if associated with a university or college. Otherwise, customers must be 21 to rent a car. Find out if your campus is affiliated with Zipcar.
• Payment types accepted: You’ll pay an annual membership fee per year, and then additional costs based on hours/days needed. Membership fees are discounted for students, but the amount of the discount depends on what school you attend. Because Zipcars are reserved through a mobile device, payments must be made with a debit or credit card, or by linking the app to your bank account.
• Deposit amount: None, but there is a yearly membership fee.
• Restrictions/requirements: To rent from Zipcar under 21, you must be associated with a participating university.
• See more about Zipcar’s age policies

Rental Companies That Generally Don’t Rent to 19-Year-Olds

Advantage Rent a Car

• Age limit for renting a vehicle: 21 with an additional young driver fee
• Find out more about Advantage Rent a Car’s age policies

Alamo

• Age limit to renting a vehicle: 21, young driver fees apply
• Find out more about Alamo’s age policies

Avis

• Age limit for renting a vehicle: 21
• Find out more about Avis’ age policies (under “Requirements for Renting > Age Requirements for Renters”)

Budget

• Age limit for renting a vehicle: 21
• Find out more about Budget’s age policies

Dollar Rent A Car

• Age limit for renting a vehicle: 21
• Find out more about Dollar Rent A Car’s age policies.

Enterprise Rent-A-Car

• Age limit for renting a vehicle: 21 with an additional young driver surcharge
• Find out more about Enterprise Rent-A-Car’s age policies

Europcar

• Age limit for renting a vehicle: 21 and licensed for at least one year
• Find out more about Europcar’s age policy

Hertz Car Rental

• Age limit for renting a vehicle: 20 at most Hertz Car Rental locations; call your location to check their requirements
• Find out more about Hertz Car Rental’s age policies

Kemwel

• Age limit for renting a vehicle: 21, young driver fees apply
• See age requirements by searching for a vehicle

National Car Rental

• Age limit for renting a vehicle: 21 with an additional young renter fee
• Find out more about National Car Rental’s age policies

Payless Car Rental

• Age limit for renting a vehicle: 21
• Find out more about Payless Car Rental’s age policies

Silvercar

• Age limit for renting a vehicle: 22
• Find out more about Silvercar’s age policies

Sixt Rent a Car

• Age limit for renting a vehicle: 21 with an additional young driver surcharge, unless you live outside the U.S.
• Find out more about Sixt Rent a Car’s age policies.

Thrifty Rental

• Age limit for renting a vehicle: 21
• Find out more about Thrifty Rental’s age policies.

Turo

• Age limit for renting a vehicle: 21 and two years of demonstrated driving experience
• Find out more about Turo’s age policies
• Book with Turo

U-Save

• Age limit for renting a vehicle: 21 at almost all locations. Contact the location where you plan to rent to confirm the age requirements.
• Visit the website to find a U-Save location, then choose “Location Website” to find the contact information for that service center

In Summary

While there are several companies that will rent cars to 19-year-olds, the majority won’t. For certain companies, there are extra eligibility requirements for young renters and/or daily surcharges on “young drivers.” If you’re renting at 19, plan ahead to be sure that your desired location has cars available for young drivers, and be prepared for their deposit requirements and any additional fees.

Need a hotel room too? Here’s the List of Hotels That Allow 19-Year-Olds to Book.