Renting a car in the United States is like a rite of passage for those in their late teens and early twenties.
However, most car companies do not rent to people who are 18 or 19.
Most companies have 20-years-old as the minimum renting age, but this comes with the addition of any fees.
Looking for car rentals for 19 year olds, but you don’t meet the minimum age of most companies?
We have researched for you all the information you need to know here!
Keep reading to learn which companies you can rent from and how much it will likely cost you.
Table Of Contents
Can You Rent a Car at 19 Years Old?
The short answer is yes.
The long answer is that it is complicated, and you can only do so in certain states from certain car rental companies.
The national age is usually 20, but there are a handful of states and companies that allow younger drivers to rent.
In these cases, there are extra fees tacked on per day for being a young driver.
There is a possibility that you will also be required to buy insurance through the company.
Which States Allow Car Rentals for 19-Year-Olds?
Each state has its requirements when it comes to rental cars.
For the most part, you have to be 20 years old to rent a car from national rental car companies.
Even at this age, you will incur underage driver fees and other fees.
The age to rent a car without incurring any age-related fees is 25 for most companies in most states.
In some states, the minimum age is 18 or 19.
In Michigan and New York, you can rent a car at 18, though you may have to pay additional fees.
We’ve listed the details for you here!
Michigan
In Michigan, you can rent a vehicle at 18 from Hertz, Alamo, Avis, Dollar, Thrifty, and National.
These brands allow 18-year-old renters, but they do tack on an underage driving fee.
New York
In New York, drivers looking to rent a car at 18 can do so with an additional fee from Alamo, Avis, Dollar, Hertz, Thrifty, National, and Budget.
Who Offers Car Rentals for 19-Year-Olds?
Perhaps you do not live in a state that allows car rentals for 19 years olds from national brands, but you still might be eligible to rent a car.
Smaller car rental companies, like AtWest, have different policies than national brands.
Other companies are car-sharing companies that work similarly to an Airbnb or VRBO service.
People sign up to be “hosts” on the app or site, then you can rent from these services if you are at least 18.
The age is the same no matter what state you rent in.
AtWest
AtWest is a car rental company for the Western side of America.
They rent to drivers who are at least 18 years old.
The company serves Southern California and has rental locations in Los Angeles and San Diego.
If you are under 21, restrictions apply before you can rent.
These include providing a valid driver’s license, paying with a major credit card or debit card, and providing proof of insurance.
If paying with a debit card, you must present two forms of identification.
If you do not have insurance, you can purchase some through AtWest when you buy the rental.
Turo
Turo is a car-sharing service that you access either online or through their app.
They also partner with commercial brands, so if you are under 21 you can only book with a peer-to-peer host.
A peer-to-peer host is the car-sharing branch of Turo.
There are a few stipulations regarding age with Turo.
As a 19-year-old, you can not rent a car with more than $20,000 market value.
You will be subject to paying a young renter fee which is a minimum of $50 per day.
If you are 19, you will also have to purchase a protection plan.
There is no option to waive the young driver fee or skip a protection plan.
You have to choose from either the standard protection plan or the minimum protection plan.
The last stipulation for a 19-year-old driver with Turo is that you can not book a Deluxe Class car, a Super Deluxe class car, or a specialty car.
Zipcar
Zipcar is a service that allows people to rent a vehicle for shorter trips and longer ones.
Their policy on young drivers is pretty straightforward.
If you are under 21, you can only use a Zipcar if you are a member of Zipcar Student.
Some universities partner with Zipcar to have cars available for students to rent.
If you are under 21, you can only rent a car with this company in this manner.
Getaround
Getaround is a car rental service that operates through an app.
It is a smaller company that operates in over 800 cities.
Except for users in Los Angeles and Orange County, you have to be 19 to rent with Getaround.
There is an under 25 fee that you will incur with Getaround.
If you are under 21, you shouldn’t have any accidents on your driving record.
Getaround does check driving records for all guests.
You also have to have 2 or fewer at-fault accidents or minor violations in the last three years.
There is an instant driver record check before you book that you must pass and you can not have had a DUI or drug-related incident in the last 7 years.
How Much Do Car Rentals for 19-Year-Olds Cost?
Here is some more information about how much it costs for a 19-year-old to rent a car.
Underage Driver Fees
It is highly unlikely that you will find a car rental service that does not charge an underage driver fee.
These are usually charged per day and can be quite expensive.
The minimum age to rent from Fox Rent-a-Car is 19 years old per company policy.
However, young drivers renting from this company will incur a surcharge.
It is the lowest surcharge across every brand offering cars to 19-year-old renters at only $25 per day.
Triple A Discount
The discount for a AAA member is available for people aged 18 and older.
In certain states, you have to be 19 to use the discount included with your membership for rental cars, but generally, you can use it at 18.
However, you also need to find a rental car company that allows 19-year-olds to rent cars.
With the Triple A membership, Hertz will waive the young driver fee. This will add up and save you a ton of cash!
Student Discount
Rental car companies do offer student discounts with proof of attendance, like a student ID number or sites like Unidays that require you to sign in, but this often only offsets the young driver fee.
Again, you need to find a company that allows 19-year-olds to rent to use this discount.
Rental Requirements for 19-Year-Olds
There are a few major requirements that a teen driver must meet to rent a car.
Though the legal age limit is 18, the national average is about 20.
In some cases, a teen can rent through big-name companies. We will cover those here.
Driver’s License
Everyone needs a driver’s license to rent a car regardless of the circumstance.
If you misplace your license, there are policies in place at each rental car company to allow you to rent.
Besides that special case, everyone renting a car no matter the age must have a valid driver’s license and present it at the time of renting.
Suggested Read
Class A B C D driver’s license: The different types of licenses compared
Military or Government ID in Some Circumstances
In some cases, official military orders are enough for an 18-year-old to rent a car.
You will need to show your military ID and orders to participate in this program.
USAA members can get the young driver fee waived at Hertz, Avis, and Budget.
Car Insurance Policy
Any driver renting a car must have proof of car insurance coverage or pay a hefty price for car insurance through the rental company.
Regardless of age, you have to have a rental insurance policy on hand.
Keep in mind, that you do not have to have your insurance policy, you just have to be covered under an insurance policy.
This means you can use your parent’s policy as an additional driver if you do not have your own.
Some companies require you to show them physical proof, but this is not always the case.
Wrapping Up
Renting a car at 19 is not impossible.
There are ways to comply with the rules of a company and still rent a car, albeit at an additional cost.
Now that you have most of your questions answered about renting a car at 19, where will you go!
