Can You Rent a Car Without a License?

You can rent a car without a license if you have a temporary driver’s license. Note that a temporary license qualifies as: 

• A paper license you receive after you’ve passed your initial driving test
• A temporary license issued after you’ve renewed or replaced your license 
• Only valid for 30 to 90 days after receipt

Acceptance of temporary licenses comes at the sole discretion of the car rental agencies. Similar to paying for a car rental with a debit card vs. a credit card or charging a penalty for dropping a rental car off at a different rental location, policies vary between car rental companies and are subject to change. If a rental car company does allow temporary licenses, you may often pay an administrative fee to verify your identity and validate your driver’s license. 

You cannot rent a car with any of the following license types:

• Learner’s permit
• Provisional license
• Restricted license
• Suspended, revoked, expired, or otherwise invalid license 

Most car rental companies won’t rent to drivers with a provisional license. Provisional licenses are granted to individuals under 18 and come with restrictions, such as when and where you can drive. For Americans, you typically cannot rent a car unless you’re over 18 in certain parts of the USA, like New York, or over 21 in others, like Texas. 

While you can rent with a temporary license, car rental companies often require that you submit forms of identification. Here are the basic steps involved in renting a car if you have a temporary license: 

1. You can obtain a temporary license from your local Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). Temporary licenses are often issued to individuals whose previous license was lost, stolen, or damaged. Young drivers who just passed their driving test also receive one. 
2. Talk to a representative from your chosen car rental company. Ask about any additional requirements for drivers with a temporary driving license and how to submit those documents. 
3. Even if you can successfully submit the required documentation, it’s often a good idea to keep copies with you in case the local office needs in-person verification. 
4. Reserve your car for the desired date and time of rental. Consider adding a secondary driver in case you run into issues at the counter.

Renting a car without a license is possible if you have a temporary license. Keep reading to learn more about specific policies from some of the major car rental companies. Knowing these policies can help you save time at the rental counter. 

When it comes to driver’s license requirements among the largest rental car companies, such as Enterprise vs. Hertz, policies tend to mirror one another. Below are the official driver’s license requirements as posted by these companies: 

• Avis license requirements: Avis only accepts driver’s licenses that are valid during the entire rental period, including temporary licenses. 
• Enterprise license requirements: Enterprise doesn’t accept photocopies, learner’s permits, or restricted licenses that require a vehicle equipped with a breathalyzer. 
• Budget license requirements: Budget requires all eligible drivers to carry a valid driver’s license that is neither suspended nor expired. 
• Hertz license requirements: If you want to rent a car with a temporary license, Hertz requires you to submit a physical copy of the temp license, a handling fee, and an International Driving Permit if you’re visiting the United States from abroad. 
• Dollar license requirements: You cannot submit a mobile or digital copy of your license and successfully rent a car with Dollar. 
• Alamolicense requirements: If you are an active military member and have an expired home-state driver’s license, you can still rent a car if you show an active military ID or comply with the military extension policy of the state that issued the license. However, Alamo does not allow temporary licenses. 
• National license requirements: Like Alamo, National has a similarly tight company policy for driver’s licenses. 
• Thrifty license requirements: Thrifty requires drivers to meet specific eligibility requirements, even if the renter qualifies as an authorized driver for a disabled person.

Rental car alternative FINN requires a valid driver’s license to complete a car subscription. However, you don’t have to have a stellar credit score. If you prequalify for subscribing to FINN’s fleet, you only have to pay a security deposit if your credit score is less than 700.