Hertz Rental Car Qualifications: What You Need to Rent
Renting from Hertz isn't complicated, but it's not as simple as walking up to a counter with a credit card either. There are age requirements, license rules, payment conditions, and add-on fees that vary depending on who you are, where you're renting, and what you're renting. Knowing how the qualification system works before you show up saves time — and sometimes money.
The Basic Requirements to Rent from Hertz
At its core, Hertz requires three things from every renter:
- A valid driver's license
- A qualifying form of payment
- Meeting the minimum age requirement for that location
Each of those three categories has layers worth understanding.
Driver's License Requirements
Your license must be valid — not expired, not suspended. If you hold a U.S. driver's license, it must be from the state where you're a resident, and the name must match your payment method and any reservation.
If you're renting with a foreign driver's license, Hertz generally accepts it in the U.S. for tourists and international visitors. However, some locations require an International Driving Permit (IDP) alongside the foreign license, particularly if the original license is not printed in English. Whether an IDP is required often depends on the country of issuance and the specific Hertz location.
Learner's permits and provisional licenses are not accepted in place of a full license, regardless of the renter's age.
Age Requirements and Young Driver Fees 🚗
This is where things get meaningfully complicated. Hertz sets a minimum rental age of 20 at most U.S. locations, though some states legally prohibit companies from setting a minimum age above 18 — California, Michigan, New York, and a handful of others have state laws that override company minimums.
Renters between 20 and 24 are typically subject to a young driver surcharge, which is charged daily on top of the base rental rate. That fee varies by location and vehicle type — it's not a flat national rate.
Renters 25 and older generally avoid this surcharge entirely.
Some vehicle categories — luxury cars, specialty vehicles, cargo vans — may carry higher minimum age requirements, such as 25. If a specific vehicle class matters to you, it's worth confirming the age rule for that category before booking.
| Renter Age | Typical Status at U.S. Hertz Locations |
|---|---|
| Under 20 | Generally not eligible (state rules may vary) |
| 20–24 | Eligible with young driver surcharge at most locations |
| 25+ | Standard rental, no surcharge |
Payment Requirements
Hertz strongly prefers — and in many situations requires — a major credit card in the renter's name. Cards from Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover are widely accepted.
Debit cards are accepted at many Hertz locations, but with additional friction. Using a debit card often triggers:
- A credit check or deposit hold
- A larger security deposit, sometimes $200 or more
- Restrictions on which vehicle classes are available
- Additional proof of insurance or return-flight documentation at some locations
Cash and prepaid cards are generally not accepted as the primary payment method, though policies can vary by location.
The credit card must have enough available credit to cover the deposit hold plus the estimated rental cost. Cards that are close to their limit may be declined even if technically valid.
Insurance and Liability Considerations
Hertz will ask about insurance coverage at pickup. You're not required to purchase their optional protection products, but you do need to demonstrate some form of coverage.
Your personal auto insurance may extend to rental cars — liability coverage often does, though collision and comprehensive coverage varies by policy. Some credit cards also provide secondary rental coverage when you pay for the rental with that card. Whether your existing coverage satisfies Hertz's requirements depends on your specific policy terms, which Hertz staff cannot verify at the counter.
If you decline all optional coverage, you're typically signing a statement acknowledging responsibility for damage to the vehicle.
Additional Driver Rules
If someone other than the primary renter plans to drive, they must be registered as an additional driver at pickup. That person goes through the same license verification process. Hertz charges an additional driver fee at most locations, though spouses and domestic partners are sometimes exempt depending on where you're renting.
Letting an unregistered driver operate a Hertz rental typically voids your coverage protections under the rental agreement.
What Varies by Location
Several qualification details are location-specific, not universal:
- Airport vs. off-airport locations sometimes have different policies on debit cards and deposits
- International locations have their own license, age, and payment rules that don't mirror U.S. standards
- State laws in places like California, Michigan, and New York directly affect what Hertz can and cannot require from renters
- Corporate or AAA accounts may waive certain fees or modify eligibility rules
The Gap Between General Rules and Your Situation
The framework above describes how Hertz's qualification system generally works — but your actual experience depends on where you're renting, how old you are, what form of payment you're carrying, what vehicle class you're requesting, and whether state law modifies any of the standard rules at that specific location. 🗺️
Two renters of different ages, in different states, requesting different vehicle types, can walk into a Hertz location and face meaningfully different requirements and costs — even if they both prepared the same way.
