Budget Car Rental FAQs Budget Car Rental FAQs

You can rent a car from Budget at age 21 in most states (at age 18 in New York and Michigan states) if you pay an underage renter surcharge. There is no surcharge for drivers 25 and older. Learn more about the underage surcharge and age requirement exceptions here.

At corporate-operated locations, Budget does not have a maximum age limit in the U.S., but there may be upper-age restrictions in some other countries. Search for your location to find maximum age rules in your rental country. After you find your location, just click the 'additional information' link next to your desired location to view location terms and conditions.

Yes. Since rental terms vary from location to location, it’s always a good idea to read the specific terms and conditions on your online reservation confirmation page/e-mail – or find your location and review the terms of rental on your location information page. These terms outline most things you'll need to know to qualify for a rental at your specific location.

Look for rental terms and conditions on your confirmation page

At the bottom of location pages and your confirmation e-mail

And also near the bottom of the page on step 4 of the online reservation process.

Rules at licensee-owned locations and locations outside of the U.S may vary from what you are accustomed to, so it's important to review your terms every time you make a reservation. If you have questions about your rental terms, please contact us.

Once you qualify for rental, a Rental Agreement is the legally binding contract that details the terms of rental you'll be required to agree to and sign before Budget releases a rental car to you. The content of a Rental Agreement varies based on your rental dates, type of car and location. For example, in some particularly rugged parts of the country, and on specific gravel and dirt roads not regularly maintained, Budget prohibits use of its vehicles. At most locations, interstate travel is permissible, while other locations require that the vehicle does not cross state lines. Similarly, in some states bordering Mexico and Canada, travel across U.S. borders might be restricted or prohibited. At some airport locations, the quoted rental rates might apply only to airline passengers flying within 72 hours before rental. Or, if you are under 21 years of age, special car type rules and surcharges will apply. When you pick up your car, the rental counter agent can answer any questions you may have about your rental.
Always closely review the Rental Agreement when you pick up your car. Our counter agents are happy to answer any questions you might have regarding your rental.

Since a Rental Agreement varies slightly based on your rental dates, type of car and location, we can't present you with an exact copy of the agreement you will be asked to sign at the counter. You may, however, view a copy of our Master Rental Agreement on which all location Rental Agreement versions are based.

As mentioned above, you'll be required to agree to and sign a Rental Agreement at the rental counter when Budget releases a rental car to you. Since we recognize that this will take additional time at the counter each time you rent, we encourage you to enroll for Fastbreak®. When you enroll, you'll provide your electronic signature just once on the Master Rental Agreement. Once enrolled, you may print and save it for your records and we'll notify you if any changes are made to that agreement. You'll save time at the counter with each rental because you won't have to read the entire Rental Agreement or sign it at each location every time.

Budget requires renters to present a driver’s license and a credit card or debit card to rent a car from us. Read more about our required rental credentials here, including alternative forms of ID.

Yes. Your deposit type, amount and method of payment will vary by Budget location. See more details here.

No, this is a common fraudulent practice and this direction did not come from a representative of Budget Rent A Car System, Inc. For more information and how to protect yourself from scams and fraud, click here.

You need a clean driving record and a valid driver’s license to drive a Budget rental car. Budget may check your driving record to confirm you meet our requirements. Read the details of our driver’s license policy.

If you have a DUI or a similar infraction on your driving record, you may still be eligible to rent, depending on when the event occurred. Read our full driving record policy.