To rent a car in Virginia, you generally need to be at least 21 years old. Hertz will rent to drivers as young as 20, and every other major national company sets the floor at 21. Virginia has no state law setting a minimum rental age, so the rules come from each company’s policies. If you’re between 20 and 24, plan on a daily surcharge and some limits on which vehicles you can book.
Minimum Age at the Major Rental Companies
Virginia’s motor vehicle code addresses recordkeeping and insurance requirements for rental businesses but leaves age policies to the companies. In practice, the threshold depends on where you book:
- Hertz rents to drivers as young as 20 in most states, including Virginia.
- Enterprise requires renters to be at least 21.
- Avis requires renters to be at least 21.
- Budget requires renters to be at least 21.
No major national brand requires you to be 25 for a standard vehicle. That’s a common misconception, probably because 25 is the age at which surcharges disappear and every vehicle class opens up. If you’re 21 or older, you can rent from any major company in Virginia without a special exemption.
Young Renter Surcharges Between 20 and 24
Every major company charges a daily surcharge for drivers under 25. It’s added to the base rate for each day of the rental, and it accumulates quickly.
- Enterprise: approximately $25 per day, though it varies by location.1Enterprise Rent-A-Car. What Are Your Age Requirements for Renting?
- Budget: $27 per day at most locations.2Budget Car Rental. How Old Do You Have to Be to Rent a Car?
- Avis: an underage surcharge applies automatically for renters 21 to 24, though Avis doesn’t publish a single national rate outside of New York and Michigan.3Avis. Minimum Age to Rent a Car
- Hertz: charges an Age Differential Charge for renters 20 to 24.4Hertz. Age Restrictions and Exceptions
On a five-day trip, a $27-per-day surcharge adds $135 to the bill. That can easily exceed the base cost of a budget car.
Ways to Reduce or Waive It
AAA members between 20 and 24 can have the young renter fee waived at Hertz, a savings of up to $29 per day. The member needs a credit card in their own name and must meet standard rental qualifications.5AAA. Young Renter Fee Waived for AAA Members Ages 20-24 USAA members may find similar waivers through partner programs. A corporate discount code negotiated by your employer can also eliminate the fee, so check with your company’s travel department before booking on your own.
Renting Under 20: Military and Government Travel
Active-duty military members and government employees can rent at 18 when traveling on official orders. Enterprise, for example, allows any U.S. government employee to rent at 18 with proof of official travel status.1Enterprise Rent-A-Car. What Are Your Age Requirements for Renting? The Defense Travel Management Office’s rental car program eliminates extra charges for authorized drivers 21 and older, though renters 18 to 20 may still face a young driver fee. That fee is reimbursable through your travel voucher.6Defense Travel Management Office. Rental Car Program
Bring travel orders, a government ID, or a Government Travel Charge Card to the counter to validate your official travel status.6Defense Travel Management Office. Rental Car Program
Vehicle Restrictions for Drivers Under 25
Meeting the minimum age doesn’t mean you can rent anything on the lot. Luxury sedans, premium SUVs, large passenger vans, and high-performance cars are generally off-limits to anyone under 25. Insurers charge higher premiums on expensive vehicles driven by younger renters, and rental companies pass that risk back through policy.
If you need a specific class for a trip, call the location directly rather than relying on the website. Individual branches sometimes have discretion.
Paying With a Debit Card Under 25
A major credit card in the renter’s name is the easiest way to pick up a rental. The company places an authorization hold for the estimated charges and hands over the keys. Debit cards are where things get complicated for younger renters.
Budget requires debit card users to be at least 25.7Budget Car Rental. Can You Rent a Car with a Debit Card? Avis also accepts debit cards only from renters 25 and older at most U.S. locations.8Avis Rent a Car. Can You Rent a Car With a Debit Card? If you’re 21 to 24 without a credit card, your options shrink. Prepaid cards and gift cards aren’t accepted anywhere.
When a debit card is accepted, expect a larger authorization hold. Thrifty, for instance, holds up to $500 on a debit card versus $200 on a credit card above the estimated rental charges.9Thrifty. Car Rental Debit Card Policy That money is frozen in your checking account until the rental is returned and settled, which can take several business days.
If You’re 18 or 19: Peer-to-Peer Options
Traditional rental agencies are closed to most 18- and 19-year-olds. Peer-to-peer platforms like Turo let you rent directly from individual car owners, and the minimum age is 18 across the United States. A young driver fee applies to guests aged 18 to 24, with the amount varying by trip length and other factors. The fee can’t be waived or refunded after the trip is completed.10Turo Support. Booking a Car – US
Turo applies its own tiered vehicle limits by age: guests under 21 can’t book vehicles valued over $20,000, those under 25 can’t book Deluxe Class vehicles, and guests under 30 can’t reserve specialty or classic cars.10Turo Support. Booking a Car – US Insurance is handled through the platform’s own protection plans rather than through your personal auto policy, and vehicle selection depends on what owners list in your area.
Insurance Gaps Young Renters Should Know About
If you have your own auto policy, it usually extends to rentals, carrying your liability, collision, and comprehensive coverage into the rental car. Your collision deductible still applies. Many younger renters, though, don’t own a car and aren’t listed on anyone’s policy. That’s where the gaps open up.
Credit card rental coverage typically pays for damage to or theft of the rental vehicle when you pay with the card and decline the company’s damage waiver. What it almost never covers is liability, meaning injuries or property damage you cause to someone else. That’s the most expensive part of an accident.
At the counter, a Loss Damage Waiver (sometimes called a Collision Damage Waiver) means the rental company won’t pursue you for damage to their vehicle. A Liability Insurance Supplement provides liability coverage above Virginia’s minimums. For a young renter without personal auto insurance, the liability supplement is the add-on worth serious consideration, because a credit card and the damage waiver together still leave the liability gap open.
If you rent frequently without owning a car, a non-owner auto policy provides liability coverage when you drive a borrowed or rented vehicle. It won’t cover damage to the rental itself, but paired with a credit card’s damage benefit, it gives you fairly complete coverage without buying anything at the counter.
Adding a Second Driver Under 25
Every person who might get behind the wheel needs to be listed on the rental agreement. Adding a driver who is also under 25 means the young renter surcharge may apply to that person too. The Defense Travel Management Office notes that even additional drivers aged 18 to 20 on government rentals must be listed on the agreement.6Defense Travel Management Office. Rental Car Program
Letting an unlisted friend drive is one of the fastest ways to create a financial disaster. If an unlisted driver crashes the car, the rental agreement and every insurance product purchased through it can be voided. No liability protection, no damage waiver, no optional coverage. The person who signed becomes personally liable for penalties, fines, and damages, and the unauthorized driver’s personal insurance may also deny the claim because the vehicle was being used in violation of a contract.