Sometimes you cannot only wait around for your parents or friends to take you somewhere. You must get out there and explore on your own. You may want to rent a car, but apparently renting a car can be a more complicated process than it seems. Due to insurance and liability requirements, then there are some rules regarding who is permitted to rent a car.
Your ability to rent a car may be restricted, depending on the driver’s license or permit you have. You realized that you only have a learner’s permit. By the way, can you rent a car with a learner’s permit? Let us find out that information by reading the text below.
What is a Learner’s Permit?
Before we find out the answer of whether you can rent a car with a learner’s permit or not, first you should know about what a learner’s permit is. For your information, a learner’s permit is essentially a beginner’s license. It will permit you to practice driving under certain conditions and restrictions.
You must be accompanied by a licensed driver who has been licensed for at least one year and is at least 21 years old. Person who accompanies you must be seated in the front passenger seat. Also, you are only allowed to practice driving during daylight hours. Several states have different rules about permits. Therefore, it is very crucial to check with your state’s DMV before hitting the road.
Based on Wikipedia, a learner’s permit is a restricted license which is given to a person who is learning to drive, but has not yet satisfied the prerequisite to get a driver’s license. Usually, having a learner’s permit for a certain length of time is one of the requirements for applying for a full driver’s license. To get a learner’s permit, one must pass a written permit test, take a basic competency test in the vehicle, or both.
Can You Rent a Car with a Learner’s Permit?
Unfortunately, you cannot rent a car with your learner’s permit. Usually, rental cars demand that you be at least 21 years old to rent their cars and you must also have a valid driver’s license. When you visit a rental car, you must sign a contract that includes your driver’s license number. The rental agency will utilize this to verify that you are a licensed driver. So, if you only have a learner’s permit, you cannot rent a car.
Probably, you think that if a licensed driver over the age of 21 rents a car and is in the car with you, it will be acceptable to rent a car with your learner’s permit. After all, this is typically acceptable when you have a permit and are learning to drive. But rental car is a completely different situation.
When you rent a car, you will be asked to sign an agreement stating that you will be the only person to drive it. If you want another driver to be eligible to operate the car, then you must declare that person at the time of rental. Also, his/her driver’s license information will be put on file. In some cases, you also need to pay an extra fee to add a second driver to the rental agreement.
Due to car rental companies need a licensed driver to sign the rental agreement, someone with a learner’s permit will not be allowed to operate the car. Even if you tried to add a second driver with a permit to the rental agreement, it will not be permitted.
Conclusion
You cannot get a rental car with a learner’s permit since the rules regarding this vary from state to state. You need some requirements to get a rental car. One of the requirements is a valid driver’s license. It means that you must have a license from the state in which you live and an international driver’s license if you are planning on renting a car while you are traveling outside of the United States.
Keep in mind that an international driver’s license is only valid for a year. And, the rules about who can rent a car will vary from country to country. In addition, you may also need a credit card and deposit to rent a car. These requirements will vary from rental company to rental company. Therefore, you must be sure to check with the specific company before you make your reservation.
A bookworm and researcher especially related to law and citizenship education. I spend time every day in front of the internet and the campus library.
