Renting a car is the key that unlocks the American road trip — but for international visitors the process comes with rules that catch first-timers out: International Driving Permits, young-driver surcharges, insurance you actually have to buy, and cashless tolls that quietly add up. Here is the plain-English, 2026-current guide to renting a car in the USA as a foreign visitor, from the Roam States team.
Do you need an International Driving Permit (IDP)?
If your driving licence is written in English, most US states will accept it on its own for a short visit, and the major rental companies will rent to you with it. If your licence is in another language or alphabet, carry an International Driving Permit alongside it — the IDP is only a certified translation and is never valid on its own. Get the IDP in your home country before you fly; you cannot buy one inside the United States. Rental desks generally require that you have held your licence for at least one year.
Age rules and young-driver fees
The standard minimum age to rent is 25. Drivers aged 21–24 can rent from most national brands but pay a “young renter” surcharge of roughly US$25–35 per day, and are sometimes limited to smaller vehicle classes. Under-21 rentals are rare and mostly restricted to specific programs. Every additional driver must be named on the contract at the desk — letting an unlisted friend drive can void your cover entirely.
Insurance: what US rentals do and don’t include
This is the biggest trap for visitors. Unlike much of Europe, a US rental price usually does not include collision cover. The key products are:
- CDW/LDW (Collision/Loss Damage Waiver) — waives your liability for damage to or theft of the rental car.
- Supplemental Liability Insurance (SLI) — tops up the low state-minimum liability cover for damage you cause to others; strongly recommended for visitors.
- Personal Accident Insurance (PAI) — optional medical cover, often duplicated by your travel insurance.
Your home-country motor policy almost never follows you to a US rental. Before you pay the desk, check whether your travel insurance or credit card already includes rental CDW — many premium cards do, and that can save US$15–30 per day. Bring written proof if you plan to decline the desk’s cover.
Tolls and E-ZPass
Many US toll roads — especially in the Northeast, Florida, Texas and California — are now cashless, with no booth to pay at. Rental cars carry an electronic transponder (branded PlatePass, TollPass or similar); if you use a toll road it bills the tolls back to your card plus a service fee of around US$3–4 for each day you drive, capped monthly. On a long road trip this can quietly add US$50 or more. Ask at pickup how the toll program works and whether you can opt out on routes you know are toll-free.
One-way rentals and road trips
Picking the car up in one city and dropping it in another (say, Los Angeles to Las Vegas, or a one-way leg of Route 66) is easy but usually adds a one-way drop fee — sometimes waived within the same state, sometimes hundreds of dollars across regions. Most US rentals include unlimited mileage, which is ideal for big drives, but confirm it in writing. If national parks are on your route, read our 2026 national park fee guide before you go — the new nonresident surcharges change the math on a multi-park trip.
Fuel, and booking the smart way
US gas stations are self-serve and cheap by international standards; in some states you prepay inside before the pump activates. Always choose the full-to-full fuel policy and refill just before drop-off — prepaid-fuel options almost always cost more. A few more habits that save money and stress:
- Book early and compare the total price with insurance, not the headline daily rate.
- Decline extras you don’t need — a paper-map GPS unit is pointless when your phone navigates for free.
- Photograph the car from every angle at pickup and drop-off, and get any existing damage noted on the contract.
- Use a credit (not debit) card — debit cards often trigger a large hold or a credit check.
Get these basics right and the rental fades into the background, leaving you free to enjoy the drive. Plan the route first with our USA road trip planner, then browse more trip-planning guides.
