What documents are required by a non-US resident to rent a car?

I was just denied a car rental by Avis who now require the renters Social Security Number for a foreigner to lease a car. Also a valid credit card was requested when it is known that Credit cards are not even issued in some developing countries.

What documents are required by a non-us resident to rent a car?

Best Answer

I am not sure why they asked for a Social Security Number since it's a US only ID and not even required to be provided.

According to Avis' own FAQ the following are the requirements for valid identification:

Avis requires that each customer and additional driver meet the Avis minimum age requirement, present a valid driver's license and an acceptable driving record, and present an Avis-honored charge card or cash rental qualification at the time of rental.

The driver's license must be valid at the time of rental, and remain valid throughout the rental period. All drivers must meet Avis' requirements. Driver's licenses accepted in the U.S. are:

Any license issued by any U.S. state, territory or possession.

A license issued by a Canadian province.

A license issued by a country that participated in the 1949 Geneva convention on Road Traffic or the 1943 Convention on the Regulation of Inter-American Automobile Traffic.

A license issued by a country that has a reciprocal agreement with the U.S.

If you intend to rent outside your home country, you may also be required to present an International Driver's Permit. International Driver's Permits are valid only if presented with the original local license. An International Driver's Permit it not acceptable by itself. In addition, at the time of rental, the renter, authorized driver or additional driver may be subject to an electronic DMV check or may be required to sign a declaration attesting that they have a valid license that is not currently suspended, revoked, expired, cancelled or surrendered. A temporary driver's license is acceptable only if it has no restrictions and is valid for the entire period of the rental. Individuals with learner's permits may not operate Avis vehicles. Additionally, if you intend to rent outside of your home country, Avis may require that you present a valid passport, as secondary form of identification at the time of your check-out.

So in all likelihood the SSN request was a secondary identification for someone who entered incorrectly that you're from the US or a bug in Avis' Agent UI (yes those happen). But the Credit Card request is normal in case of toll fines, etc.

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How do you rent a car in the US as a foreigner?

Foreign Nationals Driving in the U.S.

You may need both your license and an IDP to rent a car in the U.S. If you're planning to rent one, find out the rental company's policies and other requirements in advance.

Beware of international driver's license scams. Scammers may try to sell you a fake IDP.

What do I need to drive a hire car in USA?

Customers must present a valid, unexpired government-issued driver's license which includes a photograph of the customer. The driver's license must be valid for the entire rental period. An additional government-issued identification may also be required.

Achieve total tax-freedom through a US LLC as a Non-Resident

Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Images: Charles Parker, Max Vakhtbovych, Karolina Grabowska, Max Vakhtbovych