I am going to California in a couple weeks and staying with my extensive family out there as I travel the entire state. I would like to rent a car but I am only 18. If I have permission from my parents (and their credit card) can I rent a car? Could I have my family in Cali rent the car for me?
And can I take that car into Mexico for a couple days? I am looking at Avis since I found a really great discount code online but I don’t see anything in the conditions that says I can’t go to Mexico. I’m having a lot of difficulty finding a straight answer to this anywhere online. Thanks in advance 
Only a handful of companies rent to people under 25, and of those that do, many don’t rent to people under 21. The only company I know of that rents to 18 years is EZ Rent a Car. http://www.e-zrentacar.com/underage_car_rentals.html?age=21&ratecode=CPT
I don’t know if EZ Rent a Car allows their cars to be driven to Mexico, but there are some car companies that do, so don’t believe all the people who say NO car companies allow it.
I know cars rented from California Baja ( http://www.cabaja.com/ ) can be driven to Mexico, but you have to be 21. Same with Express Rent a Car. http://www.rentfromexpress.com/car-rental-mexico-san-diego-california.html
I suggest you call or email all the small car rental companies in the San Diego area and see if any can accomodate you. If you are able to rent in San Diego, you can always take the train from LA to San Diego.
February 27th, 2010 at 6:34 am
You can not rent a car when your 18 unless you are on military leave and you must have proof.
The driver must be 25years old even at Avis… thats why you can rent a car b/c the DRIVER must be the one renting the car.
References :
February 27th, 2010 at 6:47 am
No rental car company is going t allow anyone to take a car into Mexico. I also doubt that they will rent to anyone under Age 25.
Call them and ask if you want
Los Angeles Intl Airport – LAX
9217 Airport Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90045
310-342-9200
References :
February 27th, 2010 at 7:30 am
Nobody is going to rent a car to an 18-yr old. Your parents have to rent it or some other adult, but no, you can’t take it to Mexico. If it were your car to rent out, would you allow people to take it into a foreign country?
The sites don’t tell you that you can’t take it to Mexico because it’s common sense.
References :
February 27th, 2010 at 8:10 am
The rental car companies will not allow you to rent a car at 18. As for taking a car into Mexico, I think the issue is not permission from the rental car company but who will be liable if something happens to the car. Usually, insurance policies cover accidents or thefts that happen something like 25 miles of the border. If you are going further south then you’ll probably need that Mexico insurance that they usually sell near the border. Otherwise, if the car is stolen or you get into an accident, the rental company may look to you to pay for any damages.
References :
Experience.
February 27th, 2010 at 8:58 am
you can rent a car at 18, if say, you (or your family) owned a company, and had a company account at enterprise/dollar/avis/whatever, and if you are employed in that company, and display yourself as a representative for said company, you can rent the car. they might hassle you about it and charge you extra for liability issues, but in the end, you should be able to get a rental.
but no, you cannot take it into mexico. i don’t know if you’ve heard, but mexico is kind of a hellhole (more so than usual) right now. i can’t imagine that it’d be worth it to break the car rental contract to go to mexico right now.
References :
i have done this several times.
February 27th, 2010 at 9:06 am
Short answers: No. Call a company that specializes in 18 YO rentals.
Renting a car is a great lesson in liability. Car rental companies don’t want to rent a car to anyone under 25, because statistics show that drivers get into much fewer accidents by the time they are 25. Insurance, risk, and liability is simply a numbers game. They don’t care if you’re a great driver, they go strictly by statistics. Don’t take this personally, but at 18, you’re not a great driver. You just don’t have the road experience that an older driver has. Plus many 18YO don’t have a credit history, or credit at all.
Permission from your parents? THEIR credit card? Are you an adult, or not?
In any case, try contacting Basic Car Rental. They’ll rent you a car, but be prepared to pay a pretty hefty price for the privilege. http://www.18carrental.com/about.html.
And you absolutely, positively cannot take a rental car into Mexico. Every single rental agreement specifically states that the car may not be taken into Mexico. Why? Because it’s a foreign country, and US laws do not apply there. In fact, once you drive over the border, your US insurance is not valid for the same reason. That’s why they have all those Mex-Insur businesses as you approach the border. I’ve even bought some late at night using a drive through window. If you’re caught in Mexico without insurance, you go straight to jail: No hearing, do not pass Go, do not collect $200. To me, that’s a good motivation for having insurance. And they won’t insure rental cars. They ask for your registration, which won’t show your name.
Good luck.
References :
February 27th, 2010 at 9:56 am
Only a handful of companies rent to people under 25, and of those that do, many don’t rent to people under 21. The only company I know of that rents to 18 years is EZ Rent a Car. http://www.e-zrentacar.com/underage_car_rentals.html?age=21&ratecode=CPT
I don’t know if EZ Rent a Car allows their cars to be driven to Mexico, but there are some car companies that do, so don’t believe all the people who say NO car companies allow it.
I know cars rented from California Baja ( http://www.cabaja.com/ ) can be driven to Mexico, but you have to be 21. Same with Express Rent a Car. http://www.rentfromexpress.com/car-rental-mexico-san-diego-california.html
I suggest you call or email all the small car rental companies in the San Diego area and see if any can accomodate you. If you are able to rent in San Diego, you can always take the train from LA to San Diego.
References :