Under 21 car rentals at Houston Airport (IAH) George Bush Intercontinental

Under 21 car rental in Houston, TX

The minimum age to rent a car in Houston is 21, and most car rental companies require young drivers to be 21 years of age with at least one year of driving experience. So, if you are under 21, whether you can rent a car will depend on the rules and policies of the rental company. For example, Thrifty, Hertz, and Dollar provide car rental in Houston for 20-year-old and older drivers. Zipcar allows car rental from 18 years of age.

There are other companies that also, under certain conditions, give cars for rent to customers who have reached the age of eighteen. Please note that if you are under the age of 25 you may have to pay a young driver fee. With the help of our search engine, you can find the best car rental offers for those under 21 years old!

Compact

Nissan Versa

from $6.4 per day

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Economy

Toyota Yaris

from $11.3 per day

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Intermediate

Toyota Corolla

from $12.7 per day

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Medium SUV

Jeep Cherokee

from $29.5 per day

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7 seat carrier

Ford Windstar

from $29.7 per day

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Fullsize

Chevrolet Impala

from $39.4 per day

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Mini

Chevrolet Spark

from $44.8 per day

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Premium

Chrysler 300

from $45.2 per day

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Can you rent a car under 21 in Houston, Texas?

It depends on the car rental company's rules and policies whether you can rent a car at IAH if you are under 21 years old. In Houston, car rental for under 21 involves paying an additional fee or a restriction on the types of rental cars that are available.

Agencies that allow renting a car at Houston Airport for under 21 years old

Hertz, Dollar, Thrifty, and Zipcar allow under 21 car rentals at Houston Airport. You can find counters for the following companies at the Houston Airport Car Rental Center, which can be reached by the free IAH shuttle.

• Hertz. Open daily, 24 hours. Contact: 1-800-654-3131

This car rental in Houston for under 21 allows young people to rent cars of all classes. Even prestigious and expensive models.

• Dollar. Open daily from 5:00 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. Contact: 1-800-800-4000. If you are under the age of 21, you can rent a car in most classes, from compact cars to SUVs. Some special vehicle classes are excluded.
• Thrifty. Open daily from 5:00 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. Contact person: 1-877-283-0898. If you are under the age of 21, you can rent a car in most classes, from compact cars to SUVs. Some special vehicle classes are excluded.
• Zipcar. Open daily, 24 hours. Contact: 1-866-494-7227

DOLLAR

⭐ 5.2 / 10

ENTERPRISE

⭐ 8.2 / 10

ALAMO

⭐ 8.4 / 10

NATIONAL

⭐ 8.2 / 10

THRIFTY

⭐ 5.4 / 10

AVIS

⭐ 7.8 / 10

18 and up car rental in Houston

Zipcar provides a car rental for over 18, in Houston, Texas. In addition, various companies may allow you to rent a car if you are a US military or government employee 18 years of age or older. In this case, you need to present official documents and prove that you are traveling for work purposes.

Why do companies charge a fee from young drivers?

The young driver fee (also known as the Under 25 or Underage fee) is a daily fee that compensates car rental companies for the risk of accidents when renters under 25 drive their cars. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, drivers under the age of 25 are more likely to get in car accidents than those who are older.

Houston under 21 car rental fee

You can find out the amount of a young driver fee, which different companies charge, below:

• Hertz - $19 per day
• Dollar, Thrifty - $52 per day
• Zipcar - for drivers aged 18-20, the young driver’s charge is $1.25 per hour or $15 per day.

Remember that it's not just the Young Driver Fee that affects the rental price. The basic car rental price, discounts, additional options, and other factors also determine the final rental price. To find out the exact cost of renting a car, you should start the booking process!

How to avoid paying Young Driver’s fee at Houston Airport?

Car rentals for under 21 in Houston can be surprisingly difficult to find and expensive due to additional fees applicable to young drivers. If you fall within this age range, you may have to pay hundreds of dollars more than the regular rental amount. It is possible to avoid paying (or to at least reduce the cost of) the Young Driver fee. We know several effective ways to do this - check them out in the list below:

• AAA membership. Hertz customers can take advantage of a special program that allows them to waive the Young Driver fee. With an AAA code, rental cars in Houston for over 20 years old are accessible at no extra charge.
• USAA membership. Hertz has the option to waive additional fees for all USAA Partners aged 18 and over.
• Military or government purpose. U.S. military and government employees 18 years of age or older will not have to pay a youth fee when renting for authorized government travel. It is required to show a written confirmation of the official order with a specified rental location at the counter.

How to rent a car for those under 21 at Houston Airport?

If you have reached the minimum car rental age and have all the documents on hand, then you will not face any problems when concluding a rental agreement at Houston Airport. In Houston, to rent a car under 21 is possible with the following list of documents:

• driver's license kept for a minimum of 1 year
• passport or national ID
• a valid payment method, such as a credit (debit) card
• booking confirmation voucher
• any other document the company requests, such as a return airline ticket, utility bill, bank statement, etc.