Originally Posted by kirker

I've never needed ID just to pick up a car from my assigned spot, but they always check it at the exit gate – just like they have for years now. For those who might be wondering, I've been told by someone who'd know that Avis and Budget aren't generally checking AWD numbers at their major airports since it'd cause too much friction with their model of skipping the counter and all that. I've never had mine checked at a major airport, but the new info is both companies apparently cracking down on AWD misuse in major vacation destinations. I assume the rules vary by company, but I think most AWDs (and BCDs) are intended solely for work-related travel. This would explain why people I know with otherwise valid AWDs have had them rejected in holiday-centric cities such as Bozeman, Bend and Santa Rosa (popular shortcut versus SFO for folks traveling to Napa or Sonoma).

Btw this is all fairly recent – within the past six months – and I gather that it's in part due to the agencies' still-ongoing vehicle shortage (good way to keep them handy is by eliminating misuse of discount codes).