Renting a car after a DUI
 

If you have a past(2 years)DUI and you have a valid Drivers licence(reinstated with poof of insurance)can you rent a car?
How thorough are the large agencies about checking your record for such things?Do they charge a premium for renting to such drivers?
Thanks in advance for your answers.

I don't know personally, but I did see on that Airline show that a woman was denied a rental car because she had a DUI on her record. If you can find a company that doesn't check driving records you might be good. But I'm pretty sure that when they do check, they don't check until you get to the counter so you might get screwed if you don't call ahead.

I can attest to Enterprise not ensuring the validity of licenses, as a colleague of mine has been renting cars through them while his license is suspended due to having a habitual traffic offender status

I think Enterprise is just playing the odds. They don't check because it a. costs money and b. take times = costs money.

If an incident happens with a renter being stopped by police with a suspended license, Enterprise can easily say that it is too tedious to do all the checks and also they rented to the renter IN GOOD FAITH that he was following the terms and conditions of the contract...

I'd hate to be driving a rental car in a place I don't know very well with a suspended license, only to see those police lights flashing in your rear-view mirror.

-t.

BamaVol Jr has a DUI on his record from about 3 years ago. I have seen him driving rentals from Enterprise on multiple occasions. I also know he turned in a car across the street from the SF Hilton - either Hertz or Avis, but it is possible that one was rented in his wife's name. I think you may be safe rentiing from Fox as well.

My PD impounds cars for anyone stopped with a suspended license. If the rental car company has access to your credit card, and bills the various fees when they go to pick up their car (towing, storage, release fee), it could be a rather costly experience.

A bigger worry might be insurance. Would your personal vehicle insurance be in full force and effect if you drive on a suspended license, or would it be voided? If you use the rental company insurance/waivers, will they even be in force if you drive with a suspended license?

You could always move to the next counter if you get denied a car. Eventually you will probably get through.

AVIS, National, Dollar, Alamo don't check, or if they check, they are not thorough. In general, I doubt anyone checks. This is for DUI and I am not sure about suspended license. However, with different states having different databases, its highly unlikely that a rental company would be successful in finding anything out.

I am pretty sure they do check. There is a national private company that gives electronic access to DMV records for most states. I can think of two occasions where I am fairly certain they ran a check once with Dollar and once with Hertz. Both occasions have been when I was on a leisure trip and in casual cloths interestingly enough.

What made you think they checked? Do you give out a guilty vibe when you aren't wearing a suit and tie? I can't imagine written documentation instructing the agent to validate licenses on renters in t-shirts and the one's I deal with don't make enough to sneer at my casual dress.

Pretty much all insurance and car rental coverage says you must be operating the vehicle within the law. If you're driving on a suspended license and wreck the car, they're not going to cover you.

Avis checked me today - won't rent to me!
 

Hello,
I got DUI in Cali 2 years and 360 days ago...
Now live in TX
Have rented dozens of cars since that time. Liscence is not suspended as I finished the endless classes, therapy, etc. asap after offense. Have great insurance too - pay on time monthly!
Avis denied me today...I found this site because I was looking for answers to why...
Now calling Enterprise
Yikes! this sucks!
:mad:

i know of a couple of our sales guys who have gotten dui's and dont seem to have or at least haven't mentioned any trouble renting cars and these guys are on the road alot. Perhaps since these guys are such good customers (I'd guess close to 75 rentals a year) that the rental companies look the other way.
I never looked at a rental agreement that close but wouldn't you have to consent to a DMV check?

I can't imagine a car rental company bending the rules for any customer, good or not. I'm wondering if they assume some liability by checking and then renting anyway.