What is an insurance excess?

The excess is the amount you'll only be liable for in case of damage (under Collision Damage Waiver) or theft (under Theft Protection) of the vehicle. Information about the excess will be clearly stated in the price inclusion when you reserve a car on QEEQ.

How can I add an additional driver?

You are advised to make a request upon your arrival at the rental counter. Additional charge per day will incur unless '1 Additional Driver Included' is stipulated on the rental. Please note that the same licence and age requirement applies to the additional driver. The additional driver is supposed to present the required licence document along with the main driver at pickup.

The United States traffic rules and self driving car rental tips

The Complete United States Driving and Rental Guide

The United States is usually more suitable for automobile compared to public transportations. Travelling by car is thus a good way to get around to see sights of the country, whether you are planning a complete road trip, or just using a leg of your trip by taking a car to visit the cities. Here is a guide we have prepared to help you familiarized yourself with driving in the USA.

Speed Limit and Traffic Signs

Driving is on the right with the steering wheel on the left-hand side of the car. Since traffic rules differ from state to state, it is better to review the regulations for each individual state in which you are planning to drive. Pedestrians have the legal right of way in all states.

Speed Limit

The speed limit varies from state to state, butis of 65 miles per hour (equals110 km p/h) in the majority of the states. Speed limit is frequently monitored by radar guns.

Traffic Signs

Many US states comply with the same road signs standard, but some of the states and large cities such as New York City have adopted an extent of localization or a supplement.

Although there is a variety of regulatory signs throughout different states, they are usually self-explanatory, with explicit wordings marked on the signs.

Stop

Yield(Give Way)

United_States_of_ America_Traffic_Sign__Yield_to_Pedestrians

Yield to Pedestrians, New York City

Passing Zone Ends

Passing Zone Begins

No Parking

No Parking; Here to corner

No Parking; Except Sundays

Among regulatory signs, there is one category which indicates ‘No Standing’, and may be unfamiliar for foreign visitors or international travellers. ‘No standing’ signs indicate that stopping temporarily to load or unload passengers is allowed, while parking is not allowed. The signs are also usually red on white, but local variations exist.

No Standing Any Time

No Standing Any Time New York State

No Standing Cars Towed Away, Baltimore

Warning signs feature yellow background colour and black pictogram, with a few exceptions.

Road Slippery When Wet

Curve With Speed Advisory

Stop Ahead

Yield Ahead

Railroad Crossing(Crossbuck)

Railroad Crossing Ahead

Information signs provide guidance and feature rectangular shape.

Toll Road Pass Only

Toll Road Pass or HOV 2+

Toll Costs at Intersections or HOV 2+

Hospital Sign

You may refer to this for the unified standard that is used by the states.

Seatbelt and Child Safety

Seatbelt Laws

All drivers and passengers are regulated by law to wear seatbelts. A fine applies if a driver or passenger is caught without a seatbelt on.

Booster Seat Laws

Even though regulations vary by state, almost all states require children to be in a child seat facing backwards in the front of a car, or facing forward in the rear. As a minimum guide, children should use a booster seat until they reach 36kg to 45kg or 145cm high.

For a specific guidance regarding child safety rules, you may click here.

Parking, Fuel and Toll

Parking

You must always park in the direction of the traffic flow on the near side of the road. Often, parking spaces are diagonally aligned and ‘head-in’, which means the front of your car must be facing the pavement (sidewalk).

· Parking Restriction

In some cities, parking restrictions are indicated by the kerb colour; for example, a red kerb indicates no parking at any time, a yellow kerb may signify a limited truck loading zone, a green kerb indicates a limited parking period, a blue kerb for disabled parking only, and a white kerb passenger loading and unloading. No parking areas, for example, at street corners, may be indicated by yellow lines. Therefore, you should always read all pavement markings carefully.

United States Red Kerb No Parking (Image from aarestriping.com)

United States Yellow Lines No Parking (Image from merchantcircle.com)

United States Yellow Kerb Loading Only (Image from timeout.com)

· Paid Parking

Parking in most cities and towns isn’t usually a problem and on-street parking is usually metered, along with permissive parking signs specified with a restricted amount of time. It’s advisable for you to estimate your parking time and reserve a bit more parking fee as a precaution to avoid the fine for overtime parking.

The signs are green and white, and local variations do occur with additional information or slightly different designs.

Parking with Time Restrictions

Parking With Time Restrictions New York City

Fuel Prices

The average price for USA gasoline and diesel during July to October 2017 is US$0.74.

Toll

It has more than 5,000 miles of toll roads in the USA. From bridge and tunnel tolls to express and high occupancy lanes, most states have some sort of toll road system.

Nowadays most tolls are collected electronically via transponders that are typically placed on the windshield of the vehicle. As many toll roads no longer accept cash. It is recommended to check the individual websites of each state's toll system to inform yourself about the payment options along with your route.

If you are hiring a vehicle from Enterprise, National or Alamo in the USA, you can review and pay the tolls online via Highway Toll Administration site; if hiring from Avis or Budget, you can check the e-toll site. For Hertz, Dollar, Thrifty and Advantage, toll charge can be checked on PlatePass.

Traffic Violation

DUI Laws

Depending on states, drivers are charged with a fine or a crime with 0.08% or 0.05% BAC (Blood Alcohol Content) limit by volume.

Traffic Fines

Extra care should be applied to abide speed limit when driving in the United States, as speeding fines can be ranging from $36 to $1000 for first-time breaker states by states. A Nation-wide average speeding ticket is US$150.

Failing to understand and follow the parking signs will potentially result in a hefty fine. This is especially the case for big cities like San Francisco, New York City and Chicago. For example, stopping, standing or parking where signs, road markings or traffic control devices do not permit you to do so will incur a fine of US$115 in New York City. In San Francisco, obstructing traffic without a permit in San Francisco will result in a fine as high as US$1000.

Failure to pay traffic infringement fines will likely result in your car rental company collecting the fee from you, with an additional administration charge. These policies are generally illustrated in the terms of the contract on which you signed at the rental desk. For any further questions concerning these matters, you are welcomed to contact QEEQ’ 24/7 customer service team for assistance.

Driving Licence and Age Requirements

To drive in the United State, the driver must have a valid driving licnece that has been held for at least 1 or 2 years(according to different car hire company). The licence must be valid at the time of rental, and remain valid throughout the rental period.

The minimum age to rent a vehicle in most locations in the U.S is 21 years (age may vary by state and car category), and the driver must have a valid driver's license held for at least one year. For certain specialty and larger-sized vehicles, the minimum age of 25 years of age applies. If you're 21-25, you are likely to have to pay a young driver fee which is about $25-per-day to $50-per-day.

Guest reviews

1 /

Anonymous

April 13, 2026

Destination: Gainesville

10Excellent

Super happy with everything!

Destination: San Francisco

We happened to hit a really busy time around midday, and with only a few counters open the line moved slowly so we ended up waiting quite a while.

April 12, 2026

Destination: Hawaii - Hawaii Island

The car ran great and was really clean.

Destination: Phoenix

Thrifty rental review: real-world test of a Nissan Sentra for daily commuting Overall rating: (4/5) Car rented: Nissan Sentra or similar Location: Major US airport branches Price & booking: great bang for your buck Thrifty’s biggest selling point is definitely the price. After comparing with Hertz and Avis, Thrifty’s quote was clearly more competitive, especially if, like me, you only need a simple car to get around. The base rate was very reasonable, and booking through a third‑party site shaved the price down even further. Car condition: a solid, practical runabout I ended up with a Nissan Sentra. - Exterior & interior: The car was generally clean. There were a few minor scratches on the outside (pretty normal for rentals), but the interior was in decent shape and well maintained. - Driving experience: As a compact sedan, the Sentra is well‑suited for city driving and everyday commuting. Fuel economy was pleasantly good, and the seats were reasonably comfortable. For longer trips they can feel a bit on the thin side, but as a temporary, get‑you‑from‑A‑to‑B car, it does the job just fine.

Super convenient.

Destination: Seattle

Really great overall

April 11, 2026

Destination: Los Angeles

Super clean, and once you get off the plane just follow the signs—so easy you literally can’t miss it.

April 10, 2026

Destination: Anchorage

Loved this rental company, it honestly felt like stepping back into the good old days.

April 9, 2026

Destination: Madison

Super attentive and really friendly attitude.

Destination: Kaneohe

Only one staff member on duty, but at least things moved pretty quickly~

April 7, 2026

Loved the car – big, comfortable, and easily fit four suitcases. Really smooth to drive too. Only downside was having to wait in a super long line to pick it up.

April 6, 2026

Destination: Hawaii - Oahu Island (honolulu)

Overall satisfied, but the waiting line was really long.

Destination: Las Vegas

Service was great, but make sure you double-check all the fees in detail.

Absolutely awesome.

April 4, 2026

Pickup was really quick and efficient.

8Very good

Really good, the staff were super friendly and helpful

Destination: Cleveland

Really good, hardly any waiting in line.

Destination: Dallas

Super easy to find in the rental car building.

The front desk staff were super nice—really chatty and friendly.

Very satisfied with the rental company.

L.Cote

April 3, 2026

10Great service, nearby with efficient shuttle service

I’m extremely satisfied how fast i got my security deposit refunded after I dropped the car. Important to me.

April 2, 2026

Destination: Chicago

Very patient and thoughtful, no hard-selling on insurance. There were a few issues, but they got everything sorted out quickly.

Destination: Orlando

When we arrived it was already past midnight and there was no one at the counter, so we had to go to another company’s desk to get everything sorted.

April 1, 2026

Destination: Santa Ana

Staff were super friendly, there weren’t many people, and everything moved really quickly.

Staff were pretty nice and didn’t try to upsell anything.

March 30, 2026

Service was pretty good. When the car I booked wasn’t available, they immediately helped me find another one.

Came at night and there was almost no line, so everything was super quick.

March 29, 2026

It was okay.

March 28, 2026

Destination: San Diego

Very satisfied

March 27, 2026

Wait time wasn’t too bad and the paperwork was simple. The staff kept trying to upsell different add-ons, but just firmly saying no the whole time worked fine.

March 26, 2026

The staff were really friendly and walked us through everything in detail. No hidden charges at all, very thoughtful service and the car was in great condition. Big thumbs up.

Lines were a bit long when queuing up.

March 23, 2026

Overall it was pretty good, and the staff were really nice. I’m guessing it’s a company policy, but they did try hard to talk us into prepaying for a full tank of gas. In the end we decided not to prepay and just return the car with a full tank instead.

Destination: Miami

We got off the cruise and hopped on a free shuttle straight to the store to pick up the car. The paperwork was super easy, the car looked great and drove really well. Couldn’t be happier.

Destination: Atlanta

They gave us an SUV, and it handled perfectly in the snow and ice over these 20 days—I felt totally in control the whole time!

Really good

March 22, 2026

March 21, 2026

The line was pretty long so the wait felt a bit lengthy, but once you’ve got all your info ready in advance, the whole process goes really fast. Picking up the car itself was quick.

P.Cassity

March 20, 2026

Destination: Burbank

Car was freshly washed and looked clean

L.Jamir

Destination: Pittsburgh

10Awesome

Good service

Destination: Louisville

Service was decent, nothing to complain about.

March 17, 2026

March 16, 2026

Destination: Houston

I accidentally left my sunglasses in the car and the rental company helped find them and mailed them back to me, which was great. The only downside was they couldn’t give me the Ford Explorer I booked and switched me to a Kia Sorento instead.

Pretty good overall, picking up and returning the car was really easy and hassle-free.

March 14, 2026

Got off the plane at Kona, waited just a bit at the rental car shuttle stop and the shared Avis/Budget bus showed up. Avis is the first stop at a nearby lot, so it was pretty easy to find. Just note: if you’re not an Avis VIP customer, you have to go in through a different entrance to get to the counter. There were almost no other customers, so I was first in line and didn’t have to wait at all, which really surprised me.

I specifically wanted a Ford Explorer (mainly because it’s 4WD across the lineup), but the Avis rep clearly didn’t want us taking that kind of car up to the observatory. He kept insisting there were no Explorers available and tried to put us in a “similar” KIA. Since it wasn’t 4WD, we refused and said we’d rather come back early the next morning to see if an Explorer showed up. After going back and forth for a while, he suddenly said he’d “go check the garage” – and magically found an Explorer. Honestly, it felt like he’d been bluffing us from the start. Anyway, we ended up getting what we wanted, so at least it all worked out in the end.

That said, the car itself was clearly on the older side and not in great condition. The third row was supposed to fold flat, but the headrest release was broken, so it would never go fully down. We had to wrestle a few 28-inch suitcases into the trunk and ended up sweating through the whole process. Over the next few days, once we drove over to Hilo, the screen suddenly started showing a “Tire Pressure Sensor Fault” warning, which gave us quite a scare on the road. Thankfully it was just the sensor – the tires themselves were fine.

March 13, 2026

They even let me pick up the car early and arranged everything really smoothly.

March 12, 2026

They added about $120 of extra insurance and told me the insurance company would reimburse me for it. Is that really how it works?

Fast service and no pushy upselling at all.

March 9, 2026

Pick-up and drop-off were really quick and efficient.

Very satisfied.

United States Car Rentals