Avis Car Rentals FAQs

Certain rates may require a reservation a minimum of 24 hours in advance of renting the vehicle. Any advance booking requirement is noted in the terms and conditions of advertisements or coupons.

A valid driver's license is required for all operators of any Avis vehicle. The license must be valid at the time of rental, and remain valid throughout the rental period. All drivers must meet Avis' requirements.

A valid driver's license is:

• A license issued by a Canadian province, territory.
• A license issued by a US state, territory or possession.
• A license issued by a country that is a signatory to the 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic or the 1943 Convention on the Regulation of Inter-American Automobile Traffic.
• A license issued by a country that has a reciprocal agreement with Canada.

For more information, please call 1-800-879-2847.

International Driver's Permits are valid only if presented with the original local license. An International Driver's Permit it not acceptable by itself. In addition, at the time of rental, the renter, authorized driver or additional driver may be required to sign a declaration attesting to the fact that they have a valid license that is not currently suspended, revoked, expired, cancelled or surrendered. A temporary driver's license is acceptable only if it has no restrictions and is valid for the entire period of the rental. Individuals with learner's permits may not operate Avis vehicles. Additionally, if you intend to rent outside of your home country, Avis may require that you present a valid passport, as secondary form of identification at the time of your check-out.

When renting at an Avis airport location, commonly accepted forms of identification include:

• Canadian citizens entering the U.S. by air must present a valid driver’s license and passport.
• Canadian citizens entering the U.S. by car, train, bus or ship may present an enhanced Canadian license instead of a passport.  Enhanced licenses contain the words: enhanced or permis de conduire plus
• Customer with a foreign driver’s license (other than a U.S. or Canadian driver’s license) may be required to also present a valid passport as a secondary form of identification at the time of check out. The name on the passport must match to the name displayed on the foreign driver’s license

In order to be eligible for a discounted rate associated with a specific advertisement or coupon, you need to either present the advertisement or the coupon at the rental counter or quote the coupon number at time of reservation.

Avis requires that the renter and additional driver(s) meet the Avis minimum age requirement, present a valid driver's license, have an acceptable driving record and present an Avis-honoured charge card or be cash qualified at the time of rental.

The following individuals, if 25 years of age or older and in possession of a valid driver's license, may drive the vehicle with the renter's prior permission:

• Renter's employer (while on company business);
• Renter's fellow employee (while on company business);
• Renter's spouse or domestic partner.

The above additional drivers are considered "authorized drivers" and need not be
present at the time of rental, nor do they need to sign an additional driver form.

Other individuals may be listed as additional drivers, provided they are at least 25 years of age; present a valid driver's license; present an Avis-honored charge card; and complete an additional driver form, available only at the rental counter. An additional driver fee may apply for each additional driver (see Additional Driver Fees for details and exceptions).

A maximum of two additional drivers can complete an additional driver form for a rental. Additional drivers who can drive the vehicle with the renter's permission (see Exceptions above) are not included in this requirement.

The minimum age to rent a vehicle is 21, except in Saskatchewan, where it is 18.
A daily surcharge will apply to renters between 21-24 years old.
Restrictions on the size and type of vehicles apply to renters between 21- 24 years old. 
Please check with Avis at 1-800-879-2847 for details.

All provinces have mandatory seat belt laws. Avis encourages all drivers and passengers to always buckle up. For your convenience, child safety seats are available for rental.

Additional driver fees may apply (see Additional Drivers). The fee for each additional driver is $10.00 per day, $50.00 per week. Maximum $60 per additional driver, per rental.

The following individuals are exempt from the fee but must be at least 25 years of age and in possession of a valid driver's license:

• renter's employer or regular fellow employee when on company business
• renter's spouse or domestic partner
• renter's mate, life companion, significant other, live-in or similar
• disabled renters who have completed the non-licensed renter form

Renters between the ages of 21-24 may not rent vehicles in the following vehicle categories:

• Luxury
• Specialty
• Minivans
• Passenger Vans
• Full-size SUVs
• Premium SUVs