Car Rental Rules in California

(1) For rental vehicles that the lessor calls an “economy car”, “compact car” or any other term having a similar meaning to the two smallest categories of body-sized vehicles established by the Association of Car Rental Industry Systems Standards for North America, the price may not exceed eleven dollars (USD 11) as of January 1, 2014 when offered for rent. ReturnsI allowed, vehicles returned outside of opening hours will not be registered until the next working day. The return of a vehicle after work does not reflect or communicate in any way a rental that is closed or returned without damage. A driver can leave the property of the car rental company without liability insurance. But that would not only be illegal, but ridiculously stupid. The cost of this mistake can be enormous; a driver without liability insurance that causes an accident is personally liable for all claims. In addition to the financial loss, there are the hassles of dealing with car rental companies, lawyers, and the paperwork needed to resolve these issues. Hopefully nothing bad will ever happen, but it`s important to first understand what can go wrong. Then decide: Am I dealing with these bad things enough to pay the extra $$ to insure myself against this? For California, car rental companies do not automatically provide liability protection to the tenant under the standard lease. However, some (e.B Hertz) offer the minimum primary liability protection for international customers (the driver`s license indicates an address outside the United States) who rent in California.

Now that california`s national pandemic restrictions have been lifted and travel is in full swing, you may be wondering what to expect when renting a vehicle for your Golden State vacation. While today`s rental market presents some challenges, car rental companies continue to provide a safe and manageable environment for customers and employees. On September 30, California Governor Newsom signed AB 901, a new law that goes into effect on January 1, 2022, amending California`s LDW rules. Renting a car in the Golden State? There is car rental insurance in California that you need to know about. (3) (A) The following is an example, for information purposes and without limitation, of a notice that meets the requirements of subsection (1) for a Lessor that imposes liability on the Renter for collision damage equal to the total value of the Vehicle: Other risks (collision damage to the Renter, theft if the Renter is negligent, personal accident medications or damaged/stolen personal belongings) are not automatically covered by Covered Car Rental Companies. Although not required by law, the tenant has the option to acquire coverage to protect against the risk. In many cases, the tenant already has coverage from another location (for example. B their own car or personal liability insurance, health or life insurance, or credit card company). It is also important to note the exclusions for loss diamage waivers (LDW/CDW) sold by car rental companies. LDW is not insurance; it is a waiver of the right of car rental companies to sue for damages.

Typical exclusions that invalidate LDW (in California) are (but may not be limited to): California visitors who rent or rent a car face a dizzying array of insurance: there are LDW, CDW, PDW, LLDW, PAI, PEC, LIS, etc. To make things more confusing, California has different laws regarding insurance and car rental than other states or countries. In addition, many auto insurance companies urge tenants to purchase insurance, and there have been many complaints from visitors who have taken out insurance they don`t need or want. While Tenant`s Liability Insurance (RLI) is available for most rentals, Supplemental Liability Insurance (SLI) is NOT available for 12- and 15-passenger vans, freight cars, or refrigerated vans. (2) In addition to the requirements of subsection (1), a Lessor who offers or provides compensation shall verbally inform all Tenants, except those participating in the Lessor`s membership program, that the waiver of damages may be twice as high as the coverage that the Customer maintains under its own automobile insurance.  The tenant must confirm receipt of the oral disclosure near the part of the contract in which the tenant indicates his acceptance or rejection of the waiver of damages by the tenant`s own initials.  Adjacent to the same party, the contract must also state that compensation is optional.  In addition, the contract must include a clear and visible written disclosure to these tenants that the waiver of damages may be twice as high as the coverage the customer maintains under their own auto insurance. So, what insurance is needed when renting a car. California? It is difficult to give specific advice because people with different risk profiles and life situations are different. A person may not worry about losing $500 and is therefore willing to take the risk.

while another may want to take out insurance to avoid the same risk. To make a good decision about which rental car insurance you want to purchase, it`s helpful to first get accurate answers to the following questions: If you have a valid insurance policy that covers rental cars in California (a personal policy or a non-owner policy), you don`t have to worry about liability because you`re already insured. First, let`s make a little reminder. There are usually two types of rental car insurance: collision damage (CDW) and liability. Each covers a different scenario. Let`s say you have an accident that damages the rental car. Typically, you need damage protection (CDW). However, most credit cards only offer secondary protection against damage.

In short, this means that coverage only comes into play once the primary coverage limit has been reached. If you own a car, your own car insurance is the main coverage for collision damage. The whole problem involved a shocking discovery by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, also known as NHTSA. They found that many car rental companies were actually renting cars that were subject to safety recalls. Even worse, they were often aware of the problem, did not solve it and simply rented their cars in this damaged condition. The first priority, of course, is to make the process safe. “In addition to our Complete Clean Pledge, we are also a member of the Clorox Safer Today Alliance in partnership with the Cleveland Clinic and cdc Foundation,” said Lisa Martini, director of communications at Enterprise Holdings, owner of Enterprise Rent-A-Car, national car rental and Alamo Rent-A-Car. .