Military Personnel

While the 10 largest car rental companies generally restrict rentals to people under age 25, most firms will rent cars to people as young as 21 if they can prove that they are financially responsible. Rental outlets with different company names may be owned by the companies themselves or may be franchises; the companies have no control over the policies of licensees. The companies GAO surveyed allow military personnel who are 18 and older and who are traveling on orders to rent cars. The policies for military personnel who are not traveling on orders are the same as those as for the public. Many of the companies have special offers for military personnel who served in Operation Desert Storm.

GAO found that: (1) the 10 largest rental car agencies generally have policies restricting automobile rentals to individuals under 25 years of age; (2) rental car agencies' have minimum age requirements primarily because the risks of liability and damage to or theft of vehicles are higher with younger drivers; (3) some rental car agencies will rent to customers as young as 21 if they have a major credit card and can demonstrate that they are financially responsible; (4) some rental outlets operating under the corporate umbrella of the automobile rental corporation may not always be owned by the corporation itself, but by a licensee of the corporation; (5) all rental car companies had policies allowing automobile rental to government employees age 18 or older and on official government business; (6) rental car policies for military personnel not travelling on orders are the same as rental policies for the general public; (7) many car rental companies offer lower rates for military personnel and special discounts to the extended families of injured service personnel, for military personnel who served in Operation Desert Storm.