At the Rental Counter With an AB 60 License: What They Will Ask For

Renting a car is often the first time someone with a new AB 60 license uses it at a counter that is not the DMV's. The license does its job there the same way it does at a traffic stop: it shows you are licensed to drive in California. The rest of the counter conversation is about the rental company's own rules, which apply to everyone.

What you'll be asked for at the counter

• Your driver's license. It must be valid and in your name, matching the reservation exactly.
• A payment card in the renter's name. Companies differ on debit cards: some accept them with conditions, some require a credit card. Ask when you book.
• Your age. Minimum ages and young-driver fees are set by each company.
• Any additional driver, in person, with their license. Someone not on the rental agreement should not drive the car.

Where the AB 60 license fits

For renting and driving, it is a California driver's license. What it is not is federal identification: the statute's notice says the card is not acceptable for official federal purposes. If your trip involves a federal ID check somewhere else, plan for that separately; it has nothing to do with the rental contract.

If a counter refuses the card

Ask calmly which written company rule they are applying. If the answer is about age, payment or your driving record, that is the company's policy and it applies to everyone. If the answer is that they do not accept the card because it was issued under AB 60, that is different: section 12801.9(g)(1) says it is a violation of the Unruh Civil Rights Act for a business establishment to discriminate against a person because they hold or present a license issued under that section.

1. Write down the employee's name, the location and the time.
2. Ask for a manager and for the refusal in writing.
3. Rent elsewhere if you need the car today, and follow up with the company's customer relations in writing afterward.

Insurance: what your own policy may carry over

What varies by insurance company: whether your liability coverage extends to a rental car, whether your collision and comprehensive apply to it, and whether your policy pays for a rental while your own car is being repaired after a claim. Read your declarations page and ask your agent before the trip. The damage waiver the counter offers is optional, and whether you need it depends on what your own policy and your payment card already provide.

If you do not own a car and rent often, a non-owner policy is worth a look; it follows the driver rather than a vehicle.

Renting on a license from another country

If you are still driving on your home-country license, the company may ask for an International Driving Permit alongside it. That is a company requirement that varies, and an IDP is a translation of your license, not a license on its own.

Before you drive off the lot

• Walk around the car and photograph every scratch, with the lot visible in the background.
• Check the fuel level and the return time on the contract.
• Keep the contract until the final charge clears.

Want to know what your own policy would cover on a rental? Ask for a quote and we will point to the exact lines.