Car rental in United States

In the United States, traffic drives on the RIGHT side of the road, and steering wheels are positioned on the left side of the vehicle. When entering roundabouts (traffic circles), you yield to traffic approaching from your left. Speed limits are strictly posted in miles per hour (mph): typically 25 to 35 mph (approx. 40 to 56 km/h) in urban and residential areas, 55 to 65 mph (approx. 88 to 105 km/h) on rural two-lane highways, and 65 to 75 mph (approx. 105 to 120 km/h) on Interstate freeways (reaching 80 to 85 mph in rural Texas and Utah). Highway Patrol and local police actively enforce speed limits using radar and laser guns.

Foreign tourists holding a valid domestic driver's license from their home country printed in English or using the Latin alphabet (such as licenses from the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and EU/EEA countries) can legally rent and drive a car in the United States for up to 12 months (or the duration of their authorized tourist stay) without an International Driving Permit. However, if your domestic license was issued in a non-Latin script (such as Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, or Cyrillic), you MUST carry an official certified English translation or a physical 1949 or 1968 International Driving Permit alongside your domestic license card.

Many US states operate All-Electronic Tolling (AET) where physical cash booths have been completely eliminated (such as E-ZPass in 19 northeastern/midwestern states, SunPass in Florida, FasTrak in California, and TxTag in Texas). Overhead camera gantries record the vehicle's electronic toll transponder or photograph license plates. Most rental companies pre-equip vehicles with an automated toll service (such as PlatePass or e-Toll). If you drive through a toll gantry, the system activates, billing the toll plus an administrative daily convenience fee ($4.95 to $12.99 USD per day of use or per rental day) directly to your credit card.

In the United States: 1) 'Right Turn on Red' is legally permitted at almost all traffic intersections across all 50 states AFTER coming to a complete stop and yielding to pedestrians and oncoming traffic, UNLESS a sign explicitly states 'No Turn on Red' (note that turning right on red is strictly illegal by default throughout all five boroughs of New York City). 2) School Buses: When a yellow school bus stops and activates flashing red lights and an extended stop sign arm, motorists traveling in BOTH directions must come to a complete dead stop at least 20 feet away until the lights stop flashing. Passing a stopped school bus is a severe criminal traffic offense carrying fines up to $1,000 USD and possible license suspension.

Driving a US rental car into Canada is generally permitted by major rental companies (such as Enterprise, Hertz, Avis), but you must notify the rental desk at pickup to receive an official Canadian Non-Resident Inter-Provincial Motor Vehicle Liability Insurance card. Conversely, driving a US rental car into Mexico is strictly prohibited by standard rental contracts. Standard US auto insurance and credit card collision waivers are completely invalid under Mexican law. Taking a US rental car into Mexico without specialized Mexican corporate insurance constitutes unauthorized vehicle export and breach of contract, resulting in immediate vehicle seizure at the border.

The legal blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limit across the United States is 0.08% (0.08 g/dl) for standard drivers aged 21 and older (with the exception of Utah, which enforces a stricter 0.05% BAC limit). For drivers under 21, all states enforce strict zero tolerance (0.00% to 0.02% BAC). Furthermore, almost all US states strictly enforce 'Open Container Laws' (under 23 U.S.C. § 154): it is illegal to possess any open alcoholic beverage or unsealed recreational cannabis container inside the passenger cabin of a motor vehicle, regardless of whether the vehicle is moving or parked. All opened bottles or dispensary purchases must be transported in the locked vehicle trunk.