What is an insurance excess?

The excess is the amount you'll only be liable for in case of damage (under Collision Damage Waiver) or theft (under Theft Protection) of the vehicle. Information about the excess will be clearly stated in the price inclusion when you reserve a car on QEEQ.

How can I add an additional driver?

You are advised to make a request upon your arrival at the rental counter. Additional charge per day will incur unless '1 Additional Driver Included' is stipulated on the rental. Please note that the same licence and age requirement applies to the additional driver. The additional driver is supposed to present the required licence document along with the main driver at pickup.

The United States traffic rules and self driving car rental tips

The Complete United States Driving and Rental Guide

The United States is usually more suitable for automobile compared to public transportations. Travelling by car is thus a good way to get around to see sights of the country, whether you are planning a complete road trip, or just using a leg of your trip by taking a car to visit the cities. Here is a guide we have prepared to help you familiarized yourself with driving in the USA.

Speed Limit and Traffic Signs

Driving is on the right with the steering wheel on the left-hand side of the car. Since traffic rules differ from state to state, it is better to review the regulations for each individual state in which you are planning to drive. Pedestrians have the legal right of way in all states.

Speed Limit

The speed limit varies from state to state, butis of 65 miles per hour (equals110 km p/h) in the majority of the states. Speed limit is frequently monitored by radar guns.

Traffic Signs

Many US states comply with the same road signs standard, but some of the states and large cities such as New York City have adopted an extent of localization or a supplement.

Although there is a variety of regulatory signs throughout different states, they are usually self-explanatory, with explicit wordings marked on the signs.

Stop

Yield(Give Way)

United_States_of_ America_Traffic_Sign__Yield_to_Pedestrians

Yield to Pedestrians, New York City

Passing Zone Ends

Passing Zone Begins

No Parking

No Parking; Here to corner

No Parking; Except Sundays

Among regulatory signs, there is one category which indicates ‘No Standing’, and may be unfamiliar for foreign visitors or international travellers. ‘No standing’ signs indicate that stopping temporarily to load or unload passengers is allowed, while parking is not allowed. The signs are also usually red on white, but local variations exist.

No Standing Any Time

No Standing Any Time New York State

No Standing Cars Towed Away, Baltimore

Warning signs feature yellow background colour and black pictogram, with a few exceptions.

Road Slippery When Wet

Curve With Speed Advisory

Stop Ahead

Yield Ahead

Railroad Crossing(Crossbuck)

Railroad Crossing Ahead

Information signs provide guidance and feature rectangular shape.

Toll Road Pass Only

Toll Road Pass or HOV 2+

Toll Costs at Intersections or HOV 2+

Hospital Sign

You may refer to this for the unified standard that is used by the states.

Seatbelt and Child Safety

Seatbelt Laws

All drivers and passengers are regulated by law to wear seatbelts. A fine applies if a driver or passenger is caught without a seatbelt on.

Booster Seat Laws

Even though regulations vary by state, almost all states require children to be in a child seat facing backwards in the front of a car, or facing forward in the rear. As a minimum guide, children should use a booster seat until they reach 36kg to 45kg or 145cm high.

For a specific guidance regarding child safety rules, you may click here.

Parking, Fuel and Toll

Parking

You must always park in the direction of the traffic flow on the near side of the road. Often, parking spaces are diagonally aligned and ‘head-in’, which means the front of your car must be facing the pavement (sidewalk).

· Parking Restriction

In some cities, parking restrictions are indicated by the kerb colour; for example, a red kerb indicates no parking at any time, a yellow kerb may signify a limited truck loading zone, a green kerb indicates a limited parking period, a blue kerb for disabled parking only, and a white kerb passenger loading and unloading. No parking areas, for example, at street corners, may be indicated by yellow lines. Therefore, you should always read all pavement markings carefully.

United States Red Kerb No Parking (Image from aarestriping.com)

United States Yellow Lines No Parking (Image from merchantcircle.com)

United States Yellow Kerb Loading Only (Image from timeout.com)

· Paid Parking

Parking in most cities and towns isn’t usually a problem and on-street parking is usually metered, along with permissive parking signs specified with a restricted amount of time. It’s advisable for you to estimate your parking time and reserve a bit more parking fee as a precaution to avoid the fine for overtime parking.

The signs are green and white, and local variations do occur with additional information or slightly different designs.

Parking with Time Restrictions

Parking With Time Restrictions New York City

Fuel Prices

The average price for USA gasoline and diesel during July to October 2017 is US$0.74.

Toll

It has more than 5,000 miles of toll roads in the USA. From bridge and tunnel tolls to express and high occupancy lanes, most states have some sort of toll road system.

Nowadays most tolls are collected electronically via transponders that are typically placed on the windshield of the vehicle. As many toll roads no longer accept cash. It is recommended to check the individual websites of each state's toll system to inform yourself about the payment options along with your route.

If you are hiring a vehicle from Enterprise, National or Alamo in the USA, you can review and pay the tolls online via Highway Toll Administration site; if hiring from Avis or Budget, you can check the e-toll site. For Hertz, Dollar, Thrifty and Advantage, toll charge can be checked on PlatePass.

Traffic Violation

DUI Laws

Depending on states, drivers are charged with a fine or a crime with 0.08% or 0.05% BAC (Blood Alcohol Content) limit by volume.

Traffic Fines

Extra care should be applied to abide speed limit when driving in the United States, as speeding fines can be ranging from $36 to $1000 for first-time breaker states by states. A Nation-wide average speeding ticket is US$150.

Failing to understand and follow the parking signs will potentially result in a hefty fine. This is especially the case for big cities like San Francisco, New York City and Chicago. For example, stopping, standing or parking where signs, road markings or traffic control devices do not permit you to do so will incur a fine of US$115 in New York City. In San Francisco, obstructing traffic without a permit in San Francisco will result in a fine as high as US$1000.

Failure to pay traffic infringement fines will likely result in your car rental company collecting the fee from you, with an additional administration charge. These policies are generally illustrated in the terms of the contract on which you signed at the rental desk. For any further questions concerning these matters, you are welcomed to contact QEEQ’ 24/7 customer service team for assistance.

Driving Licence and Age Requirements

To drive in the United State, the driver must have a valid driving licnece that has been held for at least 1 or 2 years(according to different car hire company). The licence must be valid at the time of rental, and remain valid throughout the rental period.

The minimum age to rent a vehicle in most locations in the U.S is 21 years (age may vary by state and car category), and the driver must have a valid driver's license held for at least one year. For certain specialty and larger-sized vehicles, the minimum age of 25 years of age applies. If you're 21-25, you are likely to have to pay a young driver fee which is about $25-per-day to $50-per-day.

Guest reviews

1 /

Anonymous

November 8, 2025

Destination: Hawaii - Oahu Island (honolulu)

10Excellent

The service was quite fast, really great.

November 7, 2025

Destination: Los Angeles

The queue was quite long, waited for about half an hour, but got all the paperwork done in just 5 minutes. Purchased full insurance from the rental company for peace of mind. Got a spacious Kia, not sure of the model, but very satisfied—it fit three people, four large suitcases, and two small ones perfectly.

November 6, 2025

Destination: Princeton

The service was excellent.

A.A.

November 4, 2025

Destination: San Francisco

8Car wonderstul BUT pickup desk needs more people or quicker pickup procedure

Car was excellent and comfortable, rental desk was understaffed, took 1 hr to pick up due to long line of people waiting

Destination: Newark

9Excellent

Comfortable car, easy pickup and dropoff

Destination: Fort Lauderdale

Great service, everything went smoothly.

November 3, 2025

Destination: Denver

No sales pitch this time, very satisfied.

November 2, 2025

Very satisfied.

Destination: Louisville

When renting a car, make sure to carefully inspect the vehicle's condition before heading out.

Amazing experience, they even gave me a free car upgrade!

8Very good

They provided a brand-new car in excellent condition. There were some upselling attempts, but the staff gave up when we firmly declined.

November 1, 2025

Absolutely satisfied! So far, I've completed two trips with this company—one from October 1st to 19th, crossing the U.S., and the other from October 20th to 31st, touring the Great Lakes and southeastern cities in Canada. Both the vehicles and services were top-notch. I just hope they can provide an expense statement (or invoice). Will definitely choose them again next time!

Destination: Hawaii - Hawaii Island

Renewing the rental was super quick, and kudos to the customer service team!

October 31, 2025

Destination: Chicago

Really good, and no insurance upselling this time.

Destination: Providence

Not bad.

October 30, 2025

Destination: Greensboro

Quick and efficient car pickup.

October 29, 2025

It was okay overall, but when I returned the car, they charged me over a hundred dollars for no apparent reason. Definitely seems like an unfair charge.

It was okay, but they charged me over a hundred dollars when returning the car for no apparent reason. Feels like they charged me unfairly.

S.Powell

Destination: Ontario

8Excellent

Except for not being cleaned out and no tire for the spare area, the car itself exceeded at my expectations. It ran good. It was spacious, and the car ran well.

d.santagata

Destination: Phoenix

10It was amazing !

It was great customer service,

E.Perez

10SUPER!

Excellent vehicle..staff very professional. Rental process efficiently

C.Lewis

October 28, 2025

Destination: La Crosse

9Very satisfied with this rental experience.

Very professional. Easy to do business with.

Hilary Walker

Destination: Boston

The waiting time was acceptable.

Abner Timothy

Destination: New York

Very good.

Griselda Nathaniei

Destination: Portland

Satisfied, but the queue time for picking up the car is a bit long each time.

k.Habibi

10It was a nice car and I like it

I don’t know because I didn’t book from office. I just find it from booking.com.

Cecilia Arnold

The service was warm and attentive. When the car window got smashed during nighttime parking in Los Angeles, the vehicle replacement was very efficient.

Spring Willard

Destination: Detroit

I couldn't get the Cherokee I reserved. There were limited car options, and the car they provided wasn't any better than the one I booked. It was a Volkswagen SUV, barely enough for three people’s luggage. However, the store explained that it was the only car they had. Another group of friends traveling with us waited for an hour at AVIS but ended up getting a better car. It seems like their car inventory is indeed quite tight.

Geoffrey Fanny

Destination: Minneapolis

No forced charges. Very enthusiastic service.

Gordon Russell

October 27, 2025

Very convenient, no sales pitch.

Jeff Cronin

Includes insurance, the car is in good condition.

Horace Kennedy

Destination: Orlando

Satisfied

Lesley Chesterton

Destination: Tampa

It was my first time driving in the US and also my first time renting a car. The pickup and drop-off processes were very convenient, and the platform provided clear instructions. Overall, a great experience!

Ward Wood

October 26, 2025

Very good service. I will definitely rent again next time.

P.SPENCER

10Everything you want from a hire car

Car exceeded our expectations

Dana

Destination: Nashville

10Super easy and affordable to rent a car with QEEQ!

There was a little mix-up at first; there was no car in the A12 spot, so I just went back to the little booth, and they reassigned me to another car. It was very smooth.

Leo MacPherson

Destination: Hawaii - Maui Island

On Maui, we chose an affordable SUV. There are many off-road areas near Hana, and this car was both affordable and functional.

Jerome Stephen

Alamo was the first rental service after leaving the airport, making car pickup straightforward and convenient. The drop-off was at the same location. We opted for a full-tank fuel policy. The Wrangler felt a bit stiff but comes with four-wheel drive, perfect for exploring the Big Island. The reverse camera has guiding lines but requires manual setup.

D.Hannigan

Destination: Daytona Beach

10Happy holiday

Daytona airport collections and drop off so simple and easy

Lucien Belle

Destination: Salt Lake City

The car rental service at Salt Lake City Airport is very convenient, and returning the car is also hassle-free. As a large company, there are plenty of staff, making the process quick.

Isabel Jim

October 25, 2025

It's acceptable.

Nelly Johnny

Excellent service attitude.

Charlotte Birrell

Simple and quick, no need to queue, no hard selling, but the cars provided are often not the model I booked.

Beck Maggie

Quick and convenient car pickup, returning with a full tank was fast with no issues, and confirmation email was sent promptly.

J.Stenz

October 24, 2025

10We were so pleased to rent this beautiful car from QEEQ. Well done.

Beat car we ever rented and we rent at least three cars per year for our vacations.

Yale Valentine

A great car rental experience.

Gabrielle Tuttle

Very good

Jeff DuBois

The waiting time was very short.

Destination: Santa Ana

Vehicle was in good condition but smaller than advertised- we got a Kia k4 which is smaller than a corolla

Mr. T

10Completely exceeded expectations on all fronts.

Rental car staff exceeded expectations and were extremely helpful. I would highly recommend getting the Budget Fastpass before going and using that lane. There was no wait at all.

United States Car Rentals