Can I rent a car without bringing my driver's license?
4 Answers
Renting a car without bringing your driver's license is not allowed. You need to provide your personal driver's license so that the car rental company can hand over the car to you. Without this procedure, you cannot rent a car. When renting a car, a certain deposit is usually required, and the amount of the deposit depends on the car model. During the rental period, the main driver must hold the original driver's license that meets the driving qualifications and the corresponding auxiliary translation documents, and the original driver's license must be within the valid period. If the driver does not carry a motor vehicle driver's license that matches the type of vehicle being driven, it is considered as driving without a license, and you cannot rent a car from the rental company either. Even if you can rent a car, if you are stopped by traffic police while driving on the road and cannot present an electronic driver's license (some places require a paper driver's license), the vehicle will be temporarily detained, and you will be warned or penalized after providing the driver's license. Depending on the circumstances, you may also be detained for up to 15 days.
If you don't bring your driver's license, car rental is definitely not possible. The rental companies I've used before clearly require the original license for verification and keep a photocopy on file. Without it, you can't even sign the contract—they're worried about the risk. However, some areas now accept electronic driver's licenses, such as those applied for through the Traffic Management 12123 APP, but you should confirm in advance whether the rental company recognizes them. If you forget your license, it's best to ask a friend to bring it for you or reschedule the rental to avoid a wasted trip. By the way, before renting a car, check whether your license is still valid—even with the original, an expired one won't work. Rental contracts often include disclaimers stating that vehicles won't be provided if documents are incomplete, and in case of an accident, the insurance company might refuse to cover the claim.
The original driver's license is mandatory for car rental. Once when I was on a business trip and forgot to bring my license, the rental counter directly refused to process the paperwork, stating that physical verification of the document's authenticity is required—even a photo on the phone wouldn't suffice. After all, rental companies need to ensure you have legal driving qualifications; otherwise, they could be held liable if an accident occurs. Nowadays, electronic driver's licenses are being promoted nationwide, but implementation varies by region. Acceptance is higher in cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen. If you plan to rent a car, it's best to call ahead and confirm the policy or try major brand APP rental services, some of which support online verification. For emergencies, some rental companies may accept a friend or family member handling the rental on your behalf, but they'll need copies of your ID and driver's license. Rental terms usually specify that incomplete documentation means no rental—don't count on luck.
You must bring the original driver's license when renting a car. If you forget it, most rental companies won't allow you to pick up the vehicle as they need to scan and verify its validity. Electronic driver's licenses are accepted in some cities, like Hangzhou where rental agencies recognize the electronic version on the traffic police app, but this might not work in smaller cities. I recommend keeping your driver's license and ID card together before heading out, or taking a photo and saving it in your phone's notes. If you do forget, try contacting the rental manager to explain the situation and see if an electronic license plus original ID card can substitute. Also, note that rental agreements often require presenting the license for deposit refund – not having it upon return may lead to deposit deduction. The most reliable solution is having a friend deliver the license temporarily – don't lose big for small gains.
