Driving in California as a visitor

Palo Alto is easy to visit without a car. A car makes sense for the coast, the redwoods, the wine country or a string of meetings around Silicon Valley. If you are new to driving in the United States, or just new to California, a few rules and costs are worth knowing before you leave the rental lot.

This guide covers licenses, rental age and insurance, tolls, the rules of the road, fuel and parking. For the rental offices themselves, with addresses and opening hours, see our page on car rentals in Palo Alto.

Your license

The California DMV's fast facts on driver's licenses sets out the visitor rule. If you are a visitor over 18 with a valid license from your home state or country, you may drive in California without a California license as long as your home license remains valid. This applies to drivers from other US states too.

The same DMV guide says that if you become a California resident, you must get a California license within 10 days. Visiting scholars and others staying for a long time should check whether they count as residents.

International Driving Permit

The DMV's visitor rule mentions only your home license. Some rental companies may still ask for an International Driving Permit, especially if your license is not in English, so check your rental terms. The United States does not issue IDPs to foreign visitors, so you can only get one from your home country before you travel. If you carry one, keep it together with your actual license and passport.

Renting a car: age, cards and where

Minimum age

Age rules are set by each company, not by the state. Hertz says its rentals for drivers under 25 start at age 20. Enterprise's Palo Alto branch lists a minimum age of 21 with a daily surcharge for renters aged 21 to 24. Young driver fees and car class limits differ by brand and location, so compare the full price, fees included. You can compare rental prices and age rules across brands before you book.

Payment

Bring a payment card in the main driver's name and read the company's card rules before you book. Enterprise's Palo Alto branch, for example, lists a deposit taken at pickup and card payment only, with no cash.

Where to pick up

Most visitors rent at the airport. SFO's Rental Car Center is at 780 N. McDonnell Road and is reached by the AirTrain Blue Line from every terminal. SJC's center is at 1639 Airport Blvd., a walk from Terminal B. In town, Avis and Budget share an office at 4230 El Camino Real and Hertz has one at 816 San Antonio Road. Enterprise's branch named Palo Alto is just over the line at 2243 Old Middlefield Way in Mountain View. The in-town offices keep short weekday hours and shorter weekend hours. Our SFO guide and SJC guide cover the airport centers. To see several brands at once, compare SFO and SJC rental prices or check QEEQ for airport and city offers.

Rental car insurance basics

There are two separate questions: damage to the rental car and harm you cause to other people or property.

Damage waiver (CDW or LDW)

A collision damage waiver or loss damage waiver is not insurance in the strict sense. It is the rental company agreeing not to charge you for damage to or theft of its car. California regulates it in Civil Code section 1939.09:

• The waiver is optional and the contract must say so.
• The company must disclose that the waiver may duplicate coverage you already have under your own policy.
• It must also explain that your personal insurance or the credit card you pay with may cover all or part of your liability.
• For the five smallest car categories, the law capped the daily waiver price at $25, with the cap rising each January since 2023 in line with consumer prices.

Liability

Liability cover pays for injuries and damage you cause to others. California's minimum liability limits are $30,000 for injury or death of one person, $60,000 per accident and $15,000 for property damage. Those are low next to the cost of a serious crash. Ask what liability cover the base rate includes and what extra cover the counter offers. Drivers from abroad should not assume a home car policy applies in the United States.

Credit cards

Many credit cards include some rental car protection. Before you rely on it, read your card's benefit guide for four things: whether it is primary or secondary, which countries and car types it excludes, whether it includes liability and what you must do to activate it, such as declining the counter waiver and paying with that card. If you are unsure, call the card issuer before the trip, not at the counter.

Bridges, tolls and FasTrak

Bay Area bridges have no cash booths. The bridges nearest Palo Alto, the Dumbarton and the San Mateo, toll westbound only, toward the Peninsula. The state bridge toll for a car was $8.50 in 2026. From January 1, 2027 it rises to $9.00 with FasTrak, $9.25 with a license plate account and $10.00 by invoice. The Golden Gate Bridge sets its own toll, collected southbound only.

The Bay Area FasTrak rental vehicles guide sets out three ways to pay in a rental car:

1. The rental company's toll program. Most companies offer Pass24, TollPass, e-Toll or PlatePass. Each adds a service fee on top of the tolls. PlatePass is the only one that works in Bay Area express lanes.
2. Your own FasTrak account. Add the rental's plate with start and end dates and mount your toll tag on the windshield.
3. A short-term license plate account. It covers bridges only, not express lanes. You can open one up to 48 hours after a crossing or for trips up to 30 days ahead.

If you do nothing on a bridge, the toll agency sends an invoice to the rental company, which charges you under the rental agreement. Penalties apply if tolls go unpaid. State-owned bridges add $5 on a first notice and $15 on a second. Our page on bridges and tolls covers each crossing.

Express lanes and carpool lanes

Highway 101 through Palo Alto has express lanes. Toll hours are weekdays 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. Solo drivers pay the posted toll and need FasTrak. Carpools of two get 50 percent off and three or more ride free, but only with a FasTrak Flex tag set to the right number. In a rental car without a tag or PlatePass, stay out of them, since the violation notice goes to the address the rental company holds. The DMV handbook describes carpool (HOV) lanes as reserved for carpools, buses and motorcycles and warns against crossing double solid lines to enter or leave one. Our express lanes guide has the details.

Rules of the road that surprise visitors

• Right on red. The California Driver's Handbook allows a right turn at a red light after stopping at the limit line, unless a NO TURN ON RED sign is posted. Yield to pedestrians and traffic first. Never turn on a red arrow.
• Left on red. Allowed only from a one-way street onto another one-way street, after stopping.
• Pedestrians. They have the right of way in marked and unmarked crosswalks. Watch for cyclists at intersections and when you open your door.
• School buses. When a school bus flashes its red lights, stop from either direction. The handbook warns of fines up to $1,000.
• Speed. Unless posted otherwise, the maximum on most California highways is 65 mph and 55 mph on two-lane undivided highways. Near schools it is 25 mph within 500 feet when children are outside. The Basic Speed Law means you must never drive faster than is safe for conditions.
• Phones. Handheld phone use while driving is illegal. Adults may use a phone in hands-free mode, mounted on the windshield, dashboard or center console, with a single swipe or tap.
• Children. Children under 8, or shorter than 4 feet 9 inches, must ride in a child safety seat in a rear seat, with narrow exceptions. Reserve seats with the rental company or bring your own.

For the busiest times on 101, 280 and El Camino Real, see our guide to traffic and rush hour.

Gas and EV charging

Fuel costs more in California than in most of the country. The US Energy Information Administration's weekly price survey put regular gasoline at $5.888 a gallon in California for the week of October 26, 2026, against a national average of $4.269. Pumps are self-service. If a pump asks for a US ZIP code that your card cannot supply, pay the cashier inside before you fill up. Check the fuel policy on your contract. Returning a car below the agreed level can cost more than filling it yourself.

Electric rentals suit Palo Alto. The city runs 121 public charging ports at 10 sites, mostly in its garages. Tesla has a downtown Supercharger at 445 Bryant Street. Ask how full the battery must be on return. Our EV charging guide lists the locations and rates.

Parking and tickets

Downtown Palo Alto allows free parking for up to two hours on the street and in lots and up to three hours in most garages. Longer stays need a daily permit. Read curb colors and posted signs carefully. Our parking guide explains the zones and garages.

A Palo Alto parking citation has 21 days to be paid or contested. Pay any ticket you find on a rental car promptly. Notices that reach the rental company as the registered owner are generally passed on to the renter under the rental agreement, sometimes with an administrative fee, so read yours.

Before you drive away

1. Carry the right papers. Home license, IDP if you have one, passport and the rental agreement.
2. Settle the toll plan. Decide at the counter whether to use the company's program or your own FasTrak.
3. Mount your phone. Set up navigation before you leave, with the phone in a mount. See our guide to eSIMs and phone service if you need data.
4. Know the emergency number. Dial 911 if anyone is hurt, then call the rental company. Travel medical cover is separate from car insurance, so see our page on visitor health insurance too.

Frequently asked questions