Attorney General Tong Seeks Information from Avis Budget Regarding Denial of Rental Cars to Connecticut License Holders

Press Releases

04/09/2025

Attorney General Tong Seeks Information from Avis Budget Regarding Denial of Rental Cars to Connecticut License Holders

(Hartford, CT) – The Office of the Attorney General today sent a letter to Avis Budget Group following complaints that vehicle rental locations in Florida may be improperly refusing service to licensed Connecticut drivers.

The websites of Avis, Budget, and Payless suggest that they will refuse to rent vehicles to Connecticut consumers in Florida if they have certain Connecticut driver licenses, including licenses imprinted with “Not for Federal Identification,” claiming such licenses are “not valid for identification purposes” and not “recognized by the State of Florida to drive a vehicle on public roads.” These statements appear only on FAQ pages on the Avis, Budget, and Payless websites but do not appear to be prominently displayed to consumers when making vehicle reservations or providing personal information or payment details.

The Office of the Attorney General has received complaints from Connecticut consumers who have paid deposits and/or shared payment details or other personal information prior to ultimately being denied rental vehicles in Florida.

Denials of service to Connecticut drivers with licenses imprinted “Not for Federal Identification Only” appear based on a misapplication of Florida Statute § 322-033(2), which purports to reject “licenses issued by another state exclusively to undocumented immigrants.” To the contrary, such licenses have been issued since at least 2011 to Connecticut residents who are citizens or otherwise documented residents of the United States. They are valid driver licenses and are not “issued by another state exclusively to undocumented immigrants.”

The letter seeks information from Avis Budget regarding its policies related to Connecticut licenses, disclosures provided to consumers, and complaints from Connecticut consumers.

Twitter: @AGWilliamTong

Facebook: CT Attorney General

Media Contact:

Elizabeth Benton
elizabeth.benton@ct.gov

Consumer Inquiries:

860-808-5318
attorney.general@ct.gov