Does Budget require an IDP in Gabon?

Budget's published minimum rental age is 21 in most US states (18 in New York and Michigan), with renters under 25 paying a daily young-driver surcharge; typically around $27/day in most markets, but materially higher at corporate locations such as New York ($35/day for ages 21-24 and $84/day for 18-20) and Michigan ($28/day for 21-24 and $41/day for 18-20). No surcharge applies to drivers 25 and older.

Budget requires a valid credit or debit card; renters under 25 must use a credit card and cannot use a debit card. Deposit type and amount vary by location, with a typical credit-card hold of roughly $80 plus estimated charges plus one extra day's charges, or a minimum near $300, whichever is greater.

Budget allows up to two additional drivers per rental and a per-day additional-driver fee typically applies (varies by location), though it is commonly waived for a spouse or domestic partner; pre-authorized additional drivers must be a spouse/domestic partner, a fellow employee/employer, or a companion driver to a renter with a disability. Budget does not publish a fixed US-wide tenure requirement, but the driver must hold a valid, current full driver's licence, and many corporate-operated locations verify the renter's and additional drivers' records with the DMV before completing the rental.

Driving a Budget rental into Mexico is restricted to authorized corporate-account holders (no one-way rentals into Mexico), and Mexican auto liability insurance is required. Travel into Canada is permitted from many US locations with advance arrangement and Budget's consent, and a Canadian non-resident insurance card may be required; one-way cross-border drop-offs are availability-dependent and carry extra fees that must be authorized in the rental agreement.

Budget generally requires a valid driver's licence, passport, and an International Driving Permit issued in the driver's name from their home country; EU residents renting within the EU may present either their EU licence alone or with an IDP. If the home-country licence is not written in the Roman alphabet, an IDP is mandatory to rent.

Gabon has no national toll-road or vignette system; major routes such as the N1 are toll-free, so no electronic tag or pass is needed.

Parking in central Libreville is informal and largely on-street, often watched by self-appointed gardiens who expect a small CFA-franc tip; there are no colour-coded paid zones, and illegally parked cars near markets and the Boulevard du Bord de Mer can be moved or blocked.

Police checkpoints are frequent and foreign drivers are commonly stopped for document checks; on-the-spot cash fines for speeding, no seatbelt or phone use are typical, and rental companies will pass any unpaid penalty to your card.

Call the police on 1730 or the general emergency line 1300/112 (Libreville police 177); do not move vehicles after an injury accident and wait for police, as a written police report (constat) is needed for any insurance or rental claim.