Does Budget require an IDP in Marshall Islands?
Budget in Marshall Islands: the policy in plain terms
Asks for a licence translation when your licence is not in the Roman alphabet. Value rental brand operating in 120+ countries.
The Marshall Islands drive on the right; an IDP is advised with your home licence, though roads are confined to a few atolls.
In Marshall Islands specifically, many rental companies and local authorities in Marshall Islands ask foreign drivers to present a translation of their licence alongside the original, so Budget will typically ask for it at the counter. Majuro rental is limited; an IDP and passport advised.
Budget runs a global network; at its Marshall Islands desks, foreign renters are asked for an International Driving Permit in the internationally recognised format alongside the original licence. Marshall Islands drives on the right, uses the USD, and sets a minimum driving age of 18, so an IDP is the document that removes any doubt at the counter.
What to bring to the Budget counter in Marshall Islands
- Your original national driving licence (the IDP never replaces it).
- Your International Driving Permit in the internationally recognised format.
- Your passport and a payment card in the main driver's name.
- Local payment for the USD deposit; Marshall Islands drives on the right with a young-driver surcharge under 25.
Driving rules in Marshall Islands Budget renters should know
- Drive on the right.
- Low speed limits on narrow roads.
- 0.08% alcohol limit.
- Few vehicles and limited fuel.
Budget's rental terms that affect your IDP booking
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.
Once you collect the keys in Marshall Islands
There are no tolls, vignettes or electronic road-charging schemes in the Marshall Islands.
Parking is free and informal, with no metered zones or paid car parks; on Majuro you simply pull onto the roadside, and towing is essentially a non-issue.
Speed limits are roughly 40 km/h in town and up to 60 km/h on the open road; police actively enforce seatbelt rules with on-the-spot fines, and drink-driving and handheld-phone use are penalised.
There is no single nationwide emergency number; contact the Marshall Islands Police Department headquarters in Uliga, Majuro directly and stay at the scene for any injury accident until officers attend.
Full driving guide for Marshall Islands →