Does Hertz require an IDP in Benin?

Hertz's standard minimum rental age in the US and Canada is 20, though it drops to 18 in Michigan, New York and Quebec, and 19 in Alabama and Nebraska. Renters aged 20-24 pay a Young Renter fee of about USD 19 per day, and under-25s are blocked from premium, luxury and high-performance car classes.

Hertz places a hold on the renter's card for the estimated rental charges plus a security deposit that varies by location and vehicle class; debit cards are accepted at many US locations but must be Visa, MasterCard or Discover branded, in the main driver's name, and carry sufficient available funds, with extra ID/credit checks sometimes required.

Hertz charges a per-day additional-driver fee that varies by location (commonly around USD 13.50/day in the US, capped per rental); in many markets a spouse/domestic partner can be added free, and the fee is often waived for Gold Plus Rewards members. Hertz requires each driver to hold a valid full driver's licence that has typically been held for at least one year, with longer tenure (often one to two years) required for some markets and premium vehicle classes.

Driving a Hertz vehicle across a country border (e.g. US to Canada or Mexico) requires advance permission and may incur a cross-border fee, and travel into Mexico generally requires separate Mexican insurance; one-way rentals are permitted on many routes but typically carry a drop-off/one-way charge.

Hertz states that a valid driver's licence issued by the renter's home country must always be presented; an International Driving Permit is recommended (and effectively required) when the home-country licence is not in the Roman alphabet or not in English, but Hertz will not rent on an IDP alone.

Benin has no motorway-style toll network; the main paid road infrastructure is the port/border corridor and there are no electronic tags for tourists. Budget instead for frequent informal 'fees' at police and gendarmerie checkpoints rather than formal tolls.

Cotonou has no organised paid-zone system; parking is informal, often on packed-earth lots where attendants ('gardiens') expect a small CFA-franc tip to watch the car. Avoid leaving a vehicle unattended on busy streets where zemidjan motorbike traffic and theft are concerns.

Traffic enforcement is largely on-the-spot by police/gendarmerie at the many roadside checkpoints, where licence, IDP, registration and insurance are checked and fines or 'arrangements' are paid in cash CFA francs. Seatbelt and phone-use rules exist but are loosely enforced; carry documents at all times to avoid delays.

After a crash you must stop, not move the vehicles, and call the police/gendarmerie (commonly 117 for police, 118 for fire/rescue) and obtain a report (constat) for any insurance or rental claim. In serious or injury cases wait for the gendarmerie; do not flee the scene as crowds can gather quickly.