Do you need an IDP to rent a car in Italy?
These are two separate checks, and visitors often confuse them. The rental desk decides whether it will hand you the keys. The police decide whether you are driving legally.
Article 135 of the Codice della Strada lets holders of a non-EU/EEA licence drive in Italy as long as they have not been resident in Italy for more than a year, on condition that they carry either an international permit or an official Italian translation of the licence alongside it. Driving without one is fined EUR 408 to EUR 1,634 (Art. 135, Automobile Club d'Italia, checked 23 September 2026). ACI's driving advice for foreign tourists and the national tourism portal Italia.it repeat the same pairing: licence plus IDP or sworn translation.
The permit comes in two formats. A Ministry of Transport information sheet describes the 1968 Vienna Convention model, valid for three years or until the licence expires if sooner, and the 1949 Geneva Convention model, valid for one year. Either way, the IDP is only a companion document: it must always be shown with the valid national licence.
Hertz Italy's published terms state that the IDP is required by law for all non-EU renters, then list 12 countries whose residents may rent with just a national licence and passport: Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Israel, Mexico, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the United States and South Africa. The same page warns that failing to show an IDP at a police check may bring a fine and possible seizure of the car for three months. In that case Hertz reserves the right to charge you its non-refundable damage excess for the vehicle (Hertz Italy licence terms, checked 23 September 2026).
| Your licence | Rental desk (Hertz Italy) | At a police check | What to carry |
|---|---|---|---|
| EU or EEA | Licence; ID or passport may be requested | Licence alone is valid | Licence, ID |
| US, UK, Canada, Australia and the other listed countries | Licence and passport accepted | IDP or translation expected under art. 135 | Licence, passport, IDP |
| Other non-EU, Latin script | IDP required | IDP or translation expected | Licence, passport, IDP |
| Non-Latin script | IDP required | IDP or translation expected | Licence, passport, IDP |
| China or Japan | Hertz certificate plus IDP | IDP or translation expected | Certificate, licence, IDP |
Whatever your licence, article 180 of the code requires the driver to carry the licence, the vehicle's registration document and the compulsory insurance certificate, with a fine of EUR 42 to EUR 173 if any is missing (Art. 180, Automobile Club d'Italia). Check that the rental company's papers are in the glovebox before you leave.
What is the minimum age to rent a car in Italy?
At Hertz Italy the standard minimum age is 25. On most car groups, from the Fiat 500 and Panda up to compact SUVs, renters aged 21 to 24 can still rent by paying a young-driver fee of EUR 36.60 per day or EUR 256.20 per week, capped at EUR 402.60 per rental, tax included. Some larger groups start at 23 with the same fee, and the biggest premium models require 27 (Hertz Italy age terms, checked 23 September 2026). Italia.it notes that many companies set their minimum at 21 or 23, so compare the age rules before you book.
The cap matters on longer trips. A 22-year-old on a two-week rental would pay EUR 512.40 at the weekly rate, but the cap limits the charge to EUR 402.60.
Every driver must show a valid national licence issued at least one year earlier, and Hertz does not accept foreign digital licences. Renters from the listed non-EU countries show their passport with the licence. The person named on the rental must be the holder of the card used to book and must present that same card at pickup. Prepaid and rechargeable cards are refused, and renters who booked with a debit card must also show one or more credit cards depending on the car group (Hertz Italy payment terms, checked 23 September 2026).
What does rental car insurance cover in Italy?
Italian rental pricing splits protection into layers, and the words on the contract are easy to misread. The first layer is set by law: every vehicle must carry third-party liability insurance (r.c. auto), which covers injury and damage you cause to others. The insurance regulator IVASS lists the legal minimum cover as EUR 6,450,000 per claim for injuries and EUR 1,300,000 per claim for property damage. The other layers are the rental company's own products, and Hertz Italy's terms set them out clearly; other companies use similar building blocks under their own names and prices.
| Layer | Status at Hertz Italy | What it limits | What you still owe |
|---|---|---|---|
| Third-party liability | Compulsory by law, included in the rate | Injury and damage to others | Nothing for third parties, within the policy limits |
| Theft protection (TP) | Mandatory in Italy | Theft, attempted theft, vandalism | The theft excess, e.g. EUR 2,000 on a Fiat 500 or Panda |
| Collision damage waiver (CDW) | Optional, or included in some rates | Accident damage to the rental car | The damage excess, e.g. EUR 1,600 on a Fiat 500 or Panda |
| CDW declined | Your choice | Nothing | Up to the car's value, listed at EUR 7,746.85 for that group |
| SuperCover | Optional, sold at pickup | Reduces or removes the excesses | Anything the contract excludes, such as gross negligence |
Sources: CDW and TP terms, Hertz Italy, checked 23 September 2026. Excess amounts differ by car group.
Both waivers become void for gross negligence. Hertz lists examples such as hitting a low barrier or a car-park gate before it has fully opened, driving on a beach, losing the keys or leaving windows open.
If you rely on a credit card benefit or a separately bought excess policy, Hertz asks you to read that cover's terms carefully before declining its own options. Check in particular whether your card's cover applies in Italy and to the car group you book, and expect the rental company to charge any damage to your card first.
How much is the deposit hold on an Italian rental car?
Hertz Italy blocks an amount on the renter's card at pickup. For a prepaid online booking, the hold is the larger of EUR 200 or the cost of your extras plus a full tank. Add EUR 500 if you have not bought SuperCover. For a pay-at-pickup booking, the rental cost itself is added to the first part (Hertz Italy deposit terms, checked 23 September 2026).
Worked example: a prepaid week in a small car
You prepay a Fiat Panda-group car online and add no extras at the desk. If a full tank for that car costs less than EUR 200, the first part of the hold is the EUR 200 minimum.
- Without SuperCover: EUR 200 + EUR 500 = EUR 700 blocked. If you damage the car, you are liable up to the EUR 1,600 CDW excess, plus the EUR 61 administrative charge.
- With SuperCover: EUR 200 blocked, and your excess is reduced or removed, but you pay the SuperCover price at the desk.
The practical point is your card limit. A EUR 700 hold, possibly for up to 30 days after return, can squeeze a credit card that also has to cover hotels. Other brands, including those Hertz runs, set their own hold amounts, so read the deposit line of your booking.
Fines and tolls follow the car, not you
Speed cameras, ZTL gates and unpaid tolls all record the number plate. The notice goes to the rental company, sometimes months later. Under article 196 of the code, when a car is rented without a driver it is the renter, in place of the owner, who is jointly liable with the driver for the fine (Art. 196, Automobile Club d'Italia), so the company passes your details to the authority. Ask at the desk whether the company also adds its own handling fee per fine.
Tolls work differently. If you leave a motorway without paying, Autostrade per l'Italia issues an unpaid-toll report that you can settle without extra charge within 15 days; after that, administration fees are added and a reminder is posted to the vehicle owner's registered address, which for a rental is the company.
In Rome the ZTL matters from the first hour. Roma Servizi per la Mobilità closes the daytime Centro Storico zone to unauthorised vehicles from 6.30 to 18.00, Monday to Friday except public holidays, and the Tridente zone until 19.00. Collect the car at the airport or on the edge of the city, and read how Rome's ZTL zones and their fines work before you set a hotel address in the navigation. For the motorway side of the trip, see paying autostrada tolls in a rental car and how Italy's Tutor and Autovelox speed cameras work.