Who can hire a vehicle
Minimum ages, how long you need to have held your licence, which licences we accept, and the additional conditions for older drivers.
Minimum age and how long you must have held your licence
These depend on the vehicle, not on the length of the hire. Every driver on the booking must meet them, and all drivers are subject to eligibility and identity checks.
| Vehicle | Minimum age | Licence held | Licence accepted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passenger vehicles with up to 5 seats | 21 | 12 months | UK or overseas: see below |
| MPVs with 6–9 seats | 25 | 24 months | UK licence only |
| Premium EV and Premium EV SUV | 30 | 24 months | UK licence only |
| Commercial vehicles and 4x4s up to 3.5 tonnes GVW | 21 | 12 months | UK or overseas: see below |
Additional drivers must be declared, verified and authorised before they drive. An undeclared driver is not covered.
What to bring
Bring the licence itself, not a photograph of it. We check every licence at collection.
- A full, valid UK licence.
- A DVLA check code, so we can verify the licence.
- A readable, valid and unexpired licence from your country of origin.
- A passport, for every non-UK hirer.
- An International Driving Permit, where a non-EU licence is not written in English.
Minibus and MPV hires are UK-licence only
International, EU and other non-UK licences are not accepted for minibus or MPV hires.
Drivers aged 76 and over
We hire to older drivers, with some additional conditions. They are set out here rather than raised at the desk.
- You must have held a full, non-provisional licence for at least 24 months.
- The maximum eligible age is 85.
- For vehicles with more than 5 seats, and commercial vehicles over 3.5 tonnes GVW, the upper age limit is 69.
- Older drivers are not eligible for our premium and larger MPV groups. The booking confirmation states which groups apply to your hire.
- A deposit equal to the full vehicle excess is required, and an older-driver charge of £48 per day, including VAT applies.
- Licence endorsements and convictions are assessed individually when you book. If you have any, tell us before you book and we will confirm whether we can accept the hire. We would rather answer that question in advance than at the desk.
If you are not sure you qualify, ask first
Eligibility is checked at collection, and a driver who does not meet the requirements cannot take the vehicle, which on an island, at the end of a journey, is a genuinely bad position to be in.
If anything above is close to the line for you or another driver on the booking, contact us before you book rather than after. It is a short conversation and it is much easier to have in advance.
Still not answered?
If your question is about a booking you have already made, speak to the team directly on 01851 706500.