Check a hire car before leaving the collection point

Prepare the branch’s required documents

Read the collection instructions for the driver’s licence, identification, payment card and any other evidence requested. Check whether each additional driver must attend and whether the payment card must be in the main driver’s name. For a licence issued in England, Wales or Scotland, DVLA’s official service can create a check code for sharing the driving record with a hire company. Ask the supplying branch whether it needs that code and obtain it within the stated validity period; the service does not replace the branch’s other document requirements. DVLA licence-sharing service.

Check the exact desk location, opening hours and what happens if your arrival is delayed. An airport pickup may use a terminal desk, a shuttle or a nearby branch. Save the supplier’s booking reference as well as the broker’s reference. If the booking involves travel across borders or on ferries, establish the supplier’s permission and conditions before collection.

Read the agreement before adding extras

Match the rental dates, return location, vehicle category and named drivers to the booking. Review mileage, fuel or charging terms, deposit, damage responsibility and optional products. Ask staff to explain anything that differs from the original confirmation. Keep a copy of the agreement that shows what you accepted and the amounts associated with it.

A prepaid booking does not remove the need to understand the desk paperwork. If you already hold separate cover, check its wording and claim process rather than assuming it changes the rental company’s own deposit or excess arrangements. Avoid deciding on an extra from a brief verbal label alone; ask for the description and relevant conditions.

Inspect and record the vehicle condition

Walk around the vehicle in usable light and compare it with the inspection record. Look at the body panels, wheels, glass and interior, and ask staff to record existing marks or missing items. GOV.UK’s rental advice recommends taking photographs or video where possible, reporting defects before leaving the premises and retaining a signed inspection record. GOV.UK car-hire advice.

Take clear overview images as well as close-ups that show where a mark sits on the vehicle. Record the dashboard display, including mileage and fuel or battery level, and the registration plate. If conditions make inspection difficult, tell staff and ask how to document that. Photographs complement the supplier’s record; they should not replace reporting a discrepancy through its stated process.

Learn the controls while parked

Adjust the seat and mirrors, locate the lights and demisters, and understand the transmission and parking brake before moving. Ask staff to demonstrate unfamiliar controls. Check that the luggage fits without preventing the vehicle from being used as intended and that any booked equipment has been supplied and can be used correctly.

If you plan to navigate with your phone, set the route while parked and place the device using a suitable arrangement that complies with local rules. A phone holder is only useful if it fits the car and your device securely without obstructing necessary visibility or controls. Check official driving guidance for the destination rather than assuming UK road rules apply abroad.

Know how the rental will end

Confirm the return address, opening hours and whether an inspection will take place with you present. Ask about the procedure for an out-of-hours return, including where to park and leave keys. Save the fuel or charging requirement and identify a practical place to meet it before returning. Add enough time to the last day for those tasks.

Keep the supplier’s roadside support and incident-reporting details with the agreement. If something happens during the hire, follow the stated reporting process and preserve relevant records. At return, photograph the vehicle and dashboard again and retain the return confirmation and receipts. The aim is a clear record of what was supplied, what was agreed and what was returned.

Your next steps

• Check documents, payment method and collection hours.
• Read the agreement and optional-product descriptions.
• Report existing damage and retain a condition record.
• Confirm fuel or charge requirements and return procedure.

Keep planning

• Plan charging for an electric hire car
• Get permission before taking a UK hire car abroad
• Compare one-way and round-trip car hire for a road trip
• Add a second hire-car driver before planning shared driving