Car Rental in Newark (2026) - Driving Guide & Best Rates
Find the best car rental options in Newark to explore top attractions, restaurants, and hotels with ease and convenience.
Driving Requirements
New Jersey law lets visitors drive on a valid foreign license for the entire authorized stay in the United States. No 30 or 60 day tourist cutoff exists. An International Driving Permit (IDP) is not legally required by New Jersey. Still, get one if your license is not printed in English. Police and rental agents treat the IDP as a handy translation. Note that rental companies often demand an IDP alongside a non-English license even when state law does not.
New Jersey sets 17 as the legal minimum age for a full driver's license. Foreign visitors using a home-country license must meet the age that license implies. Rental company minimums are separate. Some providers rent from 18 or 21. Others insist on 25. Drivers under 25 pay a young-driver surcharge regardless of cutoff. Always verify the rental company's age policy before booking. State law does not govern this detail.
New Jersey is a no-fault insurance state. All drivers must carry minimum liability and personal-injury protection. Driving without insurance is illegal. Rental companies fold the state-mandated minimums into their rates. They also sell optional Collision Damage Waiver and supplemental liability protection. Check if your personal auto policy or credit card already covers US rentals. This often makes the rental company's extras redundant.
This is rental company policy, not New Jersey law. Most agencies demand a major credit card in the primary renter's name. They place a security hold at pickup. Hold amounts vary by company and vehicle class. The hold releases after undamaged return. Some companies accept debit cards under stricter rules. Expect proof of return travel or a larger cash hold. Confirm your provider's payment rules before you reach the counter.
Traffic drives on the right. New Jersey uses a distinctive jughandle system on many highways and major arterials. To turn left, exit right onto a dedicated ramp that loops you around. Direct left turns are often banned at these junctions. This surprises visitors. Right turns on red are allowed after a full stop unless a sign forbids it. Such signs appear at busy Newark crossings. Handheld mobile phone use while driving is illegal statewide.
Helpful Tips
Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) hosts a consolidated rental car facility. Free AirTrain links the terminals to the facility. Airport concession fees inflate every rental there. Spending your first night downtown and not needing the car right away? Pick up in the city center instead. Base rates drop, though you must arrange transport from the terminal.
Before leaving the lot, photograph every panel, wheel, and the windshield in good light. Newark's dense streets invite door dings and curb scrapes. Undocumented pre-existing damage becomes your bill later. Also check if your personal auto policy or credit card already covers collision damage waiver. Accepting the rental company's CDW when you're already covered is wasted money.
Google Maps runs flawlessly throughout Newark and North Jersey. Coverage includes the New Jersey Turnpike and Garden State Parkway. No local app is needed. Download an offline map of Newark and Hudson County before you travel. GPS drops in parking garages and some tunnels near New York.
New Jersey once banned self-service gas stations. A 2023 law now lets stations offer self-service at their option. Expect either format. Decline the rental company's prepaid fuel option. Return the tank full yourself. Prepaid rates only save money if you roll in on fumes.
Paid garages dominate downtown Newark, Penn Station, and the Prudential Center. Street parking in nearby neighborhoods often requires permits overnight. Enforcement is vigilant. If your hotel lacks parking, confirm garage availability and nightly rates before arrival. Do not bank on street spots.
Driving Warnings
On most major arterials through Newark, Routes 1 and 9 and McCarter Highway (Route 21), direct left turns from the travel lane are illegal at many intersections. New Jersey forces drivers to use a jughandle. Turning left from the center lane where a jughandle is posted earns a ticket. Out-of-state drivers get caught daily.
New Jersey bans handheld mobile phone use while driving. First offense: $200, $400. Second offense: $400, $600. Third or later: $600, $800 plus possible 90-day suspension. Enforcement is active throughout Newark. This is no mere formality.
The interchange where I-78, I-95 (New Jersey Turnpike), and Routes 1 and 9 converge near Newark's western edge ranks among the northeast's most congested. Expect crawl-speed traffic on weekday mornings from about 7 to 9 AM. Evening rush runs roughly 4 to 7 PM. Delays often spill onto surface streets.
Newark's roads, Routes 1 and 9, McCarter Highway, and streets near Port Newark, haul heavy truck traffic from the port. Potholes and uneven pavement punish low-profile tires and rims. Slow down in industrial zones. Give extra space to the big rigs that share these corridors.