Are you planning to cross the United States border in a rental car, but not sure if this is allowed? Crossing an international border in a rental car is easy as long as you prepare the required documentation for your trip. Here is some information about crossing the Alaskan border, or any of the border crossings into Washington, Montana, Idaho, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.
Broadly speaking, both American and Canadian citizens can cross the border into either country in a rental car without much problem as long as they present the necessary documents and have permission from the rental company.
For Canadians driving to the U.S. in a car rental, just make sure to inquire about any fees that may apply and ask for the essential car rental documents from your supplier.
Americans should have no problem driving a rental car into Canada. However, if you are a dual U.S. / Canadian citizen or have a permanent residence in the country, ask the rental company to issue you a Canadian Non-Resident Insurance Card.
Major border crossings from Canada into the southern United States include:
You generally are not permitted to travel into Alaska from Canada. If you do have authorization to travel to Alaska, note that rental cars are not able to be dropped in Alaska, and you will need to return it to Canada. You should also check if your car rental booking has any mileage limitations, as there are large distances from Canadian depots into Alaska. The only sealed road border crossing is along the Alaska Highway.
