Blue Ridge Parkway Nissan Versa car Hertz
Photograph ©2018 by Brian Cohen.

Face Masks Required at These Rental Car Facilities in the United States Effective as of July 27, 2020

First, airlines started to require that passengers and employees wear masks or cloth coverings for their faces in response to the current 2019 Novel Coronavirus pandemic. Then, lodging companies started following the lead of the American Hotel and Lodging Association — which is an organization that represents the lodging industry in the United States — which released a checklist of guidelines for the standardization of the safety experience of both guests and employees of hotel and resort properties throughout the United States on Thursday, July 16, 2020…

Face Masks Required at These Rental Car Facilities in the United States Effective as of July 27, 2020

…and now, some rental car companies are requiring that masks or cloth coverings for the face be worn in their facilities effective as of Monday, July 27, 2020 — the same date as when a similar policy becomes effective for the public areas of the hotel and resort properties of Marriott International, Incorporated, Hyatt Hotel Corporation, and InterContinental Hotels Group in the United States and Canada.

The rental car companies include Hertz, with this message posted at its official Twitter account: “Starting July 27, we’re requiring customers and employees to wear masks at our locations. This is one more step we’re taking to ensure your Hertz rental is the safest way to travel.

Dollar Car Rental — which is a division of Hertz — had the exact same message posted at its official Twitter account: “Starting July 27, we’re requiring customers and employees to wear masks at our locations. This is one more step we’re taking to ensure your Dollar rental is the safest way to travel.

Thrifty Car Rental — which is also a division of Hertz — also had the exact same message posted at its official Twitter account: “Starting July 27, we’re requiring customers and employees to wear masks at our locations. This is one more step we’re taking to ensure your Thrifty rental is the safest way to travel.

Summary

So which rental car company is the safest way to travel: Hertz, Dollar, or Thrifty?

At the time this article was written, I have not yet seen any indication that Avis, Budget, National Car Rental, Enterprise, or Alamo are following suit — nor has any official policy yet been crafted by the American Rental Car Association, which is an organization that represents the rental car industry in the United States — but do not be surprised if they follow suit sometime as soon as within the next week…

Photograph ©2018 by Brian Cohen.

  1. Dollar is using a photo of someone applying a mask to a toddler while she riding in her carseat? {insert eye roll emoji}

  2. Its kind of funny that each facility has to say mask are required maybe its been different throughout the states but pretty much since April mask have been mandatory 100% for every facility. Besides my own home, walking my neighborhood or driving in my car every other place I step foot requires a mask to include fast food drive thru won’t serve you without a mask. Its even a law, if your caught without a mask the fine is $5,000. There is not a single private or public facility exempt from the law where masks are not required.

    I think it would be better to highlight any place that does not require a mask exempt from the law, if a that place exists?

    I guess every state is doing their own thing and probably even county within states have different laws & requirement about wearing mask requirements? Probably a direct reflection why some state have out of control new cases and other states have it under control.

    1. My state has not, at any time during this coronavirus response, forced a statewide mask mandate. The use of masks is encouraged but not required. Some counties or cities have tried to enact their own rules but the state mandate specifically states local municipalities cannot have greater or lesser requirements than the state.

      Only a handful of businesses had required masks up until the last week when several big box and grocery stores decided to require them as well. I know of only one food establishment (Panda Express) that enforces mask wear – and they offer take-out service at this time anyway.

  3. NG wow thats very interesting!! I really had no idea the states were so complacent by not requiring mandatory mask but it makes sense as the #s are on the skyrocket breaking records. I can say I live in the state with the lowest by far COVID rate per capta. HI signed in to state law/order on 16 APR anyone not wearing a mask in public is subject to a $5,000 fine. With so relaxed rules in the mainland its funny why nobody understands why HI continues to extend the out of state quarantine order. Nobody in HI (beside the tourist business) want maskless people from the mainland bringing over the virus spreading it throughout the islands. Even with our strict controls tourist continue to come and violate the rules causing HI #s to go back up. I clap & cheer everytime I see the many tourist mugshots on the daily news arrested for quarantine violation. Maybe after the mainland takes a lesson from HI making mask mandatory 100% of the time in all public the spread can start to be controlled and HI may consider to open the gate again.

    1. That is sad, Chris. I am not a proponent of mask wearing but would also never visit a location with such rules in place and not elect to wear one. How sad that people will not respect the wishes of HI while in HI.

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