How Much Is Avis Rental Car Insurance?

Last Updated on October 7, 2026

By James Shaffer Reviewed by Thomas Rockford, insurance industry executive and financial analyst, on October 1, 2026 How we fact-check

When renting a car with Avis (or any rental company), insurance can be confusing because you may already be covered. In many cases, your personal auto insurance covers your rental car, which means you can often decline most add-ons at the counter.

So how much is Avis rental car insurance? It depends on the protection option, the rental location, the vehicle class, and your travel details. Avis prices most protections as optional daily add-ons, and the exact amount is shown during booking or at pickup. Avis’s own pages list starting prices of $9 a day for the Loss Damage Waiver, $7 a day for Personal Accident Insurance and $5 a day for the Emergency Sickness Plan (checked October 1, 2026).

Below is a clear breakdown of Avis’s coverage options, what they do, and when it’s worth paying extra.

Avis Protections Are Usually Daily Add-Ons: The price depends on the coverage you choose, your rental location, and the vehicle class, and it’s shown during booking or at pickup.
LDW and Liability Add-Ons Solve Different Problems: LDW focuses on damage/theft of the rental car, while additional liability coverage helps protect you if you injure someone or damage property.
Existing Coverage Often Makes Add-Ons Optional: Many renters already have coverage through a personal auto policy (and sometimes a credit card benefit), but you need to confirm deductibles, exclusions, and coverage territory.
Buy Only What Closes a Real Gap: Roadside, medical, and personal property coverages can be useful when you don’t already have comparable protection through insurance, memberships, or travel benefits.

Table Of Contents

How Avis Rental Car Insurance Works
Avis Rental Car Insurance Products
Avis Rental Car Insurance vs. Your Own Car Insurance
Final Word on Avis Rental Car Insurance
FAQs on Avis Rental Car Insurance Cost
Sources

How Avis Rental Car Insurance Works

Avis offers several “Protections & Coverages” you can add to a rental for an additional daily charge. Some products are waivers (not insurance), while others are insurance policies offered through third-party underwriters. By law, the rental company has to include the state’s minimum liability coverage.

If you already carry a personal auto policy, your rental is often covered the same way your own vehicle is covered. For example, if your personal policy only includes minimum liability insurance, that’s typically the level of protection you’re bringing to the rental. If you have full coverage car insurance, your rental may also have physical damage coverage (subject to your deductible and policy rules).

Drivers without personal insurance, drivers renting outside their coverage territory, or drivers who want to avoid using their own policy may choose Avis protections instead.

Avis Protection Option	What It Helps With	Best For	Cost Notes
Loss Damage Waiver (LDW)	Damage to (or theft of) the rental vehicle, subject to the rental agreement	Drivers who want to avoid a personal claim or deductible	Priced per day and varies by location/vehicle/rate (Avis lists it from $9 a day)
Additional Liability Insurance (ALI)	Extra liability limits for injuries/property damage you cause to others	Drivers with low liability limits or no personal auto insurance	Priced per day; raises liability protection to a combined $500,000
Extended Roadside Assistance	Roadside services like lockout help, jump-starts, tire help, and fuel delivery	Drivers without roadside coverage through a policy or membership	Priced per day; details vary by country
Personal Accident Insurance (PAI)	Accident medical and accidental death/dismemberment benefits (where available)	Renters with limited medical protection while traveling	Priced per day (Avis lists it from $7 a day); benefits differ in some states
Personal Effects Insurance (PEP)	Theft or damage to personal items in the vehicle (where available)	Renters traveling with valuables and limited property coverage	Priced per day; up to $1,000 per item and $3,000 per rental ($2,000 in New York)
Emergency Sickness Plan (ESP)	Medical expense coverage for covered sickness (for eligible non-U.S. renters)	International renters without U.S.-based health coverage	Priced per day (Avis lists it from $5 a day); only for renters who don’t live in the U.S.

Quick tip: Before paying for any add-on, confirm what your existing coverage does not handle (like deductibles, “loss of use” charges, administrative fees, or coverage territory). That’s where rental protections can matter most.

Avis Rental Car Insurance Products

Avis may offer the following products depending on your location, residency, and rental type.

Loss Damage Waiver (LDW)

Avis offers a loss damage waiver (LDW). Avis says LDW is not mandatory and is not insurance. Instead, it’s a contractual waiver that can reduce what you owe Avis if the rental vehicle is damaged or stolen, as long as you follow the rental agreement. Where state law allows, LDW still doesn’t cover lost or damaged keys, towing or tire service that isn’t caused by an accident, or the cost of recovering a stolen car.

If you decline LDW and the rental car is damaged or stolen, you may need to file a claim under your own auto policy (if you have comprehensive and collision). That can mean paying your deductible and potentially having a claim on your record depending on fault and your insurer’s underwriting rules.

LDW is usually most valuable when you:

Do not carry comprehensive and collision on your personal policy
Want to avoid paying your own deductible if the rental is damaged
Prefer not to involve your personal insurer in a rental claim

For Avis’s official details and restrictions, see the LDW terms on Avis’s site: Loss Damage Waiver (LDW).

Extended Roadside Assistance

Avis offers an optional roadside add-on called Extended Roadside Assistance, which works like other roadside assistance plans. It may cover common issues like lockouts, jump-starts, flat tire help, and fuel delivery (up to 3 gallons in the U.S. and Canada). Terms vary by country and rental agreement.

It can be useful when you do not already have roadside protection through your personal insurer (for example, GEICO) or a third-party membership (like AAA).

Avis’s Extended Roadside Assistance details are here: Extended Roadside Assistance.

Personal Accident Insurance (PAI)

Avis offers Personal Accident Insurance (PAI) in certain locations. PAI is designed to provide accident-related benefits for bodily injury during the rental period. In most states it pays up to $175,000 in accidental death and dismemberment benefits for the renter ($25,000 for a passenger) and up to $10,000 in accident medical expenses. Coverage amounts and availability can vary by state.

Avis lists PAI benefits and state variations on its official page: Personal Accident Insurance (PAI).

Personal Accident Insurance Plus (PAI Plus)

Avis also offers PAI Plus (where available), which is marketed toward renters who want higher limits than standard PAI. Avis lists $250,000 in accidental death and dismemberment coverage and $15,000 in medical coverage. Availability and benefits can vary by location, and the rental agreement terms control.

Additional Liability Insurance

Avis offers Additional Liability Insurance (ALI) in many locations. ALI is designed to increase liability protection for bodily injury, death, or property damage you cause to others while using the rental car. This can matter because the liability included with a rental may only meet minimum legal requirements in the rental jurisdiction. ALI covers the gap between that minimum and a combined limit of $500,000, and Avis says it pays before your own policy does.

ALI is most useful when you have low liability limits on your personal auto policy. In that situation, consider buying ALI or increasing your personal auto insurance limits. Low liability limits can leave you dangerously underinsured if you cause a serious accident in a rental car.

Avis describes ALI coverage details (including maximum limits and exclusions) here: Additional Liability Insurance (ALI).

Personal Effects Insurance (PEP)

Avis offers personal effects coverage (often shown as Personal Effects Insurance or Personal Effects Protection) to help pay for theft or damage to certain personal items in the vehicle during the rental period. Avis caps it at $1,000 per item and $3,000 for everything in the car per rental ($2,000 in New York). Other exclusions apply, and availability varies by location.

PEP is often unnecessary if you already have renters or homeowners insurance (or certain travel coverage) that protects personal property away from home. But it can be useful if you’re traveling with expensive items and want a dedicated rental-specific coverage option.

Avis’s PEP details and stated limits are listed here: Personal Effects Insurance (PEP).

Emergency Sickness Plan (ESP)

Avis’s Emergency Sickness Plan (ESP) is only available to renters who don’t live in the U.S. It covers medical expenses from a covered sickness during the rental period, and it also covers non-U.S. resident passengers traveling with the renter. Eligibility rules and benefits vary by location.

Avis’s ESP details are here: Emergency Sickness Plan (ESP).

Avis Rental Car Insurance vs. Your Own Car Insurance

For many renters, the biggest decision is whether to rely on personal insurance (and possibly a credit card benefit) or pay Avis for protection.

If you already have personal auto insurance, your policy may extend to rental cars from major insurers, including:

Many credit cards also offer rental car protection when you pay for the rental with that card, but it’s important to understand what it actually covers (and what it doesn’t). In many cases, your credit card could cover your rental car for certain types of damage to the rental vehicle—but it usually does not replace liability coverage, and it may be secondary to your personal auto policy.

Option	Pros	Cons	Who It’s Best For
Use Your Personal Auto Insurance	Usually the cheapest option (you’re not buying duplicate coverage)	Deductible may apply; claims process goes through your insurer; coverage varies by policy and territory	Renters with solid liability limits and comprehensive/collision on their own vehicles
Add Avis LDW	May avoid your deductible and personal claim involvement (subject to agreement)	Extra daily cost (Avis lists it from $9 a day); keys, towing and tire service are excluded where state law allows	Renters who want maximum simplicity or don’t have comp/collision
Add Avis ALI	Can increase liability protection beyond minimum legal limits	Extra daily cost; may duplicate coverage if you already have high limits/umbrella	Renters with low personal liability limits or no auto insurance
Rely on Credit Card Coverage	Can reduce or eliminate what you pay for rental vehicle damage (depending on the card)	Coverage rules vary; may be secondary; typically does not cover liability or injuries	Renters with a strong card benefit who understand the terms

Final Word on Avis Rental Car Insurance

Avis rental car insurance costs depend on the product, location, and vehicle. Avis lists starting prices of $9 a day for LDW, $7 for PAI and $5 for ESP, and the price for your rental can be higher. The most reliable way to know the exact cost is to review the add-ons during booking for your specific dates and location.

Most renters with strong personal auto insurance can decline most Avis protections. However, if you have low liability limits, no comprehensive/collision, limited medical protection while traveling, or no roadside coverage, one or more Avis add-ons may be worth the extra cost.

My advice is to call your auto insurer before the trip and ask two questions: does my policy cover a rental car, and does it pay the rental company’s loss-of-use fees? The answers tell you whether LDW is worth buying.

FAQs on Avis Rental Car Insurance Cost

How Much Does Avis Rental Car Insurance Cost Per Day?

It depends on the protection option, your rental location, the vehicle class, and your rate plan. Avis’s own pages list starting prices of $9 a day for LDW, $7 a day for PAI and $5 a day for ESP (checked October 1, 2026). The exact amount is shown during booking or at the counter before you sign the rental agreement.

Is Avis Loss Damage Waiver (LDW) Required?

No. LDW is optional in most rentals, but declining it means you can be responsible for damage or theft of the rental vehicle under the terms of the agreement. If you decline LDW, confirm that your personal auto insurance or credit card benefit covers rental vehicle damage and understand any deductibles or exclusions.

Does My Personal Auto Insurance Cover an Avis Rental Car?

Often, yes—especially for rentals in the U.S. and Canada. A standard personal auto policy covers the U.S., its territories, Puerto Rico and Canada. Many policies extend the same coverages and limits from your personal vehicle to a rental car. Coverage still depends on your policy terms, your coverage territory, and whether you carry comprehensive/collision on your own vehicles.

Does My Credit Card Cover a Rental Car from Avis?

Some credit cards provide rental car coverage if you pay with the card and decline the rental company’s damage waiver. Coverage terms vary widely and typically focus on damage to or theft of the rental vehicle—not liability or injuries. Always check whether the benefit is primary or secondary and what exclusions apply.

What Does Additional Liability Insurance (ALI) Cover at Avis?

ALI is designed to increase liability protection for bodily injury, death, or property damage you cause to others while using the rental car. It covers the gap between the state minimum and a combined limit of $500,000. This can be helpful if you have low liability limits (or no personal auto policy) because the liability included with a rental may only meet minimum legal requirements.

What Does Avis Extended Roadside Assistance Include?

Extended Roadside Assistance typically covers common roadside services such as lockout help, battery jump-starts, flat tire assistance, and fuel delivery (up to 3 gallons in the U.S. and Canada). Exact services and exclusions can vary by country and rental agreement, so confirm the details shown for your reservation before purchasing.

Do I Need Personal Accident Insurance (PAI) or Personal Effects Insurance (PEP) from Avis?

Not always. PAI may be unnecessary if you already have health insurance, travel insurance, or similar protection while traveling. PEP may duplicate coverage you already have through renters or homeowners insurance for personal property away from home. These add-ons are most useful when you have limited existing protection or want a dedicated rental-specific policy.

Sources

Checked October 1, 2026

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