Dollar Rent A Car franchise
2026 filing · March 20, 2026Growing
Dollar Rent A Car at a glance
A car rental business renting cars under the Dollar name in a set territory. At the end of 2025 there were 262 Dollar Rent A Car locations in the US, 66 franchised and 196 company-owned, so most are run by the company itself.
The business
- Franchisor
- Dollar Rent A Car, Inc
- The company that sells the franchises
- Current franchisor selling since
- 2003
- 23 years of selling franchises
- Franchisor based in
- Estero, Florida
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $879K–$16.2M
- Excluding real estate
- Franchise fee
- $25K–$500K
- Depends on fleet size and market, for a starting fleet of 30 to 300 cars
- Royalty
- 6%–8% + minimum
- 6% to 8% of gross receipts, paid monthly, with a yearly minimum set by market
- Renewal fee
- $5,000 to $25,000
- When the agreement ends and you sign again
- Territory
- None
- No exclusive territory
- Franchisor financing
- None offered
Where it is
- US locations, 2025
- 262
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 66
- Company-owned
- 196
- Change in 3 years
- +4
- Franchised locations, 2023–2025
From Dollar Rent A Car, Inc’s 2026 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
Dollar Rent A Car among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | Dollar Rent A Car | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $8,564,150 | Costs more than 98% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $25,000 | Lower than 82% of franchises |
| RoyaltyShare of sales paid to the franchisor | 6% | Higher than 35% of brands with a set rate |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 262 | More than 89% of franchises |
How much a Dollar Rent A Car franchise costs
Opening excluding real estate costs an estimated $879,300 to $16,249,000. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
The biggest costs are passenger cars ($750,000 to $15,000,000) and initial franchise fee ($25,000 to $500,000). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $25,000 | $500,000 | |
| Training Expenses | $3,000 | ||
| Passenger Cars | $750,000 | $15,000,000 | |
| Courtesy Vehicles | $55,000 | $350,000 | |
| Equipment and Supplies | $5,000 | $25,000 | |
| Insurance | $5,000 | $45,000 | |
| Professional Fees | $3,000 | $10,000 | |
| Computer System, Hardware and Software | $11,500 | $250,000 | |
| Optional Software | $1,500 | $15,000 | |
| Business License | $100 | $500 | |
| Miscellaneous Installation Fees | $200 | $500 | |
| Additional Funds – 3 months | $20,000 | $50,000 | |
| Total | $879,300 | $16,249,000 | |
Source: Dollar Rent A Car, Inc, 2026 filing, page 45
Dollar Rent A Car franchise fee
The franchise fee is $25,000 to $500,000, depends on fleet size and market, for a starting fleet of 30 to 300 cars. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: Dollar Rent A Car, Inc, 2026 filing, page 37
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 6% to 8% of gross receipts, paid monthly, with a yearly minimum set by market. |
|---|---|
| Renewal Fee | $5,000 to $25,000 |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: Dollar Rent A Car, Inc, 2026 filing, page 38
Other fees as filed, from page 39. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
No figures Dollar Rent A Car does not share sales or profit figures for its locations. Talking to current and former franchise owners is the usual way to learn what a location earns.
Source: Dollar Rent A Car, Inc, 2026 filing, page 84
SBA loans to Dollar Rent A Car franchisees
Lenders approved 5 SBA 7(a) loans for Dollar Rent A Car franchisees from 1999 to 2008, $2.06M in all. All 5 have ended: 3 were paid in full and 2 were charged off.
A charged-off loan is one written off as uncollectible. See SBA franchise loans for how 7(a) and 504 loans work.
Source: SBA 7(a) and 504 loan data, as of September 30, 2026
Growth and closures
Share of franchised locations, 2025 / 2023–2025. Typical means the median: half of brands are above it, half below.
| Measure | Dollar Rent A Car | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|
| GrowthNet change in franchised locations | −2.9% / +6.5% | +1.2% / +10% |
| ClosuresTerminated, not renewed or stopped operating | 2.9% / 15% | 3.9% / 16% |
| Bought backLocations the franchisor took back | 0% / 0% | 0% / 0% |
How Dollar Rent A Car compares
Typical means the median: half of brands are above it, half below.
| Figure | Dollar Rent A Car | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $879K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $16.2M | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $25K | $40K |
| Royalty | 6% | 6% |
| US locations | 262 | 21 |
| Shares earnings figures | No | 2,147 of 3,352 |
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned | Opened | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 64 (+2) | 173 | +3 | −1 |
| 2024 | 68 (+4) | 181 | +10 | −6 |
| 2025 | 66 (−2) | 196 | 0 | −2 |
Closed or left counts terminations, non-renewals, locations bought back by the franchisor and locations that stopped operating.
See which brands grew most in the fastest-growing franchises rankings.
More in the guides: home-based franchises and franchise failure rates.
Source: Dollar Rent A Car, Inc, 2026 filing, page 85
Who owns Dollar Rent A Car?
Dollar Rent A Car franchises are sold by Dollar Rent A Car, Inc. It is a subsidiary of Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group, Inc.
From Dollar Rent A Car, Inc’s 2026 filing, page 9.
Lawsuits and bankruptcy
| Lawsuits and regulatory actions | Yes. The filing describes past or pending cases involving the franchisor, its affiliates or its executives on pages 26–35. |
|---|---|
| Bankruptcy | The franchisor, its parent The Hertz Corporation and other Hertz affiliates filed for Chapter 11 in May 2020 and emerged from the restructuring in June 2021. |
Franchisors must disclose lawsuits and bankruptcies involving the company, its parents and affiliates, and its executives. Many cases are routine disputes with franchisees over fees or contracts; read the descriptions in the filing and ask current owners about anything that worries you.
Source: Dollar Rent A Car, Inc, 2026 filing, litigation on pages 26–35, bankruptcy on page 36
Dollar Rent A Car filings
The figures on this page come from Dollar Rent A Car, Inc’s 2026 filing, issued March 20, 2026, on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 filing | March 20, 2026 | NASAA depository | Costs, fees and locations, 2023–2025 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
