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Have you ever been pulled over while driving a rental car
and the registration was expired?
Even if it seems like an unlikely situation, it’s not that rare. In the United States, it can happen that the car you’re given doesn’t have up-to-date paperwork. But if the police pull you over, who’s responsible?
A simple business trip turned into a movie-like scene: police lights, a stunned driver, and a fine that should never have existed. All because Enterprise Rent-A-Car (one of the biggest car rental companies in the world) handed over a car with expired vehicle registration.
The case, of course, went viral on social media and revealed a problem that’s not new and has already cost other users their driver’s license.
What’s going on? The viral video
In May, content creator Staś (
@staseatsstuff
) was pulled over in Missouri. The officer, surprised, confirmed that the sedan he was driving hadn’t had its plates renewed in nineteen months. The video passed 780,000 views and revealed a pattern: dozens of customers shared similar experiences with Enterprise and other companies in the industry. And the worst part is that it’s not an isolated case; many users report piling up fines, license suspensions… and even arrest warrants for similar situations!!!
How does a car with expired paperwork end up in your hands?
These rental companies pride themselves on managing huge fleets. And as we all know (because we experience it when we own a car), each vehicle requires inspection, insurance, and yearly renewal of state registration. But of course, when units rotate quickly between airports and branches, paperwork can fall behind…
Often (or so they claim), the problem arises when the company relies on automatic renewal and forgets to place the new sticker or, even worse, doesn’t pay the fee on time. The customer, trusting, signs the contract and drives off without suspecting they’re driving illegally and bam! A fine.
Responsibility gap
And wait, because the clauses exempt the company from “violations occurring during the rental period.” So yes, in practice, the fine falls on the driver even though the fault is the company’s. To file a claim, the affected person must open a case, provide evidence, and sometimes go to court.
Economic and legal consequences
Driving with expired registration can result in fines from 100 to 500 USD, vehicle impoundment, and administrative fees. If the driver doesn’t pay or doesn’t receive the notice, the case goes to court and may lead to license suspension or a court order. All because of a mistake the customer didn’t make!!
The reputational impact on Enterprise
After the wave of testimonies, travel forums and consumer websites are questioning the brand’s reliability. Crisis management experts suggest that a single viral video can cost millions in lost trust. Enterprise states that it is conducting an internal investigation and “working to ensure that all documents are current.” However, the image damage is already climbing in Google SERPs (search engine results pages), where searches for “Enterprise expired tags” are up 320% this month.
What can you do?
Check the plate and the sticker before leaving the parking lot. Make sure the month and year are current. If the state offers online verification, enter the license plate from your phone and confirm the status. Ask for a different vehicle if you notice irregularities and request written proof!! Remember that if the police pull you over, you’re the one who pays the fine!!
What happened in Baltimore?
A woman, in 2022, received a fine for driving a car (a rental one, of course) with expired registration. She contacted Enterprise, who promised the issue would be resolved… and months later she received a court date!!
And if I’ve already been fined?
- Keep the rental agreement and the citation.
- Contact the branch manager and customer service immediately.
- Submit a copy of the fine and demand a written statement from the company accepting responsibility.
If it goes to court, hire legal counsel; several recent rulings have forced rental companies to cover costs and clear the customer’s record.
Comments on social media have shocked everyone. Many people shared that they’ve had similar or even worse experiences: a man rented a car that had been reported stolen, and the situation ended in a gunpoint arrest.
Another man, who was formerly incarcerated, first found illegal substances inside the vehicle and later a loaded gun between the seats of the rental car, which could have cost him 10 years in prison if the police had searched him… And even though he reported it to the company, they didn’t believe him.
There were also mentions of how other companies, like Hertz, have even gone so far as to report customers for driving cars they had legally rented.
Total madness, so if you need to rent a car… check the registration and the interior. We don’t want any surprises with the police!
