St. John Car Rental — Rental Terms & Conditions

Last updated October 18, 2026

These terms apply to every reservation and rental with St. John Car Rental. The same terms appear on our website and in our rental paperwork.

1. Our agreement

This agreement is between St. John Car Rental (“we,” “us”) and the primary driver (“you”). If someone else’s credit card pays, that card holder agrees to these terms too. The agreement includes these terms, your reservation confirmation and the rental agreement you sign at pick-up. If they differ, the signed rental agreement controls.

2. Who can rent and drive

• Every driver must be at least 25 years old with a valid, unexpired, physical driver’s license. Digital/mobile licenses and temporary paper licenses are not accepted.
• All drivers must be listed on the rental agreement, be present at pick-up with their own license, and meet the insurance requirements in Section 3. Only listed drivers may drive. Additional drivers: $5 per day each.
• The primary driver’s name on the reservation must match their license. Whoever’s credit card pays must be on the rental agreement: if the card holder is not the primary driver, they must be listed as an additional driver ($5 per day) and be present at pick-up with the card and their license.
• Drivers with a non-U.S. license must also buy a temporary USVI driver’s license ($30, valid up to 30 days) at our office.
• What to bring: each driver’s physical license, the credit card used to book, and proof of insurance for every driver. You can upload licenses ahead of time using the link in your reservation email.

3. Insurance requirements

Under U.S. Virgin Islands law (20 V.I.C. § 419(c)), the liability insurance we carry on our vehicles is secondary to any liability insurance you have, and only covers up to the territory’s minimum limits (20 V.I.C. § 418(c)). We do not sell damage waivers. So our policy requires every driver (primary and additional) to show proof of liability and collision coverage that covers you in the USVI, in the driver’s name, before pick-up. We accept:

• Personal auto policy from a U.S. insurance company: declarations page or insurance card showing liability and collision coverage that applies to rental vehicles in the USVI.
• Credit card coverage: a letter from your card company confirming rental car coverage. The same card must pay the $100 advance payment and the balance, and be shown at pick-up. A card letter is usually enough on its own; we may ask for more if your card’s coverage terms or USVI insurance law require it.
• Travel insurance (required for international renters without U.S. auto insurance; international renters are welcome): must specifically include rental car coverage valid in the USVI and list every covered driver’s name, the policy dates and the policy number.
• Business / company policy: proof that it covers rental vehicles, plus the list of covered drivers.

If any driver can’t show acceptable proof, we will cancel the reservation and keep the $100 advance payment.

Good to know: most credit card rental benefits are secondary to your own auto insurance, don’t include liability, exclude off-road use and some vehicle types, and require you to pay for the whole rental with that card. Many travel policies exclude rental cars. Ask your card company or insurer to confirm that a Jeep/SUV rental in the U.S. Virgin Islands is covered.

4. Reservations, payment and cancellations

• A $100 non-refundable advance payment is charged when you book. It holds your vehicle and is applied to your rental total.
• We accept Visa, Mastercard and Discover only: no American Express, debit, prepaid or virtual cards, cash or personal checks.
• The full balance is charged the morning before your pick-up day to the card used for the advance payment. We do not place a separate authorization hold. Your rate is based on the dates and vehicle you booked; changing them may change your rate.

Cancellations and no-shows

• Cancel in writing by email to [email protected].
• 24 hours or more before your scheduled pick-up time: we keep the $100 advance payment; nothing else is charged and any balance already paid is refunded.
• Less than 24 hours before pick-up: we keep the $100 and charge a $150 late-cancellation fee; any remaining balance already paid is refunded.
• No-show (you don’t cancel and don’t pick up by 5:00 pm closing on your pick-up day, or by your arranged after-hours pick-up): you owe the full rental amount, with no refund.
• Weather and travel-restriction exception: if, during your rental dates, your trip is cancelled because of USVI government travel restrictions, or the St. Thomas airport is closed because of a hurricane or other tropical weather, you can apply your $100 to a future reservation, or receive a full refund of the $100.
• If we can’t provide the vehicle class you reserved or better (for example, after an accident or mechanical failure), we refund your $100 and any balance paid, and try to help you find another rental.
• No refunds for early returns or unused days.

5. Hours, pick-up and return

• Open 8:00 am – 5:00 pm every day. Closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day and July 4th (no pick-ups or returns).
• Pick-up: 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm. Vehicles are never guaranteed ready before 1:00 pm. If you ask for an earlier pick-up and the vehicle is ready, any pick-up before noon is a $50 flat charge.
• Return by 11:00 am on your return date. After a 15-minute grace period (11:15 am), late returns are $50 per hour, up to one day’s rental rate. Need a late return? Contact us in advance to check availability.
• After-hours pick-up (after 5:00 pm) is by appointment only, once we have all drivers’ documents and your full flight details (airline, flight number, arrival time). You must arrive within 2.5 hours after landing in St. Thomas; we text you the lock-box and paperwork instructions. Without flight details, if your flight is delayed or lands after 5:00 pm, your vehicle is available from 8:00 am the next day, at the same rental price.
• After-hours return: park in our lot, lock the vehicle and put the key in the lock box at the front of the building. You are responsible for the vehicle until we open and inspect it.
• Inspection: we take time-stamped photos of the vehicle at pick-up and return and email them to you (pick-up photos the morning of your pick-up); these photos record its condition. Report any concerns before leaving our lot.
• Return condition: same condition you received it (normal wear and tear excepted), same fuel level, and free of trash and excess sand.

Directions: from the public ferry dock in Cruz Bay, take the first right onto Kongens Gade (one-way) and walk to the end of the street. Our office is straight ahead at the T, next to Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church, about a 90-second walk. Address: 3GA Cruz Quarter, Cruz Bay. Map: openstreetmap.org/node/1850997944.

6. Using your vehicle

• St. John only. Vehicles must stay on St. John: no car barge or ferry to St. Thomas or anywhere else. Taking a vehicle off St. John carries a $1,000 fine.
• Stay on the roads: no driving on beaches (protected national park land) and no off-roading.
• Jeeps: do not remove the hard top, doors or seats: $500 fine, and we may repossess the Jeep. You still owe the full rental amount plus the fine.
• No smoking or vaping of any substance in any vehicle.
• Pets are welcome at no extra charge; $75 cleaning fee for excessive pet hair.
• Children must ride in the car seat or booster required by USVI law (20 V.I.C. § 466). In general, children under 8 who are under 4’9″ need a car seat or booster, and children 13 and under ride in the back seat. We don’t provide car seats; local companies rent them.
• Drive on the left and wear your seat belt. It’s the law.
• Not allowed: letting anyone not listed on the agreement drive; driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs; towing or pushing anything; using the vehicle for hire (taxi, ride-share, deliveries); racing; or any illegal use. Breaking these rules may end your rental, and you are responsible for all resulting loss and damage.
• Your belongings: we are not responsible for items left in, or stolen from, the vehicle.

7. Fees and charges

8. Parking at our office

Free parking at our in-town lot after 5:00 pm, first come, first served, in marked spaces only. Vehicles in unmarked spots may be booted and fined up to $250. St. John Car Rental and its owners are not responsible for theft of or damage to vehicles parked on our property.

9. Tickets and violations

You are responsible for all parking tickets, traffic fines and violations during your rental. Report them right away at (340) 776-6103 (office landline) or (340) 474-9557 (cell), or by email. We charge a $25 processing fee per ticket, plus the fine and any late penalties, to your card.

10. Accidents, damage and theft

If you have an accident:

1. Make sure everyone is safe and call the police (911).
2. Get a police report.
3. Call us right away at (340) 776-6103 (office landline) or (340) 474-9557 (cell), and email [email protected].
4. Bring the vehicle in for inspection immediately, or during our next business hours, and give us any documents we need for insurance. Don’t arrange your own repairs.
5. Pay the estimated damage before your return date (see below).

Your responsibility for damage:

• You are responsible for any new damage during your rental, whoever is at fault.
• You pay our estimated repair cost, up to the vehicle’s $2,000 deductible, before your return date. If we can’t get an estimate before you leave (for example, weekend or holiday closures), you pay the $2,000 deductible and we refund any difference once the estimate is in.
• If repairs cost more than the $2,000 deductible, we (or our insurer) will claim the rest from your insurance company. You authorize us to contact your insurer, credit card benefit or travel insurance provider directly, and you assign us those benefits for the damage, loss of use, towing and storage, and diminished value related to the incident.
• Loss of use: if the vehicle can’t be rented while it is repaired or replaced, you pay the daily rate for each day it is out of service, up to 30 days.
• Small items: you pay the actual cost to repair or replace lost or damaged items such as glass, mirrors, tires and antennas.
• Theft: if the vehicle is stolen and not recovered, you pay its fair market retail value before the theft, plus loss of use and any towing and storage charges.
• No unauthorized repairs without our written OK. Otherwise, you pay what it costs to restore the vehicle to its pre-rental condition.
• Refunds: if we later recover more from a third party than we were owed, we refund the difference to you.

11. Breakdowns and roadside help

• For a breakdown or mechanical problem, call us at (340) 776-6103 (office landline) or (340) 474-9557 (cell). Don’t arrange your own tow or repair. There is no added charge for breakdowns.
• After hours, we may send our roadside contractor. If you caused the call-out (for example, a lockout or running out of fuel), you pay the contractor’s $120 call-out fee plus labor and supplies; otherwise we cover it. Call-out fees apply only after hours.

12. Legal terms

• Indemnity: you agree to hold harmless and indemnify St. John Car Rental from any claim, suit or expense resulting from your (or any driver’s) operation of the vehicle or negligence while operating it.
• Charges after return: you authorize us to charge the card on file for amounts due under this agreement found after return (such as damage, fuel, cleaning, late return, tickets and fees). We will send you an itemized receipt and supporting photos. Please contact us before disputing a charge with your card company.
• Disputes: all disputes must be brought in the U.S. Virgin Islands, each party pays its own attorney fees, and U.S. Virgin Islands law governs this agreement.
• Privacy: we use the information and documents you give us (including license photos and insurance documents) only to manage your rental, handle claims and tickets, and as required by law. We don’t sell your information. See our Privacy Notice.
• Whole agreement and changes: these terms, your reservation confirmation and your signed rental agreement are the whole agreement; if they differ, the signed rental agreement controls. Any change must be in writing from us. We may update these terms for future reservations by posting them on our website.
• Severability: if any part of these terms is found unenforceable, the rest still applies.