Will the rental car company install the car seat for me?

Usually not. Hertz, for example, states that its team cannot personally install car seats and points renters to the seat's own manual instead. Plan to install the seat yourself using both the car seat manual and the vehicle owner's manual. For a hands-on check, a certified Child Passenger Safety Technician can help; Hawaii DOT lists 808-527-2588 for booking a car seat check, so call before your trip.

Is a rental car seat the same as a used car seat?

Yes. Other families have used it and you do not know its history, so treat it like any second-hand seat. NHTSA's used seat checklist says a second-hand seat may be okay only if it has never been in a moderate to severe crash, has date and model labels, has no recalls, has all its parts and comes with its instruction book. If you cannot confirm all of those, do not use it.

How do I check a rental car seat for recalls?

Find the label with the model number and date of manufacture, then search that model on NHTSA's recall lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls, which covers car seats. You can do this on a phone before leaving the rental counter. If a recall turns up, ask for a different seat rather than guessing whether the remedy has been done. Car seats also expire, so check the manufacture date against the seat's stated usable life.

Is it cheaper to rent a car seat or bring one to Hawaii?

Bringing your own is often cheaper. The AAP says airlines typically let families bring a child's car seat as an extra luggage item with no additional luggage expense. A rental seat adds a fee for each seat; Consumer Reports found an average of about $10 a day in its older check and noted that longer stays can approach the price of a new seat. Confirm current fees with your airline and rental company.

Car Seats & Travel

Rent a Car Seat in Hawaii or Bring Your Own?

Baby Emporium Hawaiʻi · Updated 2026-10-11 · 7 min read

The short versionFor most visiting families, bringing your child's own car seat is the safer choice, because you already know its crash history, expiration date, installation and fit. Renting in Hawaii can work if you inspect the seat before driving: labels with the date of manufacture and model number, no moderate or severe crash, no open recall, every part present, the instruction manual, and fit for your child and the rental car. If any item can't be confirmed, ask for another seat.

Contents

Should you rent a car seat in Hawaii or bring your own?
Why does bringing your own seat usually win?
When does renting make sense?
What should you ask before you reserve?
What should you check at the counter before you accept it?
Will the rented seat fit your child and the rental car?
Who can help you install it in Hawaii?
What are the other options besides the rental counter?
Bring or rent: which fits your trip?
Sources

Should you rent a car seat in Hawaii or bring your own?

For most visiting families, bringing the seat your child already rides in is the safer bet. You know its history, its expiration date, how it installs and that it fits your child. Renting can work, but only if you check the seat yourself before you drive: date and model labels, crash history, recalls, missing parts, the instruction manual, and fit for both your child and the rental car. If anything on that list can't be confirmed, don't accept the seat.

This guide covers the drive once you land. For the airport and the plane, see flying with a car seat; for what the law requires at each age, see Hawaii car seat laws.

Why does bringing your own seat usually win?

A rental seat is a used seat: other families have used it, and you were not there for any of it. The American Academy of Pediatrics' car seat guide for families says to "avoid used car seats if you don't know the seat's history." With your own seat, you already know whether it has been in a crash, where the labels are, and how it goes in.

Condition is the practical worry. When Consumer Reports' child passenger safety technicians looked at seats for rent at two large agencies, one kept seats bagged with the manual zip-tied to the cover. At the other, seats were stored outside in a shed, most were missing their manuals, and many were unsuitable because of broken parts, missing labels, infant carriers separated from their bases, or expired dates. That check is old (last updated in 2015) and covered only two agencies, so it describes no rental counter today. It does show why you inspect rather than assume. Consumer Reports recommended bringing your child's own seat when travel plans include a rental car.

Then there is cost. Consumer Reports found rental seats averaged about $10 a day at the time, and noted that a stay longer than a couple of days can approach the price of a new seat. Fees vary by company and booking, so check the actual charge and multiply it per seat, per day of your island stay.

When does renting make sense?

Renting is reasonable when carrying your seat is genuinely harder than checking a rented one:

You are flying with several children and can't manage another bulky item.
Your everyday seat must stay in a car at home.
You are staying only a day or two, so the fee stays small.

The AAP's travel safety tips treat renting as an option: "Most rental car companies can arrange for a car seat if you are unable to bring yours along." The same page adds that "they may have a limited selection of seats," and tells parents to check that the seat suits the child's size and age, appears to be in good condition, and comes with its instruction manual before accepting it.

What should you ask before you reserve?

Reserve the seat when you book the car, then call the branch you will collect from and write down the answers.

Which type? Rear-facing infant seat, convertible seat, or booster. "Child seat" alone tells you nothing.
What are its limits? Give your child's current weight and height and ask whether the seat's labeled limits cover them in the direction your child needs to ride.
How many fit? Hertz, for example, says on its car seat rental page that "a maximum of two child car seats or one seat and one booster can be installed in any vehicle at the same time." A family with three children in seats needs to know that before landing.
Who installs it? Hertz states that "our team can't personally install the car seats." Plan to do it yourself.
What if it's missing or unsuitable? Ask what happens if the seat isn't there or fails your checks.

A rental company's age and weight categories describe what it stocks, not the limits of the specific seat you will be handed. The label on that seat is what counts.

What should you check at the counter before you accept it?

Take the seat out of its bag before you load any luggage. This list follows NHTSA's used car seat checklist, which says a second-hand seat "may be okay to use" only if you can check off every item, plus the AAP's list of seats never to use.

Crash history. NHTSA's first item is that the seat "has never been involved in a moderate to severe crash." Ask the agent directly. If no one can tell you, the history is unknown.
Labels. Look for labels showing the date of manufacture and model number. NHTSA notes you need this information to check for recalls or whether the seat is too old. The AAP adds that missing labels can be a sign of a counterfeit seat.
Expiration. Car seats do expire. The AAP says never to use a seat that is too old and to check with the manufacturer how long it recommends using the seat. Our guide to car seat expiration and recalls shows where to find the dates.
Recalls. Search the model on NHTSA's recall lookup, which covers car seats. You can do it on a phone at the counter.
All the parts. Harness straps, buckle, chest clip, padding, and the base if you plan to use one. The AAP notes that used seats "often come without important parts."
Cracks. The AAP says never to use a seat with any visible cracks.
The manual. The AAP says you need instructions to know how to use the seat. If it is missing, ask for another seat or find the manual on the manufacturer's website before you drive away.

If the seat fails any of these, ask for a different one. If there is no suitable seat, do not drive with that seat; use one of the alternatives below.

Will the rented seat fit your child and the rental car?

Your child. The Hawaii Department of Transportation's child passenger safety page says "Infants under 2 years old must be properly restrained in a rear-facing car seat with harness." The AAP recommends rear-facing as long as possible, up to the seat's highest rear-facing weight or height limit. So a rented convertible needs rear-facing limits that cover your child now. Once your child is buckled in, do the AAP's pinch test: you should not be able to pinch any slack in the harness strap at the shoulder. Place the chest clip at armpit level.

The car. NHTSA says "not all car seats fit in all vehicles." It also says to install a seat using either the lower anchors or the seat belt, "never both," and to read the vehicle owner's manual to find the tether anchors, since their location varies. Hawaii DOT adds: never put a rear-facing seat in the front seat with an active airbag. You have never installed a seat in this car, so allow time at the lot before you leave.

Who can help you install it in Hawaii?

Consumer Reports noted that rental agency employees are not likely to be trained in child passenger safety. A certified Child Passenger Safety Technician (CPST) can check the installation with your child, your seat and your vehicle.

NHTSA says certified technicians at inspection stations check seats "free of charge, in most cases," and that some locations offer virtual inspections. Its car seat page links to the station finder.
Hawaii DOT lists a number to book a car seat check: 808-527-2588. Call before your trip rather than on arrival day.

If the branch can tell you the seat's model in advance, read its manual before you fly. Consumer Reports notes that most manufacturers have online owner's manuals and even installation videos.

What are the other options besides the rental counter?

Bring your own and check it on the flight. The AAP's travel page says airlines typically allow a child's car seat as an extra luggage item with no additional luggage expense. Confirm with your airline.
Ship a new seat ahead. Consumer Reports suggests ordering a seat before the trip and having it delivered to a friend or relative at your destination, which also spares your everyday seat from baggage handling.
Borrow from family on the island. Get the model number, date of manufacture, crash history and manual before you fly, not at the curb.
Use a baby-gear rental service. These are still used seats, so the counter checklist above applies in full.

Bring or rent: which fits your trip?

Your situation	Better fit	What to do first
Infant or toddler, typical trip	Bring your own	Check your airline's car seat policy
Several children, too much to carry	Rent one, bring one	Confirm the per-car seat limit with the branch
Stay of a day or two	Renting can work	Reserve, then run the counter checklist
No suitable seat at pickup	Don't drive with it	Ask for another seat or switch to a backup plan

After the drive, never leave a child alone in or around the vehicle; Hawaii DOT repeats that warning throughout its guidance. If your baby falls asleep in the seat, move them to a safe sleep space once you arrive: a bare crib or play yard with a firm, flat mattress and fitted sheet only, baby on their back. Our safe sleep setup guide covers the details.