Guide
Renting a wheelchair accessible vehicle in the US and Canada: how it actually works
Here's the surprise that derails accessible trip planning: you cannot walk up to a mainstream rental counter and rent a wheelchair accessible van. Hertz, Avis, Enterprise and the rest will install hand controls on a standard car — usually free, with a few days' notice — but hand controls only help drivers who can transfer into a regular seat. If you need to ride in your wheelchair, or travel with someone who does, the majors have essentially nothing on the lot.
WAV rental (wheelchair accessible vehicle — the industry term worth knowing) is a specialist market. In the US, the national names are companies like MobilityWorks and Wheelchair Getaways, plus strong regional operators in most major metros. They rent minivans with lowered floors, a ramp (side-entry or rear-entry), and tie-down systems that secure the chair. Many will deliver to the airport or your hotel, which matters because their offices are rarely near the terminal.
What to expect on cost and logistics: WAV rentals run several times the price of a standard minivan — commonly in the low-to-mid hundreds per day, with weekly rates that soften the math. Book early: fleets are small, and holiday weeks around destinations like Orlando sell out well ahead. A deposit and a minimum rental period are normal.
Questions that prevent a bad rental: - Side-entry or rear-entry ramp? Rear-entry usually means the wheelchair rider sits in the back and parking is easier; side-entry allows front-passenger positioning but needs aisle space to deploy the ramp. - Interior door height and ramp weight rating — measure your chair and its occupant's seated height first; tall power chairs get turned away at the door. - Tie-down type — confirm the system fits your chair, and whether an occupant restraint is included. - Who's allowed to drive, and does your auto insurance or credit card coverage extend to a specialty vehicle? Ask the rental company what coverage they include.
Canada is thinner. There is no national WAV rental chain; availability clusters around mobility equipment dealers and small local fleets in Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal and other large cities, and booking weeks ahead is the norm. If a rental falls through, the fallback stack is: WAV taxi companies (book by phone, a day ahead), accessible airport shuttles, and transit systems — most large Canadian and US cities run accessible buses and paratransit that visitors can often use with advance registration.
One more path worth knowing: if you only need wheels at the destination, renting the mobility equipment instead of the vehicle can flip the problem — a folding power chair or scooter delivered to your hotel plus regular taxis is sometimes cheaper than a week of WAV rental.
Our transport pages list WAV rental, taxi, and repair providers city by city, with the phone numbers you'll want saved before travel day.