Chapter 16Rental Vehicles

Section § 13800

Explanation

This law allows rental car companies in California to use the fuel gauge in vehicles to determine optional fuel charges. These charges apply if a renter doesn’t return the car with the same fuel level it had at pick-up, or if the renter chooses to buy the fuel in the tank at the start of the rental. Additionally, rental companies can offer other fueling options beyond these scenarios.

(a)CA Business and Professions Code § 13800(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this division, a rental vehicle’s fuel gauge installed by the vehicle’s manufacturer may be used in a rental transaction by a rental company to calculate an optional charge for fueling when any of the following occurs:
(1)CA Business and Professions Code § 13800(a)(1) The customer could have avoided incurring the charge by returning the rental vehicle with the same amount of fuel as was in the fuel tank at the commencement of the rental.
(2)CA Business and Professions Code § 13800(a)(2) The customer chose to purchase the amount of fuel inside the fuel tank at the commencement of the rental.
(b)CA Business and Professions Code § 13800(b) Nothing in this section shall be interpreted to preclude a rental company from offering additional fueling options to customers besides those described in subdivision (a).
rental vehicle fuel gauge fuel charge rental company optional fueling return fuel level purchase fuel fueling options renter obligation fuel tank vehicle manufacturer California rental rental transaction vehicular fuel policies fueling alternatives
(Added by Stats. 2007, Ch. 667, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 2008.)