Peter Greenberg: Extra Charge for Rental Car

By: Peter Greenberg | Source: AARP.org | 2008-11-06

I recently rented a car in West Orange, N.J. The bill showed a $5 per-day charge for Homeland Security. I've never seen this before on any auto-rental bills, even when renting at an airport. Is this a legitimate charge?
-Jim, Cooper City, Fla.

While we, too, were a bit skeptical at first, we soon discovered that yes, this is a legitimate charge, and it comes from the New Jersey Department of Homeland Security. The fee goes toward the state's homeland security department, which protects the citizens of New Jersey from "acts of terrorism, natural disasters, and other catastrophic events and emergencies." So if you think about it, every auto-rental location in New Jersey is now an active venue for terrorism prevention. Who would have known?

Unfortunately, there's no way to avoid the charge, unless you rent a car in another state.