It is perfectly legal for car rental companies to screen the driving records of renters. Usually, counter clerks conduct driver screenings by entering your driver's license number into a computer database that checks reports from your state ' s Department of Motor Vehicles. If your record does not satisfy the company's screening criteria, you may be denied rental.
"Danger signals" for renters include citations for driving with a suspended or invalid driver's license, a serious driving offense (e.g., drunk driving, hit-and-run accident), a minimum of three moving violations, or at-fault rulings in at least two separate accidents.
Instead of screening driver records, some companies ask renters to sign an agreement stating that they have acceptable driving records. That way, the customers accept responsibility for providing truthful information to the company. If you have an accident, and it turns out that your driving record is spotty, then the company may claim that you violated your rental agreement by lying about your driving record.