You just landed, your bags are off the belt, and you want keys in hand before the 405 fills up again. Here’s the move: follow the purple Rental Car Shuttles signs on the Lower/Arrivals curb, board the shuttle, and ride straight to the new LAX Rental Car Center at 5251 W 98th St. Alamo’s lobby sits on the 5th floor; take the exterior elevators up and you’ll see it on your left as you step out. This location is open 24 hours daily, and the local desk phone is (833) 679‑2049.
The rental car game at LAX changed in March 2026 when the airport consolidated on‑airport rental brands into one hub at 5251 W 98th St. That means one shuttle route instead of chasing brand‑by‑brand buses around the horseshoe. From any terminal’s baggage claim level, head out to the center island and wait under the purple Rental Car Shuttles sign. The ride is short but traffic-sensitive; plan a little buffer during peak arrival banks.
Once you’re at the Rental Car Center, Alamo’s counters and garage are on the 5th floor. If you’ve completed Alamo’s Skip the Counter through Accelerated Check‑In, you can bypass the line and go directly to the car after you confirm your rental agreement details. If not, kiosks and live agents handle the paperwork quickly. Because this branch operates 24/7, there’s no separate “after‑hours return” routine to memorize. Follow the return signs back into the facility and an agent will close you out, any time of day.
Getting back to the freeway network is straightforward. Customer traffic funnels onto Concourse Way and then to Century Blvd, where the signage points you to the I‑405 and I‑105. If you’re targeting the Westside or the Valley, 405 north is your mainline; for Orange County or the Inland Empire, most routes start with 105 east or 405 south. If it’s gridlock leaving the Center, Sepulveda and Aviation are your pressure‑release valves for a few blocks before you commit to a freeway on‑ramp.
Timing matters. LAX’s heaviest passenger banks hit roughly 6:30–9:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m., and 8:00–11:00 p.m. If your pickup or return overlaps those windows, budget extra minutes for the shuttle lane and the Century Blvd signals. If you’re dropping a car for a late‑evening international departure, give yourself a cushion between the return inspection, the shuttle back to the terminals, and security at Tom Bradley.
Alamo at LAX authorizes several categories of extra drivers at no charge: your spouse or domestic partner, parent, child, sibling, grandparent, and coworkers who meet the same age and license requirements. Anyone else you add is $15/day. All additional drivers must appear at the counter and present a valid license. If you rent with a debit card, only a spouse or domestic partner can be the additional driver on that contract.
Minimum rental age here is 21. Renters 21–24 pay a youthful surcharge of $25/day and are limited to mainstream car classes like Economy through Full‑Size, minivans, and five‑passenger compact/standard SUVs. If you’re 25 or older, the full lineup opens up, including larger SUVs and specialty vehicles when available.
Debit cards are accepted at this LAX branch only with a ticketed return travel itinerary in your name. The address on your driver’s license must match your current home address. Using a debit card also tightens who may be an additional driver, as noted above. If you do not have a ticketed return, expect a credit card requirement or a substantial deposit and proof of transferable insurance for higher‑end vehicle classes.
Southern California tolls are quirky. Alamo’s TollPass convenience program at LAX only covers the Orange County toll roads 73, 133, 241, and 261. Drive any of those without pre‑registering and you’ll be charged the tolls plus a $4.95–$5.35 TollPass fee for each day you trigger a toll, capped at $34.65 per rental period. Express lanes like the I‑10, I‑110, SR‑91, and I‑15 are not covered; they generally require your own FasTrak transponder. If you have a FasTrak account, you can add the rental’s license plate before you drive the 73/133/241/261 and avoid the TollPass fee on those specific roads.
CDW/LDW is optional and not insurance, but the price band is wide. For rentals originating in California, Alamo lists CDW ranging roughly from $16.99 up to $500.00/day depending on vehicle class. Check your personal auto policy or premium credit card terms before you commit, so you’re not stacking coverage you already have.
Renting on‑airport means you’ll see a per‑day Customer Facility Charge on your agreement, capped after five days per contract. It funds the Rental Car Center and the common shuttle system. You’ll also see the usual concession recovery and applicable local taxes baked into the final total. That’s the tradeoff for the shuttle‑to‑garage convenience versus chasing a cheaper off‑airport location in traffic.
If you’re heading to Santa Monica or Venice, watch the 405 north. If that crawl looks like a parking lot from Century, I’ll often take Sepulveda north to cut across to the 90 or Lincoln, then reassess. For Downtown, 105 east to 110 north is usually cleaner than rolling the dice on 405 to 10; that 10/405 stack is a time sink at many hours. For Anaheim, I like 105 east to 605 south, then 91 or 5 depending on where you’re landing; 405 south to 22 east can also be the play if the 5 is hot.
Fuel strategy matters at return time. If you didn’t prepay fuel, fill up before you hit the Century/Concourse loop into the Rental Car Center. Stations cluster along Century Blvd east of the airport and in Inglewood; prices near the freeway ramps tend to be higher, so topping off a couple of miles out can save a few bucks. The last mile into the Center has limited options and heavy signal timing, which is not when you want to be U‑turning for a pump.
For a late‑night return, Century Boulevard’s signals stay long; the lanes feeding Concourse Way move, but slowly, because you’re mixing with rideshare, hotel shuttles, and buses. Build a 15–20‑minute buffer from the time you leave the 105/405 corridor to physically park on the return floor during those peak evening banks. If you’re returning in the quieter early afternoon, you can often be downstairs at the terminal curb in about the time it takes someone to grab a coffee at the gate.
At LAX, Alamo shares the building and parent company with National and Enterprise. Same address, different levers depending on how you like to rent. National’s Emerald Aisle is a perk for members who want to pick from a row of midsize‑rate vehicles and just roll to the exit. Alamo’s Skip the Counter gets you to the car lines with fewer steps if you don’t need the aisle selection. Enterprise is the broadest fleet under the same roof and explicitly accepts 24‑hour returns at this branch, which can be useful if your itinerary shifts late.
| Brand | Where | Hours/Returns | Key perk | Young renter | Additional driver |
| Alamo Rent A Car | 5251 W 98th St, Level 5 | 24 hours; no separate after‑hours drop needed | Skip the Counter after Accelerated Check‑In | $25/day for ages 21–24; mainstream classes only | Spouse/domestic partner, parent, child, sibling, grandparent, coworkers free; others $15/day. With debit card, spouse/domestic partner only. |
| National Car Rental | 5251 W 98th St, Level 5 | On‑airport operation; returns on the same deck | Emerald Aisle vehicle choice for members | $25/day for ages 21–24; mainstream classes only | Same California categories free; others $15/day. With debit card, spouse/domestic partner only. |
| Enterprise Rent‑A‑Car | 5251 W 98th St, Level 5 | 24‑hour returns accepted | Widest fleet breadth under the same roof | Policy mirrors sibling brands; confirm at booking | California spouse/domestic partner and close family typically free; others fee‑based |
All three share the same on‑airport pickup: purple Rental Car Shuttles from the Lower/Arrivals curb. For tolls, each brand uses the same Enterprise Mobility TollPass setup: coverage of 73/133/241/261 in Orange County, an added $4.95–$5.35 per day you trigger a toll (cap $34.65) on those roads, and no coverage for the region’s express lanes that require a personal transponder.
Pickups and returns for on‑airport brands happen only at 5251 W 98th St. Ignore any old directions to Century Boulevard addresses for Alamo; those pages pre‑date the move. Walk‑ups from nearby hotels are possible, but if you’re hauling bags from a terminal, the shuttle is the move. Inside the facility, look for exterior elevators and follow signs for Level 5 for Alamo, National, and Enterprise.
Paperwork details save time at the gate. If you want a second driver who isn’t a spouse, domestic partner, parent, child, sibling, grandparent, or coworker, budget $15/day and have them present at pick‑up with a license. If someone on your trip is 21–24 and will drive, expect the $25/day young‑renter fee and choose a class that’s eligible. If your only payment method is a debit card, have your ticketed return flight handy or you’ll get bounced into stricter requirements.
Plan your toll approach before leaving the garage. If you’re not going south into Orange County, you probably won’t see the 73/133/241/261 roads at all, and you can skip worrying about TollPass. If you are headed that way and want to avoid the TollPass fees, add the rental’s plate to a FasTrak or ExpressAccount before you pull out. Express lanes in LA County remain a separate system; count on bringing a transponder or staying in the non‑tolled lanes.
Exit baggage claim to the curb on the Lower/Arrivals level and stand under the purple Rental Car Shuttles signs on the center island. Every on‑airport brand, including Alamo, uses that pickup point for the shuttle to 5251 W 98th St.
Yes, this branch operates 24 hours a day. There’s no separate after‑hours drop box routine to worry about; just follow the posted signs into the Rental Car Center return lanes on Level 5 and an agent will process the car, even in the late‑night bank.
Not unless that friend is a coworker traveling on business and meets the same age and license requirements. The California free‑of‑charge list at Alamo covers a spouse/domestic partner, parent, child, sibling, grandparent, and eligible coworkers. Anyone else is $15/day and must appear at pickup with a valid license.
Yes. The OC toll roads 73/133/241/261 are covered by Alamo’s TollPass at $4.95–$5.35 per day used (cap $34.65) plus the tolls. If you want to avoid the convenience fee on those specific roads, add the rental’s plate to your FasTrak or ExpressAccount before you drive them.
Published: September 4, 2026