How to Start an Avis Franchise in 7 Steps: Checklist
OPENING PATH
How does the Avis franchise opening process work?
Typically 0–90 days
From signing and payment to opening
The 2026 Avis FDD states that the period between signing the Avis License Agreement, paying the Initial License Purchase Fee, and opening is typically zero to 90 days. That is an official typical range, not an inquiry-to-opening promise or the contractual opening deadline. Site approval, lease or concession work, permits, equipment installation, Wizard connectivity, staffing, training, fleet readiness, and the date written into the agreement can control the actual path.
Data basis: Avis Rent A Car System, LLC; U.S. FDD issued April 29, 2026; U.S. Avis Franchise operated by an independent licensee; Timeline Mode A — official timeline; Items 1, 5–12, 15–17 and 20, the Avis License Agreement, and Rental System Agreement; checked July 18, 2026. The official Avis site separately describes an Agency Operator arrangement using company-owned cars; that is not the franchise path covered here.
14 days
Federal FDD review period
Calendar days before a binding agreement or franchisor payment.
~2 weeks
Usual site decision
Avis says it usually approves or disapproves a submitted site within two weeks.
≥30 days
Training lead time
Item 11 says initial training must be completed at least 30 days before opening.
1 full-time
General Manager minimum
The manager must complete Avis instruction and devote normal business hours to the franchise.
QUALIFICATION
What must an applicant qualify for before Avis can award the franchise?
The 2026 FDD does not disclose a universal minimum net worth, liquid-capital threshold, credit score, education level, or prior car-rental experience requirement for every U.S. applicant. Meeting an unstated financial profile therefore cannot be presented as an automatic approval gate. Avis still controls whether it accepts an applicant and territory, and the License Agreement requires every application, financial statement, and submission to be true, complete, and accurate.
The ownership and management structure must be disclosed. Avis may run criminal background and credit checks on officers, directors, and managers. The owner need not operate the business personally, but the franchise must continuously employ a full-time General Manager who completed Avis instruction; an on-premises supervisor must also complete training. Beneficial owners and principal officers sign required confidentiality and noncompetition documents.
Applicant and entity information is complete and accurate.
Ownership percentages, officers, directors, and managers are disclosed.
A qualified full-time General Manager is identified and trained.
Beneficial owners and principal officers execute required agreements.
Source: 2026 Avis FDD, Items 9 and 15; Avis License Agreement preambles and §§9.1–9.2. For general due-diligence context, see the FTC’s Consumer’s Guide to Buying a Franchise.
DISCLOSURE AND SIGNING
What must happen before the Avis License Agreement is signed?
Before a prospective franchisee signs a binding franchise agreement or pays money to Avis or an affiliate in connection with the sale, the federal Franchise Rule requires delivery of the current FDD at least 14 calendar days earlier. This is a pre-signing disclosure period, not a 14-day application process. The rule and compliance materials are available through the FTC Franchise Rule and the FTC’s FDD due-diligence guidance.
The buyer should verify the completed Summary Pages before execution because they carry transaction-specific facts: the licensed Territory, approved Location or Locations, dates each location is to be opened, the General Manager, beneficial ownership, the Effective Date, the Date of Commencement of Operations, vehicle requirements, and applicable programs. The Initial License Purchase Fee is due when the Avis License Agreement is executed and is described as nonrefundable. The Rental System Agreement governing Wizard participation is also part of the operating setup.
CONTRACTUAL DEADLINE
The FDD’s typical zero-to-90-day opening range does not replace the Date of Commencement of Operations written into the License Agreement Summary Pages. The agreement requires operations to begin no later than that specified date, and the FDD states that failure to find an approved location and open within the specified time may permit Avis to terminate the agreement. Verify the exact date and any written extension terms before signing.
VERIFIED ROADMAP
What are the major steps from inquiry to opening?
The FDD does not publish a rigid internal order for every application discussion, territory conversation, and approval meeting. The roadmap below preserves only dependencies that are established by the FDD and agreements; some qualification, financing, real-estate, and permitting work can overlap.
1
Submit the application and ownership information
Action: Provide accurate application, financial, entity, owner, officer, director, and manager information.
Actor: Applicant; Avis evaluates the candidate.
Timing: No complete application-duration promise is disclosed.
Blocker: Incomplete or inaccurate submissions can stop the process.
2
Receive the FDD and verify the proposed deal terms
Action: Review the 2026 FDD, attachments, Territory, management structure, and draft Summary Pages.
Actor: Applicant and advisers; Avis supplies disclosure.
Timing: At least 14 calendar days before binding signing or payment.
Next dependency: Avis approval and final agreement terms.
3
Execute the governing agreements and pay the signing-triggered fee
Action: Sign the Avis License Agreement and applicable related documents; complete the Rental System Agreement setup.
Actor: Franchisee, beneficial owners or principals, Avis, and ABCR where applicable.
Timing: The disclosed 0–90-day typical opening period starts here with signing and payment.
Blocker: Unresolved agreement, ownership, financing, or territory terms.
4
Secure the Territory and obtain written approval for each Location
Action: Choose a site within the assigned Territory and submit it for Avis review.
Actor: Franchisee finds the site; Avis approves or disapproves it in writing.
Timing: Avis says a site decision is usually made within about two weeks.
Blocker: Traffic, access, parking, market, fleet, airport proximity, real estate, or cost concerns.
5
Complete lease, concession, permits, layout, and premises work
Action: Obtain third-party property rights and approvals, submit layout plans and specifications, and develop the approved location to Avis Standards.
Actor: Franchisee, landlord or airport authority, government authorities, contractors, and Avis for layout approval.
Timing: No universal duration is disclosed.
Blocker: Lease, concession, zoning, permit, construction, signage, or utility delays.
6
Install Wizard, approved equipment, forms, signage, and fleet
Action: Complete required Site Survey where applicable, prepare the site, install approved connectivity and equipment, and meet vehicle and operating-system standards.
Actor: Franchisee, ABCR, approved suppliers, and approved third-party Site Survey vendor.
Timing: Installation duration is not fixed in the FDD.
Blocker: Equipment availability, site readiness, connectivity, supplier, or installation delays.
7
Finish training, staffing, insurance, and opening readiness
Action: Complete required training, staff the location, maintain required insurance, prepare approved forms and systems, and conduct prescribed grand-opening promotion.
Actor: Franchisee and staff; Avis furnishes required instruction.
Timing: Item 11 requires initial training completion at least 30 days before opening.
Blocker: Incomplete training, staffing, insurance, system, fleet, or local approvals.
8
Commence operations by the agreement date
Action: Open the first approved Location in the Territory and begin operating under the Avis System and Standards.
Actor: Franchisee; Avis and ABCR provide the contracted system access and support.
Timing: No later than the Date of Commencement of Operations in the Summary Pages.
Blocker: Any unmet contractual or third-party dependency; the FDD does not disclose a universal separate opening certificate.
Sources: 2026 Avis FDD, Items 5, 8, 9, 11, 12 and 15; Avis License Agreement §§4.1, 8.1–8.5, 9.1–9.4 and 10.2; Rental System Agreement Articles IV–VI.
TIMING
Which disclosed periods shape the critical path?
Four disclosed periods are useful for planning, but they measure different triggers. The 14-day FDD period is a legal pre-signing minimum; the site period is Avis’ usual response time; the 30-day figure is a pre-opening training lead requirement; and zero to 90 days is the FDD’s typical total from signing and payment to opening. They should not be added together.
Avis opening-process periods disclosed in days
Same unit, different triggers and meanings — these bars are comparative, not additive.
The planning implication is that the 0–90-day range already sits downstream of signing; local real estate, permits, construction, equipment, and other third-party dependencies can still determine whether the contractual commencement date is achievable.
Source: 2026 Avis FDD cover and Item 11, pp. 31 and 33–34. Federal disclosure timing cross-checked against the FTC Franchise Rule.
SITE APPROVAL
How do Territory, site approval, lease approval, and buildout differ?
Avis assigns a geographic Territory, while the franchisee selects Locations within it subject to Avis’ prior written approval. Site approval does not create a lease, concession, zoning approval, building permit, or construction approval. Avis considers market size, fleet needs, airport or commercial-hub proximity, traffic, access, real estate, parking, and cost; the franchisee remains responsible for premises and third-party permissions.
Site-to-opening dependency flow
Each box is a distinct approval or dependency; passing one does not automatically satisfy the next.
Territory written into License Agreement
Franchisee identifies candidate Location
Avis gives prior written site approval
Lease or concession and local approvals secured
Avis approves layout and premises are developed
Systems, fleet, staffing and training ready to open
SITE APPROVAL IS NOT UNCONDITIONAL TERRITORY PROTECTION
Item 12 says a franchisee does not receive an unrestricted exclusive territory. The License Agreement grants defined rights for the Rental Business subject to compliance and Avis’ reserved rights. Failure to open required locations, meet market-penetration obligations, or comply with mandatory programs can allow Avis, in its discretion and on 30 days’ notice, to reduce territory rights or make them nonexclusive instead of terminating the entire agreement.
TRAINING AND READINESS
What must be ready before the first Avis Location opens?
Pre-opening readiness is broader than finishing a course. The License Agreement requires the General Manager and other Avis-approved employees to complete required instruction to Avis’ satisfaction before opening. Item 11 says initial training must be completed at least 30 days before opening. Avis chooses the time, place, and manner; the franchisee pays travel and living expenses when travel is required.
The Location also needs approved premises and layout, the required fleet, insurance, signage and forms, Wizard processing, approved hardware and connectivity, a trained full-time General Manager, a trained on-premises supervisor, and prescribed grand-opening promotion. The FDD does not disclose a universal separate final inspection certificate, so verify the current pre-opening signoff procedure with Avis in writing.
Approved Location and approved layout are documented in writing.
Lease, airport concession, permits, and local approvals are effective where applicable.
General Manager and required staff have completed Avis training.
Initial training was completed at least 30 days before the planned opening.
Wizard connectivity, approved equipment, controls, and required Site Survey are complete.
Required fleet, approved forms, signage, insurance, and operating systems are in place.
Staffing and prescribed grand-opening promotion are ready.
The planned opening complies with the Summary Pages commencement date.
Sources: 2026 Avis FDD, Items 8, 11 and 15; Avis License Agreement §§4.1–4.2, 8.3–8.5, 9.1, 9.4, 9.12, 9.16 and 10.2; Rental System Agreement Articles IV–VII.
BUYER VERIFICATION
What should a prospective Avis franchisee verify before committing?
Use the Item 20 franchisee contacts to test the disclosed process and resolve these deal-specific points before committing:
What exact Territory is being granted?
Confirm the legal description, reserved rights, required Locations, market-penetration obligations, and circumstances that can reduce exclusivity.
What is the exact Date of Commencement of Operations?
Confirm the date in the Summary Pages, what counts as commencement, what happens if a third-party delay threatens the date, and whether any extension is a written right or only discretionary.
What must be submitted for site and layout approval?
Ask for the current package, decision authority, expected response process, and confirmation that lease or concession obligations are separate from Avis site approval.
Which people must complete which training before this opening?
Reconcile Item 11 with the License Agreement for the owner, General Manager, on-premises supervisor, and other approved employees, and obtain the required completion evidence.
What is the current Wizard activation and equipment schedule?
Verify the connectivity option, Site Survey requirement, approved equipment list, installation dependencies, security controls, and the date the Location can process live transactions.
Is there a separate final pre-opening signoff?
The FDD does not state one universal certificate or inspection step. Ask Avis to identify every current Manual or Standards requirement that must be cleared before the first rental.
Will SBA-assisted financing be used? Avis does not finance or guarantee the franchisee. Verify current eligibility in the SBA Franchise Directory and the applicable SBA Form 2462 path.
Verified opening path: apply and qualify; receive and review the FDD; finalize the Territory and Summary Pages; sign the License Agreement and system documents; obtain written site and layout approvals; secure property and regulatory approvals; complete premises, Wizard, fleet, insurance, staffing, training, and opening promotion; then commence operations by the contractual date.
The timeline is an official typical 0–90 days from signing and payment to opening, not a guarantee. The key applicant-controlled dependency is site and readiness execution; the key external dependencies are Avis approvals and third-party timing. Verify the exact commencement deadline, any extension basis, and any current final pre-opening signoff procedure.
