National Car Rental hours

National hours vary by location type. Airport major-hub locations often run 24 hours or 5:00 AM to 1:00 AM matching flight schedules. Off-airport offices typically run 7:30 AM to 6:00 PM Mon-Fri, 9:00 AM to noon Saturday, with most closed Sunday. Customer service: 1-844-382-6875.

National Car Rental is a premium-tier US car rental brand operating at virtually every major US airport plus select off-airport locations, owned by Enterprise Holdings (the private Taylor-family parent that also operates Enterprise Rent-A-Car and Alamo Rent A Car), headquartered in Clayton Missouri, founded in 1947 in St. Louis by 24 independent rental agents who pooled resources to compete against Hertz and Avis, and acquired by Enterprise Holdings in August 2007 alongside sister brand Alamo Rent A Car.

The questions readers actually ask: what time does National open today, when does the airport location close, are they open Sunday or Saturday, are they open on Christmas and Thanksgiving, how the Emerald Aisle and Emerald Club skip-the-counter service works, and where the nearest National is located.

One National specific thing worth knowing: the chain’s signature service is the EMERALD AISLE, which lets Emerald Club members skip the counter at participating airport locations, walk into a designated aisle of available cars, choose any car (any class equal to or higher than the reservation), and drive straight to the exit booth showing only the membership card and driver’s license. Hours follow the same airport-vs-off-airport pattern as Enterprise, Hertz, and Avis, with airport major-hub locations running 24 hours or 5:00 AM to 1:00 AM and off-airport offices typically running 7:30 AM to 6:00 PM Monday through Friday with reduced 9:00 AM to noon Saturday hours and most closed Sunday entirely.

Use the locator below to find your nearest National location, confirm hours by location type, and verify Emerald Aisle availability at your specific airport hub.

Is National Car Rental open today?

National Car Rental generally follows the standard weekly schedule below. Hours can vary by location - confirm your specific store via the official locator.

National Car Rental weekly hours

National Car Rental holiday hours

Is National Car Rental open on Saturday?

Saturday hours at National vary by location type. Airport major-hub National counters run regular Saturday hours (often the same 24-hour or 5am-1am window as weekdays). Off-airport corporate National offices typically run a 3-hour Saturday window (9:00 AM to noon) much shorter than weekdays. Saturday Emerald Aisle service runs at participating airport hubs throughout the day. Saturday afternoon return at off-airport offices typically requires after-hours drop-off via secure key-drop boxes.

Is National Car Rental open on Sunday?

Most off-airport corporate National offices are closed Sunday entirely. Airport National counters at major hubs are open Sunday with regular hours that match weekday hours; smaller airports may run reduced Sunday hours. Sunday Emerald Aisle service runs at participating airport hubs (the skip-the-counter service is one of the most-used National features for Sunday afternoon and evening business travel). Sunday after-hours drop-off is supported at most off-airport offices via secure key-drop boxes outside the office.

Find a National Car Rental store near me

Hours vary by location, so the most accurate hours for your nearest store are on the official National Car Rental store locator. Enter your zip code or city to see the closest stores and their current hours.

National Car Rental hours - frequently asked questions

What time does National open today?

National open times vary by location type. Airport major-hub locations (LAX, JFK, ATL, ORD, DFW, MIA, etc.) typically open 5:00 AM seven days a week and run until 1:00 AM or 24 hours. Off-airport corporate National offices typically open 7:30 AM Monday through Friday and 9:00 AM Saturday. Use the locator below to confirm the open time at your specific National location.

What time does National close?

National close times vary by location type. Airport major hubs typically close 1:00 AM matching late-arrival flight schedules; some run 24 hours at the largest airports. Off-airport corporate offices typically close 6:00 PM Monday through Friday, noon Saturday, and are closed Sunday entirely. Confirm specific closing time at your National office via the locator below.

Is National open on Sunday?

It depends on the location. Airport National counters are open Sunday at most major airports (often with regular Sunday hours that match weekday hours at major hubs). Off-airport corporate National offices are typically closed Sunday entirely. The locator below indicates Sunday hours for each specific National location.

How does the Emerald Aisle work?

The Emerald Aisle is the signature National service that lets Emerald Club members skip the counter at participating airport locations. After the reservation is confirmed, the member walks past the rental counter, into a designated Emerald Aisle of available cars, chooses any car (any class equal to or higher than the reservation class with no upcharge for the upgrade), gets in, and drives directly to the airport exit booth where the Emerald Club card and driver's license are scanned. The system saves typically 10 to 30 minutes versus a traditional counter rental and is one of the most popular features for frequent business travelers. Emerald Aisle is available at most major US airport hubs but not at every National location; confirm Emerald Aisle availability at your specific airport before relying on it.

Is National open 24 hours?

Yes, at major-airport hub locations. The largest US airport National counters (LAX, JFK, ATL, ORD, DFW, MIA, IAD, SFO, DEN, PHX, LAS, BOS, SEA, etc.) typically run 24 hours to match continuous flight arrival schedules. Other airport locations run extended hours like 5:00 AM to 1:00 AM but are not 24-hour. Off-airport offices are not 24-hour at any location. Confirm 24-hour status at your specific National before late-night pickup or drop-off.

Is National open on Christmas Day?

Airport National counters at major hubs run reduced Christmas Day hours (typical 7:00 AM to 1:00 PM or 5:00 AM to noon depending on airport's flight schedule). Off-airport corporate National offices are typically closed entirely on Christmas Day. Confirm Christmas Day hours at your specific location before pickup or drop-off.

Is National open on Thanksgiving?

Airport National counters at major hubs run reduced Thanksgiving Day hours. Off-airport corporate offices are typically closed entirely on Thanksgiving. The Wednesday before Thanksgiving (the day before) is the single busiest rental pickup day of the year for the chain; the Sunday after Thanksgiving is one of the heaviest return days. Day-After-Thanksgiving (Black Friday) reopens with full hours at most off-airport offices.

How does Emerald Club work?

Emerald Club is the free National customer loyalty program. Members earn credits on rentals (one credit per qualifying rental day or seven credits per qualifying paid week, with a free-day reward at 7 credits), get Emerald Aisle skip-the-counter access at participating airports, and access discounted rates. Higher tiers (Emerald Club, Executive, Executive Elite) add additional benefits including guaranteed upgrades, priority service, and free additional driver. Sign-up is free at nationalcar.com or any National location. Emerald Club is one of the more well-known frequent-renter programs targeted at business travelers.

What is the difference between National, Enterprise, and Alamo?

All three are car rental brands operated by Enterprise Holdings, the privately held Taylor-family parent that owns and runs all three. Enterprise Rent-A-Car is the flagship and largest brand (about 6,000 US offices including the strong off-airport neighborhood network). National Car Rental is the premium-tier brand with the Emerald Aisle skip-the-counter service targeted at frequent business travelers. Alamo Rent A Car is the value-tier brand positioned for leisure travelers and price-sensitive customers. At airports the three brands often share back-end operations and a common car lot but operate separate counters, separate reservations, and separate websites. Loyalty programs are NOT cross-redeemable between Enterprise Plus, National Emerald Club, and Alamo Insiders.

Where are National locations?

National operates at virtually every major US airport plus select off-airport locations in major business districts. The chain has counters at over 200 US airports and total of about 1,500 US locations (significantly fewer than sister brand Enterprise's ~6,000 US offices since National's positioning concentrates on airports and corporate-account business travel rather than the off-airport neighborhood network). Worldwide National operates in over 80 countries through corporate-owned and licensee locations. The locator at nationalcar.com lists all locations with current hours, fleet availability, and Emerald Aisle availability.

What is the National customer service phone number?

National US customer service is 1-844-382-6875 (1-844-3-NATIONAL) for reservations, billing questions, Emerald Club account support, late return reporting, lost-and-found, and corporate matters. Each National location has its own local store phone listed in the locator below; for location-specific questions (current vehicle availability, after-hours drop-off, Emerald Aisle availability) calling the local National directly is faster than the corporate line.

Where is the nearest National?

Use the locator below or visit nationalcar.com and enter your ZIP code or airport code to find the nearest National location, including current hours, fleet availability, and Emerald Aisle status. The chain has counters at virtually every major US airport plus select off-airport offices; in major metros most airports have a National counter. Internationally National operates in over 80 countries.

National Car Rental customer service: 1-844-382-6875 - call to confirm hours or ask questions.

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Last verified: May 2026 against National Car Rental's official store locator and press releases.

Disclaimer: we are not connected with National Car Rental or any other company. Whathours.com exists to show the working hours of good businesses worldwide.