Quick Summary:
- International arrivals clear immigration before reaching any car hire facilities.
- Collect checked bags at baggage claim, then proceed through customs exit.
- After customs, follow signs to AirTrain and ride to Federal Circle.
- At Federal Circle, walk to car hire counters, then collect vehicles outside.
If you are landing at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York and wondering whether you clear immigration and collect bags before picking up your rental car, the answer is yes for almost every traveller. The car hire desks are not located airside and they are not before border checks. They sit landside, reached via the JFK AirTrain at Federal Circle, so you must complete the airport arrival formalities first.
Below is the arrival sequence mapped step by step, with the key decision points for international versus domestic flights, plus practical timing and signposting so you know what must happen before you can reach the car hire counters.
Why you cannot reach car hire desks straight after landing
At JFK, arriving passengers are kept within controlled areas until the airport and federal processes are complete. For international arrivals, US immigration (passport control) and customs happen before you are released into the public arrivals hall. Even for domestic arrivals, you exit into the terminal first, and then you make your own way to the AirTrain and onward to Federal Circle where the rental companies operate.
This layout is deliberate. It keeps secure and controlled flows separate from public access areas. It also means you should not plan on meeting your car hire provider before you have your passport stamped (if required) and your bags in hand.
Step-by-step arrival sequence at JFK for international flights
International arrivals follow a fairly fixed order. The exact corridor and signage varies by terminal, but the stages remain consistent.
1) Deplane and follow signs for immigration
After you leave the aircraft, follow overhead signs for “Arrivals”, “Immigration”, “Passport Control”, or “Federal Inspection”. If you need an ESTA or visa check, it will be handled here. Many travellers can use automated passport kiosks, but the process still counts as clearing immigration and you still must complete it before doing anything else.
Practical tip: if you have connecting flights, you still clear immigration at your first point of entry into the US, which is JFK in this scenario. Your car hire pick-up remains after you are landside.
2) Clear US immigration (passport control)
You present your passport and any required documentation. Waiting times can vary widely depending on arrival banks, staffing, and whether you qualify for faster processing. Regardless of how long it takes, you cannot access baggage reclaim or the public areas until you are admitted.
If you are travelling as a family or group, keep everyone together. Border officers may ask about your address in New York, the duration of your stay, and your onward plans.
3) Collect checked luggage at baggage claim
After immigration, you proceed to baggage reclaim. This is where you collect all checked bags before customs. If you are travelling with oversized items, follow the signs for special baggage collection.
Important: do not assume you can leave bags with the car hire company or retrieve them later. The airport expects you to take possession of your luggage before customs, then you exit as one flow into the public arrivals area.
4) Pass through customs and exit into the arrivals hall
Once you have your bags, you proceed through customs. You may be waved through after a quick check, or directed to a secondary inspection area. Only after you exit customs are you fully landside and able to head for transport options including the AirTrain to Federal Circle.
At this point, you can use facilities like cash machines, toilets, and shops, and you can also connect to terminal-to-terminal transport if required. But for car hire, your next objective is the AirTrain.
Step-by-step sequence for domestic arrivals
If you arrive on a domestic flight, you will not clear immigration at JFK. You will, however, still need to exit the aircraft, walk into the terminal, and then either collect checked bags from baggage claim or proceed directly to ground transport.
The key difference is that the immigration and customs stages are removed. The practical outcome is the same, you still reach car hire only after you are in the public terminal area and have any checked luggage with you.
Where car hire is located at JFK: Federal Circle
Most rental companies serving JFK operate via the Federal Circle station on the JFK AirTrain. Federal Circle is one stop within the airport’s AirTrain loop and acts as the central hub for rental car counters and shuttle access.
Once you arrive at Federal Circle, you will typically see a clear split between:
1) The interior counter or desk area where you finalise paperwork.
2) The outdoor or nearby vehicle pick-up area where you are directed to your car.
If you are comparing options for car hire at JFK, Hola Car Rentals maintains specific landing pages that outline availability and providers, including car hire in New York JFK and Dollar car rental at New York JFK.
How to get from your terminal to Federal Circle
After you have cleared immigration (if applicable), collected bags, and exited into arrivals, follow signs for “AirTrain”. In most terminals, you will take escalators or lifts to the AirTrain station connected to the terminal.
From there:
Ride the AirTrain within the airport to “Federal Circle”. In-airport travel between terminals and Federal Circle is part of the AirTrain system. Listen for announcements and watch the display boards, especially if this is your first time at JFK.
Exit at Federal Circle and follow signs to rental car counters. Some companies are directly represented there, while others may require a short branded shuttle from the station to their lot. The key point is that you can only begin this journey after you are landside with your luggage.
How long to allow before you reach the car hire desk
Planning realistic timings helps avoid stress and late-arrival fees. Your total time from touchdown to standing at the car hire counter depends mainly on border processing and baggage delivery.
As a practical guide:
International arrivals: allow extra time for immigration queues, baggage reclaim, and customs. When flights arrive in clusters, passport control can be the longest stage.
Domestic arrivals: the timeline is usually shorter, but baggage reclaim and walking time inside large terminals can still add up.
AirTrain transfer: you must factor in walking to the AirTrain station, waiting for the next train, riding to Federal Circle, then walking to the counters.
If you are travelling onward from JFK towards New Jersey, it can be useful to understand how airport-based car hire differs across the region. Hola Car Rentals also provides information on nearby airport options such as car rental at Newark Airport (EWR) and car hire at New Jersey airport (EWR), which have their own desk and shuttle layouts.
Common arrival mistakes that delay pick-up
Assuming the desk is in the arrivals hall. At JFK, your car hire company is not before immigration or customs, and it is generally not in the terminal arrivals hall either. You need to take the AirTrain to Federal Circle.
Forgetting that everyone must have cleared immigration. If one traveller is held for additional questions, the group cannot realistically proceed to car hire with all documents and baggage organised.
Not collecting every bag before customs. You do not clear customs first and then collect bags. It is immigration, then baggage claim, then customs. Make sure you have all items before you exit.
Underestimating walking distances. JFK terminals can involve long walks, lifts, and escalators between gates, immigration halls, baggage claim, and the AirTrain station.
What to have ready before you reach the counter
By the time you arrive at Federal Circle, you should be prepared to complete the rental agreement efficiently. While requirements vary by provider and traveller, it helps to have:
Driving licence and identification ready, plus your passport if needed for verification.
Your reservation details accessible offline in case mobile signal is poor.
A payment method that meets the supplier’s rules, especially if a deposit is required.
Your planned route in mind, including toll expectations around New York bridges and tunnels.
Being organised matters because rental counters can be busy at peak times, and small delays compound when many flights arrive together.
If you have a connecting flight, when does car hire happen?
If JFK is your first entry point into the US on an international itinerary, you clear immigration, collect bags, and clear customs at JFK, even if you are connecting onward. Some itineraries require you to re-check bags and pass security again for the next flight.
In that case, you would not pick up car hire at JFK unless JFK is your final stop. Car hire happens at the airport where you intend to begin driving, after you have arrived landside there.
FAQ
Do I clear immigration before collecting baggage at JFK? Yes. For international arrivals, you clear US immigration first, then collect checked bags at baggage claim, then go through customs.
Can I reach the car hire desk before customs at JFK? No. Car hire at JFK is landside and reached after customs, typically via the AirTrain to Federal Circle.
Where do I go after customs to pick up my rental car at JFK? After you exit customs into arrivals, follow signs to the AirTrain, ride to Federal Circle, and then walk to the rental counters.
If I only have hand luggage, can I go straight to Federal Circle? You still must clear immigration and customs if arriving internationally. With only hand luggage on a domestic flight, you can proceed to the AirTrain sooner.
How early should I plan to arrive at the car hire desk after landing? It varies by queues and baggage delivery, but international arrivals should allow substantial time for immigration, bags, and customs before the AirTrain.
