You’ve gotten a sweet deal on a rental car (hopefully because you’ve read this). You’ve figured out how much your toll charges will be, and you’re prepared because you know what you need to do about the insurance. You even know how to pay for your rental car using your debit card. You get to the car rental desk, and BOOM, you’re stuck with a daily fee so your spouse or friend can be an extra driver.

What’s up with that? And is there any way to avoid it? Funny you should ask…

First, why do they do it?

Why? For the same reason that luxury hotels charge for WiFi and cheap hotels don’t, and that hotels charge resort fees.

Because they can.

It’s just another way to extract a few (or more than a few) more dollars from us.

Paying for another driver (or more than one driver) is a fee that’s sometimes overlooked when planning the cost of a rental. It’s a hard cost to factor in, though, since the rules change not only from car rental company to car rental company but even from state to state.

Here are the policies for additional drivers for the major car rental companies (including who doesn’t have to pay as an additional driver):

Alamo

Any additional driver (excluding a spouse or domestic partner) will pay a daily fee;
Renter’s spouse or domestic partner who meets the same age and driver’s license requirements of the renter are authorized drivers at no additional charge. Any additional authorized drivers must appear at the time of rental and meet age and driver’s license requirements. An additional charge of $15 per day for each additional authorized driver will be added to the cost of the rental, unless other contractual conditions apply. In New York state, the additional authorized driver charge is $5 per day.

A spouse or domestic partner is the only permitted additional driver on a rental secured with a debit card.

Fees are also waived for the following:

• Corporate Contracts in the United States are allowed the following additional drivers at no charge:
• Commercial (corporate) rentals
• The renter’s business partner
• Employer or fellow associate, who has a signed corporate contract with Alamo and drives the car for business purposes and who meet normal renter requirements.

Please Note: When booking via a third party; the relationship is with the Tour Operator and not Alamo directly. As a result; Alamo Insiders benefits will not apply.

Avis

The fee is $13 per day per additional driver in most U.S. states. The maximum additional driver fee for a rental period is $65 per additional driver.

In New York, the additional driver fee is $3 a day for each additional driver.

In Nevada, the fee is $11 per day per driver, with a maximum charge of $65 per rental.

In California, additional driver fees do not apply to a parent, sibling or child of the renter.

Some additional drivers are always exempt from extra fees as long as they meet the basic requirements for an Avis renter: they must have a valid license and be at least 25 years old.

A spouse or life partner can drive a rental car without an additional fee as long as they have a valid driver’s license and are 25 or older.

Bosses or fellow employees can drive a rental car as an additional driver without a fee, as long as they are on a business trip and have a current driver’s license. All drivers should be at least 25 years old.

If the renter on the agreement cannot operate a rental car because of a disability, an additional driver can drive the vehicle without paying the additional driver fee. The primary renter must fill out a non-licensed renter form, and the driver needs to present their license and be at least 25.

The additional driver fee does apply to friends and extended family members who want to drive the rental car as an additional driver. These drivers must fill out the additional driver form and must be 25 years old or older. After filling out the form, they must present a valid driver’s license at the rental counter.

Budget

In most U.S. states, the fee for additional drivers is $13 per day per driver. The maximum charge for each additional driver is $65 per rental.

In California, there are no additional driver fees for a parent, sibling or child of the renter.

In New York, the additional driver fee is $3 per day.

In Nevada, the additional driver fee varies from $11 per day to $13.75 per day for each additional driver.

Pre-authorized drivers listed above are exempt from these fees.

Dollar

Their page about charges for additional drivers is pretty lacking, frankly.

Enterprise

Any additional driver (excluding a spouse or domestic partner) will pay a daily fee. Renter’s spouse or domestic partner who meet the same age and driver’s license requirements of the renter are authorized drivers at no additional charge. Any additional authorized drivers must appear at time of rental and meet age and driver’s license requirements.

An additional charge of $15.00 per day for each additional authorized driver will be added to the cost of the rental, unless other contractual conditions apply.  In New York state, the additional authorized driver charge is $5 per day.

A spouse or domestic partner is the only permitted additional driver on a rental secured with a debit card

Fees are also waived for the following:

• Corporate Contracts in the United States are allowed the following additional drivers at no charge:
• Commercial (corporate) rentals
• The renter’s business partner
• Employer or fellow associate

Fox

Additional drivers must meet all qualifications as the primary driver in regards to age and license requirements. Primary driver assumes all liability and responsibility for the rental vehicle.
Charges for Additional Drivers: USD/12.99 per day per additional driver.
There is no charge: For the renters spouse, same-sex spouse, or domestic partner or for the companion driver of a renter with a disability who cannot operate the vehicle.

Hertz

1.Is the Additional Driver charged per day of my rental, or is it a one-time charge?
Additional Driver is a per day, per person charge.

2.If I am under 25, am I able to add an Additional Driver to the reservation?
Yes, however there may be a Young Renter fee as well.

3.Am I able to add an Additional Driver while I am on rent?
Yes. If the renter wishes to add an Additional Driver, the renter and potential Additional Driver must both present themselves at a rental location with their valid driver’s license and credit card. The Additional Driver must meet standard rental requirements.

4.Can someone else drive a car that I rent?
Yes. An Additional Driver, if added to the rental agreement, may drive the rental vehicle.

5.Do you charge extra for an additional driver?
Yes, there is an additional charge for each Additional Driver.

6. What do I need to show to become an additional driver?
To qualify as an Additional Driver, you must meet all standard rental requirements, have a valid credit card and driver’s license in your name.

National

Any additional driver (excluding a spouse or domestic partner) will pay a daily fee. Renter’s spouse or domestic partner who meet the same age and driver’s license requirements of the renter are authorized drivers at no additional charge.  Any additional authorized drivers must appear at time of rental and meet age and driver’s license requirements.  An additional charge of $15 per day for each additional authorized driver will be added to the cost of the rental, unless other contractual conditions apply. In New York state, the additional authorized driver charge is $5 per day.

A spouse or domestic partner is the only permitted additional driver on a rental secured with a debit card.

Fees are also waived for the following:

• Rentals by Emerald Club members when the member’s spouse, common law spouse, or same-sex domestic partner has the same address on the driver’s license as the Emerald Club member and meets normal renter requirements.
• Rentals by Emerald Club members when the member’s immediate family member (mother, father, son, daughter, brother or sister) has the same address on the driver’s license as the Emerald Club member and meets normal renter requirements.
• Commercial (corporate) rentals when the renter’s business partner, employer or fellow associate, who has an assigned corporate contract with National and drives the car for business purposes and meet normal renter requirements.
• Rentals for/by disabled renters who cannot drive (one additional driver fee will be waived)

All other additional authorized driver situations are subject to a daily charge.

Sixt

Yes, we allow for up to 9 additional drivers per booking. The additional driver (s) will need to have their license verified at the SIXT branch when the vehicles is picked up or at some point during the rental contract. However, when picking up your rental car in the state of California, the additional driver fee is waived. If you have Gold, Platinum or Diamond status with SIXT, you can add one additional driver free of charge (US residents only).

Thrifty

Thrify’s policy for additional drivers is about as vague as Dollar’s (and since they’re the same company, there’s no wonder about that). No wonder we had problems with them having an additional driver!

Here are the states that have laws on the books that specify charges for additional drivers:

California: Car rental companies in California can charge for additional drivers, provided that the additional driver isn’t a parent, spouse, co-worker, child, sibling, or grandparent.

Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Nevada, New York, Oregon, Texas, Utah, and Wisconsin allow the main driver’s spouse to be an automatically authorized additional driver without a fee.

New York: According to NY State law, the additional driver fee is capped at $3 per day.

Nevada: Also has a fee cap for additional drivers, but it’s adjusted each year based on inflation.

Finally, if you have specific memberships, you may not have to pay for additional driver(s):

AAA: Members get a free additional driver at Hertz, Dollar and Thrifty (primary and additional drivers must both/all have AAA membership, which can include family membership for spouses and domestic partners of AAA members).

AARP: Members get a free additional driver at Budget.

Costco: Costco Travel rental car reservations include one free additional driver at U.S. locations with Alamo, Avis, Budget, and Enterprise. At Canada locations, reservations include one free additional driver with Alamo and Enterprise only.

BJ’s: Members get a free additional driver at Alamo.

USAA: Members get a free additional driver at participating locations in the U.S.

Also note that some car rental companies will waive some additional driver fees if you have a membership with them (which is something some car rental employees apparently don’t know)

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