Rental car additional drivers: who must be listed, and what a waiver saves

Being allowed to drive and paying no fee are separate questions. Here's how Avis and Enterprise treat additional drivers, with a four-day example.

Published by Greg M., Editor in Chief · Updated November 8, 2026

If someone else will drive your rental car, two questions come up. First, are they allowed to drive it? Second, will you pay a daily fee for them? A waived fee only answers the second question. The driver must still qualify. Some agreements automatically authorize a qualifying spouse or partner; other drivers must be added by name. Check which route applies before handing over the keys.

This guide uses the Avis and Enterprise US additional-driver FAQs, checked November 8, 2026. It isn’t a state-by-state legal guide, and the rules at your location can differ. Avis, for example, points renters to each location’s own “Additional Driver Policy.”

The two companies side by side

These are the figures listed on the linked company FAQs, not state-law advice or a quote for every branch. Neither FAQ establishes the tax treatment or a maximum total fee for your booking. The example below assumes four chargeable days, no cap or other waiver, and excludes tax and any separate surcharge.

Worked example: a four-day trip

These scenarios are invented to show how the rules apply. Fees are each company’s published daily figure for most states, before any tax. No cap is assumed; check the location’s terms before using this as your actual total.

Two friends share the driving, both 30 with valid licenses, picking up in a state where the standard fee applies:

A married couple shares the driving, both 30 with valid licenses:

For the assumed four chargeable days, the base driver-fee difference is $52 at Avis and $60 at Enterprise. That is not a full-rental price comparison: base rental prices and other charges may differ. The saving only counts if the second driver qualifies first. A 23-year-old friend would not meet the 25+ condition stated in Avis’s general FAQ. Do not assume that paying the fee overrides the driver requirements; check the policy for the actual location.

What changes the numbers:

• New York. Avis’s FAQ lists $3 a day ($12 for four days) and Enterprise’s $5 a day ($20).
• California. Avis says the fee doesn’t apply to a renter’s parent, sibling or child.
• A partner who isn’t married to you. Check the company’s wording. Avis says “spouse or life partner”; Enterprise says “spouse or domestic partner.” Neither FAQ defines the term, so ask the location what it accepts.
• A booking with a waiver. Costco Travel’s FAQ says one additional driver fee is waived for members at participating locations, and the driver must still meet the renter requirements. See our Costco Travel guide. It’s a scoped membership offer, not a general rule.

Getting a driver listed

• Avis. You can tick the additional-driver option when you book and bring the completed form to pickup. Or ask the agent for the form when you arrive. To add someone to an existing booking, go to the counter at pickup. The driver shows a license proving they’re 25 or older. Avis’s FAQ says an eligible spouse/partner or business-trip employer/employee need not be present. Confirm whether your agreement already authorizes that person rather than assuming every fee-free driver uses the same form.
• Enterprise. Drivers can be added only at a rental location. The additional driver comes to the counter with you and shows a valid license. To add someone partway through the rental, you both need to be at the location. Enterprise charges for the dates the driver is listed.

Avis’s FAQ also reminds renters that the primary renter is responsible for the car “no matter who was driving.” Letting someone drive who isn’t authorized under your agreement is a different risk from paying a fee, and one worth avoiding.

Coverage isn’t automatic

A free added driver doesn’t mean every protection applies to them. Damage waivers, your own insurance and card benefits each have their own driver rules. Check those separately. Our card-payment guide and coverage guide explain the questions to ask.

Questions to settle before pickup

1. Does each driver meet the company’s age and license rules?
2. Is the second driver your spouse or partner under this company’s wording, and what does the location accept?
3. Does the driver need to come to the counter?
4. What daily fee applies at this location, and is it taxed or capped?
5. Are you paying by debit card? At Enterprise, that limits added drivers to a spouse or domestic partner.

At the counter, check who is authorized under the agreement, which drivers must be listed by name and any applicable fee. If a spouse or partner is authorized by the contract’s definition, ask how the location wants that documented rather than assuming a missing name means they cannot drive. Keep a copy with your other rental records; our inspection guide lists what else to keep.

Common questions

Can my spouse drive without being listed? Being exempt from the fee isn’t the same as being authorized. Ask the location, and check your agreement.

Is the fee per driver or per rental? Both FAQs describe a fee per day for each additional driver.

Can I add a driver halfway through the trip? At Enterprise, yes, at a rental location with both of you present. At Avis, the FAQ describes adding drivers at the counter.

Sources checked November 8, 2026: Avis additional drivers, Avis renting for someone else, Enterprise additional drivers and Costco Travel FAQ. Check the current terms on your own rental agreement.