How much is the additional driver fee at Hertz, Avis and Enterprise?

As published in October 2026, Hertz charges $13.50 per day per additional driver at corporate and participating licensee locations, capped at $216 per rental per driver. Avis and Budget list $13 per day in most US states. Enterprise, National and Alamo list $15 per day unless other contract terms apply. New York and Nevada have their own limits, and franchise locations can differ.

Can my spouse drive my rental car for free?

At Avis, Budget, Enterprise, National and Alamo, a spouse or domestic partner who meets the age and license rules can drive at no extra charge. Hertz waives it if you are a Gold Plus Rewards member, and for rentals starting in California or Iowa. Dollar and Thrifty waive it for Dollar Express Rewards and Blue Chip Rewards members. Sixt says a spouse is not automatically authorized unless local law requires it.

Which states limit additional driver fees?

California bars authorized driver fees for a renter's spouse, child, sibling, parent or grandparent, and for an employer or coworker in some business situations. Iowa treats charging additional driver fees for a licensed spouse or business associate as an unfair practice. New York caps the fee at $5 per additional driver per day, and Nevada caps it at $10 per day adjusted each year for inflation.

Does Costco or AAA waive additional driver fees?

Costco Travel says one additional driver fee is waived for Costco members at participating locations. Hertz waives the fee for the spouse or domestic partner of a AAA member, and when both the renter and the extra driver are AAA members, as long as the AAA discount code is on the booking.

Additional Driver Fees by Rental Company (2026)

By RentRight Team · Published October 12, 2026 · 8 min read

TL;DR: Most major companies charge $13 to $15 a day per extra driver, but a spouse or domestic partner drives free at Avis, Budget, Enterprise, National and Alamo. Hertz, Dollar and Thrifty waive it for loyalty members. California, Iowa, New York and Nevada have laws that ban or cap some of these fees.

Use our free CostItRight to see how an extra driver fee changes the total cost of your rental.

Sharing the driving on a road trip is safer and less tiring, but adding a second name to a rental contract can cost more than you expect. A $15 daily fee on a ten-day trip is $150 before tax. The good news is that many travelers qualify for a free extra driver without realizing it, through a spouse rule, a loyalty program, a membership discount, or a state law.

We checked each company's own published policy pages in October 2026. Fees can differ at franchise and licensee locations, so treat these as the companies' standard published terms and confirm the amount on your reservation or at the counter.

Additional Driver Fees by Company (2026)

Company	Published daily fee	Spouse or domestic partner	Other waivers and notes
Hertz	$13.50/day, max $216 per rental per driver (corporate and participating licensee locations)	Free if the renter is a Gold Plus Rewards member (any tier). Spouse also free on rentals starting in California or Iowa.	AAA: free for a AAA member's spouse or domestic partner, and when renter and driver are both AAA members (use the AAA code). USAA: free for qualified USAA member drivers on USAA bookings.
Avis	$13/day in most states. NV: $11 to $19.99/day. NY: $3/day.	Spouse or life partner free (valid license, age 25+).	Employer or employee on a business trip free. Costco Travel: one driver fee waived at participating locations. Up to two additional drivers.
Budget	$13/day in most states. NV: $11 to $13.75/day. NY: $3/day.	Spouse or domestic partner free.	Fellow employee on a business account free. Costco Travel: one driver fee waived at participating locations. Up to two additional drivers.
Enterprise	$15/day unless other contract terms apply. NY: $5/day.	Spouse or domestic partner free (same age and license rules).	Business partner, employer or fellow associate free; US corporate contracts free. Costco Travel: one driver fee waived at participating locations.
National	$15/day unless other contract terms apply. NY: $5/day.	Spouse or domestic partner free.	Emerald Club: spouse, common-law spouse, domestic partner and immediate family (parent, child, sibling) with the same license address drive free.
Alamo	$15/day unless other contract terms apply. NY: $5/day.	Spouse or domestic partner free.	Costco Travel: one driver fee waived at participating locations. Alamo Insiders benefits do not apply to third-party tour operator bookings.
Sixt	Varies by location (daily fee with a daily cap)	Not automatic. A fee applies unless local law requires a waiver.	Some corporate or promotional rates include an additional driver.
Dollar	Varies by location	Free if the renter is a Dollar Express Rewards member.	Drivers 20 to 24 pay the location's age differential.
Thrifty	Varies by location	Free for Blue Chip Rewards members in the US and Canada (driver 25+).	Drivers under 25 may pay an age differential.

"Varies by location" means the company does not publish a single national fee on its policy pages. You will see the actual amount when you add a driver during booking or at pickup.

Spouse and Domestic Partner Rules

The spouse rule is the single biggest money saver, and it is not the same everywhere:

Free at the Enterprise Holdings brands: Enterprise, National and Alamo all let a spouse or domestic partner who meets the renter's age and license requirements drive at no charge. On a rental paid with a debit card, a spouse or domestic partner is the only additional driver they allow.
Free at Avis and Budget: Avis lists spouses and life partners as free drivers if they are 25 or older with a valid license. Budget treats a spouse or domestic partner as pre-authorized.
Hertz depends on loyalty status or state: a spouse or domestic partner is automatically authorized when the renter is a Hertz Gold Plus Rewards member. Joining is free. Without that, Hertz only lists a free spouse for rentals that start in California or Iowa.
Dollar and Thrifty require their loyalty programs: Dollar waives the fee for the spouse or domestic partner of a Dollar Express Rewards member, and Thrifty does the same for Blue Chip Rewards members.
Sixt does not waive it by default: Sixt says your spouse is not automatically an authorized driver, and a fee applies unless local law requires otherwise.

Definitions matter. Hertz, for example, defines a domestic partner as an unmarried, unrelated partner who lives at the same address shown on the renter's license. Bring licenses that show the same address if you are relying on a domestic partner rule.

Loyalty and Membership Waivers

AAA with Hertz

Hertz waives the additional driver fee for the spouse or domestic partner of a AAA member, without the partner needing their own membership. For anyone else, the fee is waived when both the renter and the extra driver are AAA members. You need to book with the AAA discount code (Hertz calls it a CDP number) to get it.

Costco Travel bookings

Costco Travel says one additional driver fee is waived for Costco members at participating locations. Its rental car partners include Alamo, Avis, Budget and Enterprise. The extra driver still has to meet the normal age, car class and location requirements.

National Emerald Club

National's Emerald Club goes further than the spouse rule. Members can add a spouse, common-law spouse or domestic partner, plus immediate family (mother, father, son, daughter, brother or sister), at no charge, as long as they share the member's license address and meet the normal renter requirements.

USAA and business rentals

Hertz lists no charge for qualified extra drivers who are USAA members on a USAA booking. Across most companies, coworkers driving on company business under a corporate account or contract are also free.

CostItRight adds up daily fees, taxes and extras so you can see whether a membership rate with a free extra driver beats a cheaper base rate without one.

States That Ban or Cap Additional Driver Fees

A few states write these rules into law. These apply no matter which company you rent from, as long as the rental falls under that state's law.

State	Rule	Law
California	Companies may charge an authorized driver fee, but not for the renter's spouse, child, sibling, parent or grandparent, or for an employer or coworker in qualifying business situations.	Civil Code 1939.19, as amended by AB 901 (2021)
Iowa	Charging additional driver fees for a licensed spouse or business associate is listed as an unfair practice. Underage charges can still apply.	Iowa Code 516D.7
New York	Fee capped at $5 per additional driver per rental day. The current statute lowers the cap to $3 on June 30, 2028, and Avis and Budget already charge $3 there.	General Business Law 396-z
Nevada	Fee capped at $10 per 24-hour period, adjusted each year for inflation. A licensed spouse who meets the age rule counts as an authorized driver under state law.	NRS 482.3158, NRS 482.31515

Some other states, including Illinois, define a renter's licensed spouse as an authorized driver in their rental car laws without setting a fee rule. If you are renting somewhere else and the counter wants to charge for your spouse, it is worth asking whether state law treats a spouse as authorized. Our California, New York and Nevada rental guides cover other local rules.

How to Add a Driver the Right Way

Book with the right code or account. Attach your loyalty number, AAA code or Costco Travel booking before you arrive. Waivers often depend on it.
Bring the driver to the counter. Hertz, Enterprise and National say additional drivers must be present with a valid license. Some loyalty spouse rules skip this, but plan on it.
Check the age rules. Drivers under 25 may pay a separate underage fee even when the additional driver fee is waived. See our under 25 guide.
Read the contract before you sign. Make sure the extra driver's name is printed on the agreement and the fee matches what you were told.
Adding mid-trip is possible. Most companies let you add a driver at a branch during the rental, but both of you usually need to go in.

CheckItRight gives you a pickup checklist so you can confirm every driver is on the contract and photograph the car before you leave the lot.

Why You Should Never Skip Listing a Driver

It is tempting to save the fee and just swap seats on the highway. Do not. If someone who is not on the contract crashes the car, the rental company's damage waiver can be voided, and your own insurance or card benefit may refuse the claim too. California law even lets a company charge up to twice the authorized driver fee if it learns an unlisted driver used the car. A free or cheap listing is far less risky than a full damage bill.

InsureItRight helps you check whether your auto policy and credit card cover additional drivers before you decide what to buy at the counter.

Renting through Turo instead? Turo lets you add up to eight drivers at no extra cost, though drivers under 25 pay a young driver fee. See our Turo vs rental car guide for the full comparison.

The Bottom Line

If you are married or have a domestic partner, you can usually avoid the extra driver fee by choosing Avis, Budget, Enterprise, National or Alamo, or by joining Hertz Gold Plus Rewards, Dollar Express or Thrifty Blue Chip for free. For friends and extended family, a AAA booking at Hertz, a Costco Travel booking, or National's Emerald Club family rule can save $13 to $15 a day. Check your state's law, list every driver on the contract, and confirm the fee before you sign.

How to Avoid Hidden Rental Car Fees: the add-ons and surcharges that inflate a rental bill.
Renting a Car Under 25: underage fees and how to reduce them.
Rental Company Comparison: how the major brands stack up on price and policies.
Turo vs Rental Car: cost, insurance and damage claims compared.