Status: checked against official sources; automated independent review
FREQUENT FLYER GLOSSARY
What is an additional driver fee?
Additional driver fee (also called an extra driver charge or second driver fee) is the daily amount a car rental company adds to a rental agreement when a second person is named as an authorized driver next to the renter. The amount and the waivers are set operator by operator and location by location: Enterprise Rent-A-Car charges US$15.00 per day for each additional authorized driver in the United States, but US$5 per day in New York State, unless other contractual conditions apply. [3]
Facts checked: 18 October 2026
Key takeaways
- An additional driver fee is normally quoted per additional driver and per rental day, and is billed only for the days that driver is listed on the contract. [3]
- Enterprise Rent-A-Car publishes US$15.00 per day for each additional authorized driver in the United States, and US$5 per day in New York State, unless other contractual conditions apply. [3]
- A spouse or domestic partner who meets the renter's age and license requirements is added at no charge by Enterprise, and SIXT waives the charge where the law of the rental location requires it. [3] [7]
- The extra driver has to be added in person with a valid license, and on an Enterprise rental secured with a debit card only a spouse or domestic partner may be added. [3]
How does an additional driver fee work?
A rental agreement names the people who are allowed to drive the vehicle. Anyone else who takes the wheel is not an authorized driver under that contract, so a second person has to be added to the agreement, and the rental company may charge for doing so. The charge is usually expressed as a daily amount for each additional driver, and it is calculated from the dates on which that person was listed on the rental rather than from the length of the whole rental. [3]
Enterprise Rent-A-Car keeps the process at the counter: an additional driver may only be added to the contract at a rental location, and may be added or removed in the middle of the contract. When a driver is added mid-rental, both the renter and the additional driver must be present at the location, and the system then calculates the charges based on the dates the additional driver was listed. [3]
Every additional driver must meet the age requirements, appear at the rental counter with the primary renter and present a valid driver's license. [3] SIXT applies the same standard to the renter and all authorized drivers: a valid, unexpired and original license, legible and in good condition, that stays valid for the entire rental period. Digital licenses, photocopies and learner's permits are not accepted. [7] Age and license rules for the primary renter are covered in car rental age and license requirements.
| Operator and market | Charge | Conditions stated |
|---|---|---|
| Enterprise Rent-A-Car, United States | US$15.00 per day for each additional authorized driver | Added to the cost of the rental unless other contractual conditions apply [3] |
| Enterprise Rent-A-Car, New York State | US$5 per day for each additional authorized driver | New York State rate [3] |
| SIXT, United States | A fee applies (amount not published) | Free of charge where applicable law requires it; the driver's details are noted in the agreement only if a valid license is presented [7] |
When is the additional driver fee waived?
At Enterprise, any additional driver other than a spouse or domestic partner pays a daily fee. A renter's spouse or domestic partner who meets the same age and driver's license requirements as the renter is an authorized driver at no additional charge. [3]
Enterprise also waives the fee in a set of contract-based situations in the United States: corporate contracts are allowed additional drivers at no charge, and the same applies to commercial (corporate) rentals, the renter's business partner, and an employer or fellow associate. All other additional authorized driver situations are subject to a daily charge. [3] The published exemptions are therefore tied to the relationship between the drivers or to a corporate contract, not to the length of the rental.
SIXT frames its exemption around local law rather than around the relationship between the drivers: for rentals in locations where required by applicable law, the additional driver is free of charge. [7] Where the law of the pick-up location requires a free additional driver, that rule sits alongside the general position that a fee applies for the additional driver. [7]
Why does the fee vary by location?
The published figures show that the charge is not uniform even inside one country. Enterprise's United States rate is US$15.00 per day for each additional authorized driver, while the rate for New York State is US$5 per day, and the higher figure applies only unless other contractual conditions apply. [3] A quote for one state therefore does not carry over to another, and the rate printed on the contract at the counter is the one that governs the rental. [3]
SIXT's United States rental information links part of the rule to the law of the rental location, stating that the additional driver is free of charge where applicable law requires it, and that the driver's details are recorded in the rental agreement only if a valid driver's license is presented. [7] Because the conditions are attached to the location and to the contract, the practical step is to check the terms for the exact pick-up branch and payment method before booking; the wider booking process is set out in the car rental guide.
Exceptions and limits
- Payment method. On an Enterprise rental secured with a debit card, a spouse or domestic partner is the only permitted additional driver. [3]
- In person only. An additional driver may only be added to the contract at a rental location, and both the renter and the additional driver must be at the location when a driver is added mid-contract. [3]
- Documents. Additional drivers must present a valid driver's license and meet the age requirements. [3] SIXT does not accept digital licenses, photocopies or learner's permits from the renter or any authorized driver. [7]
- Proration. Enterprise calculates the charge from the dates the additional driver was listed on the rental, so removing a driver part-way through reduces the billed days. [3]
- Contractual override. Enterprise's US$15.00 per day figure applies unless other contractual conditions apply, so a corporate or negotiated rate can produce a different outcome. [3]
- Scope. The Enterprise rules cited here are published on its United States help pages in US dollars; the SIXT rules cited here come from its United States rental information. Both sets of figures are stated as of 18 October 2026. [3] [7]
Frequently asked questions
Do I pay extra to add my spouse as a driver?
At Enterprise in the United States, a spouse or domestic partner who meets the same age and driver's license requirements as the renter is an authorized driver at no additional charge. [3]
How much is the additional driver fee at Enterprise?
US$15.00 per day for each additional authorized driver in the United States, or US$5 per day in New York State, unless other contractual conditions apply. [3]
Can I add a driver after I pick up the car?
Yes. An additional driver may be added or removed in the middle of the contract at a rental location, with both the renter and the additional driver present, and the charge is calculated from the dates that driver was listed. [3]
Does SIXT charge for an additional driver?
SIXT states that a fee applies for the additional driver, and that the additional driver is free of charge for rentals in locations where applicable law requires it. [7]
What license does an additional driver need?
Enterprise requires a valid driver's license and compliance with its age requirements. [3] SIXT requires a valid, unexpired and original license for the renter and all authorized drivers, and does not accept digital licenses, photocopies or learner's permits. [7]
Sources
Sources checked on 18 October 2026. The rules cited come from Enterprise Rent-A-Car's United States help pages and SIXT's United States rental information; other operators and other country markets, including Avis, Hertz, Europcar and Budget, are not covered here.
- Enterprise Rent-A-Car: Can I add an additional driver to my rental?, checked 18 October 2026
- SIXT rental information for the USA, checked 18 October 2026