"Hertz charges $13.50/day for an additional driver, capped at $189. Most of that is avoidable — but the waiver path requires one step before you book, not at the counter."
You enrol in Hertz Gold Plus Rewards (free) before booking and add your membership number to the reservation — your spouse drives free and you avoid up to $189 in fees
Assuming an unlisted driver is covered under Hertz's CDW — they aren't, regardless of relationship. List every driver at the counter.
Hertz's additional driver fee runs $13.50 per day, capped at $189 per rental. On a 14-day trip with two people sharing the driving, that's $189 added to a booking that might already feel expensive. The fee is avoidable for most couples — but only if the right programme is in place before the reservation is made, not at pickup.
The question that drives most of the search traffic to this topic — whether Hertz's insurance actually covers an additional driver — has a clear answer: yes, if they're on the contract. What changes if they're not is where the real risk sits, and it's worth understanding before deciding whether the fee is worth paying.
What Hertz charges for an additional driver
The rate is $13.50 per day with a $189 per-rental cap — the cap is reached at 14 days, so on longer rentals the fee stops climbing. Young driver surcharges are a separate line item and are covered below. For how Hertz compares against the other major US suppliers on the same fee, the full cross-supplier comparison has the complete picture. For a full breakdown of Hertz locations, fees, and what to expect at the counter, see the Hertz review.
| Fee | Typical charge | Risk | What happens |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard additional driver | $13.50/day (most locations) | Medium | Can avoid this — Gold Plus Rewards membership (free) waives it for a spouse or domestic partner. Without membership, the fee applies regardless of relationship. |
| Per-rental cap | Max $189 | Low | Can't exceed this — $189 is the ceiling per driver, per rental. On a 14-day rental with one additional driver, the fee stops at $189. |
| Young driver surcharge (under 25) | Approx. $27-$30/day | High | Can't avoid this — applies separately on top of the additional driver fee for any listed driver under 25. The two charges stack. |
| AAA/USAA discount — additional driver | $0 (one driver free) | Low | Waiver available — AAA and USAA memberships waive the fee for one additional driver, not just a spouse. Discount code must be in the reservation before pickup. |
Hertz published rental conditions and Gold Plus Rewards FAQ, September 2026.
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Gold Plus Rewards: how the spouse waiver actually works
Hertz's Gold Plus Rewards programme is free to join and available to any renter. The relevant benefit for this article: Gold Plus members get a complimentary spouse or domestic partner listed as an additional driver on every rental, at no charge. No status level required — basic membership qualifies. The additional driver must meet Hertz's standard rental qualifications and bring a credit card in their own name to the counter.
The part that trips people up is the timing. The waiver is tied to the rate at booking, not applied at the counter. Your Gold Plus membership number needs to be in the reservation at the time you make it — whether you book direct or through a third-party platform like Expedia, the membership number field is available at booking and the waiver applies the same way. Showing up at pickup and enrolling on the spot, or asking the agent to add a membership number retroactively, does not reliably trigger the discount — some locations will accommodate it, most won't, and there's no guarantee either way.
The enrolment process is a few minutes online at Hertz.com. After booking, check the confirmation email: your membership number should appear in the reservation details. If it doesn't, call the reservations line before the rental date and ask them to add it. That one step is the difference between paying up to $189 and paying nothing.
Dollar and Thrifty, which sit in the same ownership group as Hertz, operate near-identical policies under their own programmes (Dollar Express Rewards and Thrifty Blue Chip respectively). If you are ever comparing the three, the same pre-booking membership logic applies across all of them. If you are comparing Hertz specifically against Avis or Sixt, the Hertz vs Avis and Sixt vs Hertz pages cover where the additional driver policies diverge.
AAA and USAA: the waiver that works for any additional driver
Gold Plus Rewards covers spouses and domestic partners. If the additional driver is a friend, colleague, adult child, or anyone else, the membership waiver is not available through Gold Plus alone — but two other memberships change that picture.
AAA members get one free additional driver at Hertz regardless of the driver's relationship to the renter. The AAA discount code must be in the reservation at booking — the same pre-booking requirement as Gold Plus. It doesn't stack with Gold Plus for a second free driver, but for a friend or colleague sharing the trip, it eliminates the fee entirely.
USAA members (active military, veterans, and eligible family members) get the same benefit: one free additional driver at Hertz with the USAA discount code applied at booking. USAA-covered household members are also automatically treated as authorised drivers under USAA's own insurance products, which affects how coverage layers work — relevant if you're relying on personal auto insurance rather than Hertz's CDW.
Insurance and your additional driver: what's covered and what isn't
This is the question the GSC data suggests most people are actually trying to answer: if something goes wrong, is the second driver covered?
The answer depends entirely on whether they're on the contract. Any driver listed as an additional driver on the Hertz rental agreement is covered by Hertz's protection products — CDW (Collision Damage Waiver), LIS (Liability Insurance Supplement), PAI (Personal Accident Insurance), and anything else you've purchased. The insurance doesn't distinguish between the primary renter and an additional driver as long as both names are on the contract.
A driver not listed on the contract has none of that coverage. Hertz's CDW and LIS don't apply to an unlisted driver's incident regardless of their relationship to you — spouse, family member, or otherwise. What this means in practice: if an unlisted driver has an accident, the repair costs fall on the primary renter who signed the agreement. The supplier has no way of knowing someone else drove on an uneventful trip. The risk shows up in the one situation where it matters most.
Credit card coverage and additional drivers is a separate consideration that most travellers don't check. Chase Sapphire Preferred and Reserve, Amex Platinum and Gold, and similar premium cards extend rental car coverage to the primary cardholder. Whether a listed additional driver is covered depends on the specific card's benefit terms. Most premium card policies cover a spouse or domestic partner as an additional driver, but coverage for a friend, colleague, or other family member varies. The card's certificate of coverage is the only reliable source — benefit summaries on bank websites are often too vague to rely on for this detail.
Under 25: when the additional driver fee and young driver surcharge stack
If the additional driver is under 25, two separate fees apply simultaneously. The additional driver fee ($13.50/day, capped at $189) and the young driver surcharge are independent line items — one doesn't offset or replace the other.
Hertz's young driver surcharge runs approximately $27-$30 per day depending on location, and unlike the additional driver fee, it has no published per-rental cap. On a seven-day rental with an under-25 additional driver, the two charges combined can exceed $280 — more than some base rental rates. The Gold Plus waiver removes the additional driver fee for a spouse under 25, but the young driver surcharge still applies regardless of membership level or relationship.
The full breakdown of what each supplier charges for under-25 drivers is in the young driver fee guide — Hertz is not the most expensive option in that category, but it's not the cheapest either.
The verdict
If you haven't booked yet: enrol in Gold Plus Rewards before you make the reservation — it takes a few minutes and it's free. Add your membership number when you book. That removes the additional driver fee for a spouse entirely, up to $189 on longer trips. If the second driver isn't a spouse, check whether you hold an AAA or USAA membership — either one waives the fee for any additional driver with the right code at booking. If none of those apply, $13.50/day with a $189 cap is the cost. On a short trip it may not move the needle; on a two-week rental it's worth factoring into your Hertz review and supplier comparison.
If you're already booked: check that your Gold Plus number appears in the booking confirmation if you're relying on the spouse waiver. If it's missing, call Hertz before the rental date to add it. At pickup, bring the additional driver's licence and a credit card in their name — both are required at the counter. If the additional driver is under 25, confirm that both the additional driver fee and the young driver surcharge are in your quoted total before you get to the airport.
If you've been charged and weren't expecting it: start with the booking platform if you reserved through a third party. If you booked direct, contact Hertz in writing with your rental agreement and, if relevant, your Gold Plus or AAA/USAA membership documentation. Give them one week to respond. If it doesn't resolve, a credit card chargeback with the contract and correspondence as supporting evidence is the next step.
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- Gold Plus Rewards membership number must be on the reservation at the time of booking — enrolling at the counter does not reliably trigger the spouse waiver.
- An additional driver not listed on the Hertz contract has no coverage under Hertz CDW, LIS, or PAI — even if they are a family member. The primary renter is liable for all damage costs from that driver.
- Many credit cards only extend rental car coverage to the primary cardholder and their spouse by default. A friend, colleague, or other family member listed as an additional driver may fall outside the card's coverage — check the benefit guide before relying on it.
- Young driver surcharges stack on top of the additional driver fee for any listed driver under 25. Both charges apply simultaneously.
- AAA and USAA codes must be in the reservation before pickup. Agents cannot apply them retroactively once the contract is printed.
- Dollar and Thrifty (same ownership group as Hertz) follow near-identical additional driver policies. If you are comparing the three, the same Gold Plus / loyalty programme logic applies across all of them.
Frequently asked questions
Does Hertz waive the additional driver fee for my spouse?
Yes, but only if you are a Gold Plus Rewards member (free to join) and your membership number is on the reservation before you book. Without membership, a spouse pays the full $13.50/day rate. Enrol online, add the number to your booking at the time you make it, and check your confirmation email to verify it appears.
Does Hertz's insurance cover my additional driver?
Yes, if they are listed on the rental contract. Any additional driver added to the agreement at the counter is covered under Hertz's CDW, LIS, and any other protection products you purchase. A driver who is not listed on the contract has no coverage under any Hertz protection product, regardless of how they are related to you.
Does my credit card cover an additional driver at Hertz?
It depends on the card and the driver's relationship to you. Most premium cards (Chase Sapphire, Amex Platinum) extend rental coverage to the primary cardholder as the renter and a spouse listed as an additional driver. Coverage for a friend, colleague, or other family member varies by card. Check the benefit guide for your specific card before assuming coverage extends to all listed drivers.
I already have a Hertz booking with an additional driver — what should I check?
First, confirm your Gold Plus Rewards membership number appears in the reservation if you are adding a spouse and want the waiver. Log in to Hertz.com or call to verify — the agent at pickup cannot add it retroactively. The additional driver must be present at the counter with a valid licence and credit card in their name. If they are under 25, confirm the young driver surcharge is reflected in your quoted total before arrival.
Does Hertz charge the additional driver fee if the second driver is my employer or colleague?
Hertz does not have a blanket employer/colleague waiver like Avis does. AAA and USAA memberships waive the fee for one additional driver regardless of relationship — if you or your company holds one of those memberships, use the discount code at booking. Otherwise the fee applies for a colleague even on a business trip.
My additional driver is under 25 — what does Hertz charge in total?
Both fees apply simultaneously. The additional driver fee ($13.50/day, capped at $189) and the young driver surcharge (approximately $27-$30/day, rate varies by location) are separate charges that stack. On a seven-day rental with a driver under 25, the combined addition can exceed $280 before the cap cuts in on the additional driver portion.
Hertz charged me an additional driver fee I wasn't expecting — what are my options?
Start with the booking platform if you reserved through a third party. Then contact Hertz in writing with your rental agreement, your Gold Plus membership documentation if applicable, and any AAA/USAA discount confirmation. Give them one week to respond. If unresolved, raise a chargeback with your credit card issuer using the contract and correspondence as supporting evidence.
