Additional Driver on a Rental Car: Costs, Rules and Common Mistakes

An additional driver sounds like a minor detail on a booking form. In practice, it is the difference between a shared trip and a situation where one person absorbs all the driving, and between valid insurance and a contract that does not cover the person actually at the wheel.

The rule is simple: only people named in the rental contract are authorised to drive. Everyone else — partner, friend, parent — is uninsured regardless of how long the rental or how short the detour.

What “additional driver” means

The main driver is the person the booking is registered to and whose card is used for the deposit. All other people who want to drive must be added as additional drivers. They are listed by name in the rental contract, and their licences are checked at the counter.

Once listed, an additional driver has the same rights as the main driver — same insurance cover, same conditions. They are not a secondary or reduced status; they are a co-named authorised driver.

Compare rental cars with clear additional driver conditions

Cost

Most suppliers charge a daily fee per additional driver, often with a cap for the full rental period. The amount varies by supplier and country but typically falls in the range of 5–15 euros per day, with a cap of 50–100 euros per rental for longer bookings.

Some rates include one additional driver at no extra charge — this is worth looking for when comparing prices. Others have included it at a special rate (spouses or domestic partners are sometimes free under specific conditions, though this is becoming rarer).

For a long road trip, the daily fee is almost always worth paying. A serious accident caused by driver fatigue is far more expensive than two weeks of additional driver fees.

Who must be at the counter

The additional driver must be present at pickup, present a valid driving licence and a passport or ID, and be added to the contract before leaving. This cannot be done later via a phone call or online in most cases.

If your travel companion might drive but is arriving separately or later, this creates a problem. The additional driver cannot be added remotely. Plan for both drivers to be at the pickup counter at the same time.

Age rules apply to additional drivers too

If the additional driver is under 25, the same young driver rules and fees apply as for a main driver. Being an additional driver rather than the main driver does not exempt someone from the age surcharge. Check this before booking if the second driver is young.

Common mistakes

Letting someone “just drive for a minute.” This is the most common scenario where unlisted driver incidents happen. A short stretch of motorway while the main driver rests — and if anything goes wrong, there is no cover. The risk is not theoretical.

Assuming a partner is automatically covered. Spouses and partners are not covered by default. They must be added to the contract. Some suppliers offer a spouse or domestic partner as a free addition, but even then the person must be named in the contract and present their licence at pickup.

Confusing the deposit card with the driving authorisation. If your companion has the better credit card for the deposit, they need to be the main driver — not just someone who pays and steps back while you drive. The deposit card holder is usually required to be the main driver.

Planning to add an additional driver later. This does not work reliably. Add everyone who might drive before leaving the counter.

When it is and is not worth adding

Worth adding for:

• Long road trips with significant motorway distance
• Mountain or island routes where driver fatigue is real
• Any trip over five days where driving will be shared
• Trips with early starts and late finishes
• Driving in unfamiliar countries or on mountain roads

Usually not necessary for:

• Short city rentals where one person will genuinely do all the driving
• Trips where the second person has clearly no intention of driving

If there is any chance the second person might drive, add them. The cost is small. The alternative — an uninsured incident — is not.

In short

Add every person who will drive to the rental contract, do it at pickup with their licence present, and check whether additional driver fees are included in the rate before comparing prices. Unlisted drivers are uninsured, and the short-term saving of skipping the fee is not worth the exposure on a long trip.