What Rental Car Companies Allow Spouses to Drive for Free?

Renting a car can be expensive, but it can be even more costly when you add on extra drivers. The good news is that several car rental companies will allow you to add your spouse on to your rental contract free of charge.

Who Has This Rule?

Many rental car companies allow spouses to be added on as an authorized or secondary driver at no additional charge. Companies that have this policy include Budget, Avis, Enterprise and Hertz.

Most of these companies also count same sex partners as spouses and allow them to enter into the rental contract as an authorized or secondary driver at no additional charge.

Are There Any Exceptions?

Under most policies, the spouse must meet the age requirement of the rental company. This may range from 21 to 25 years of age. The only time a spouse is exempt from the age requirement is when state law trumps the rental company's policies. 

Spouses may also have to meet other requirements, like having a valid driver's license and having a valid credit card to put on file. A spouse may also be required to be present at the time the car is rented or picked up.

Additional Considerations

Some states have laws that deal with additional driver fees and the status of a spouse as an additional driver. For example, the state of California does not allow additional driver fees to be assessed for any extra drivers, even if they are not the spouse of the primary driver. 

States like Missouri, Wisconsin and Illinois have laws that automatically add the spouse of the primary driver to the contract in all circumstances. These rules trump any policies that a rental company may have regarding spouses as additional drivers, even age requirements.