Adding a second driver?

What is the protocol for adding a second driver to a rental? Do they need to be present when I rent, or will their driver's license do? Any fees or charges?

Are there different rules with a spouse? They usually ask if the second driver is a spouse and just say "ok" without putting anything on the reservation.

If you are #1 Gold, a spouse or domestic partner can be a second driver with no charge. It's in the Terms and Conditions.

That's correct, I believe they also require you to share the same address. Although they may not make this clear.

Additionally, I believe (and someone correct me if I am wrong) that if you and the second driver also work for the same company and both are #1 Gold then you do not need to specifically add them to the contract.

This is my brother. So far nobody has answered my question(s)

There is also no charge for a second driver if you are a member of AAA. I often reserve using the AAA rate, so not sure if that is also a requirement.

If you and the other driver are AAA members, they generally allow free second driver no matter what rate you are on (they can waive the fee as an exception). The additional driver can be added at the time of rental or later at any Hertz location but both the primary and secondary driver must appear together to sign the additional driver form.

In cases where my additional driver is not with me at pickup, I try to use a convenient city location to do the addition (or en route location for a one-way drive). Most locations I've done this at are familiar with the process. They do not need access to the original rental agreement in the system; they can print the additional driver form for you manually.

I am not aware of an official way to add an additional driver who is not present (other than those who do not require a signature), but perhaps if you have all the details some locations will do it for you.

Charles

There is usually an extra charge of $5.00 - $10.00 per day depending on location, and is a wise thing to do if he is definitely going to drive.

I had to pay $9 a day to have my aunt as an additional driver. The rental clerk did not give me any indication of any exceptions. I said she was an employee, but, that didn't fly. She was not a #1 Gold member nor an AAA member. I had already gotten a hefty discount on the daily rate, so I just figured my karma had run out.

Hm. I can't remember if they asked if my girlfriend was spouse or not. They did take her license and put that in the reservation, and it didn't cost anything extra.

If you want the right answer, you need to give a lot more details.

Only now are you stating it's your brother.

What state are you renting from?

How old are you? How old is your brother?

Are you an AAA member?

Are you renting under a corporate agreement or what?

What discounts are you using, if any?

Also, did you try to look up the Hertz' site and sees what it says about additional drivers? Some places will run a DMV check upon renting; I believe he and his DL must be present for that.

The problem is that if crap should happen and the driver isn't your spouse, then you're in deep doo doo.

I've bought a house and my boyfriend is moving in with me. Now, as a #1 Gold, it appears that this means I can add him on as an additional driver at no cost. But, there are a couple of situations I'm wondering about which might cause concern:

1) We haven't moved yet.

The rental is this week but we're not moving for another two to three weeks. I can switch my Diners Club over to the new address to say we live there although we really don't (yet).

2) Neither of our licenses reflect the new address.

In Missouri, you don't get a new license until you renew regardless of when you renew.

3) The reservation is #1 Club Gold.

I didn't add him on the reservation when I made it. Do I need to go into the terminal to add him or is he automatically covered regardless?

Thanks for your help...

Greg

I would at least talk to someone at the Gold Counter to be sure.

There is another potential issue, regardless of whether or not they add an extra driver on for free or with no question: the insurance if there is damage could be a problem. When we rented a van there the folks at Enterprise told us (in their neverending quest to sell more CDW) that an extra driver who is not on the same insurance policy as the primary driver could have an issue in making a claim. We ignored this, but I suppose it could come up for some.

I believe he is automatically covered. I might make a call to ask about your particulars with the #1 gold people though.

It only really matters if you get pulled over, are in an accident, or are returning the car.