Depends. If the second driver is your spouse/domestic partner, then no. They are automatically included and authorized for Gold and you don't even need to have them show a license or anything. For anyone else, yes, a trip to the counter is necessary to add them to the rental. For these others, there are still a few ways where the additional driver might be free. I think they might all be free in California, for example. They're also free if you are both AAA members, stuff like that. But you still have to add them to the rental. If you dig into Hertz.com there is info on this. It's not on a page that can be directly linked, so I can't link it here.