ringingup

Hi All,

I'm looking at car rentals in San Diego and Palm Springs.

I am Gold Plus Rewards Five Star and I am using the Amex Platinum CDP.

When I attempt to make a booking, I get the information below with regards to additional drivers. It seems that I can add as many additional drivers as I want, provided that they are there at the time of rental and they produce both a driving licence and a credit card. Am I reading correctly?

Authorized Operators

Acceptable Authorized Operators age 25 and older are automatically covered on the Rental Agreement.

Authorized Operators are:

- The employer, employee or fellow employee of renter on company business, (when booking includes company Corporate Discount Number).
- The renter's spouse for rentals that originate in California or or Iowa.
- Authorized Operators do not have to be present at time of rental.
- There are no fees for Authorized Operators.

Additional Authorized Operators

- Individuals not automatically covered on the Rental Agreement as Authorized Operators noted above may be signed on as an "Additional Authorized Operator" (AAO). AAO's must be present and may be signed on to the rental agreement at the time of rental or during the rental at any US corporate location.

- Renter and each AAO must be present to sign Rental Agreement, present an acceptable credit card or debit card (if renting city accepts debit cards) in their own name, or a current round-trip ticket (air, train or bus), show valid driver's license, and must be a minimum of 20 years of age. For those 20 through 24 the location's age differential will apply.

Additional Authorized Operators Fees

There is no fee for Additional Authorized Operator.

CalItalian

It's been the law here for a long, long time...no additional driver fee AT ANY rental car company (as long as they meet rental qualifications). For a spouse and depending if it was a business rental, you don't need to add them to the contract. For others, you do.

ringingup

Thank you so much for the clarification.

Do you know if additional operators can be added during the rental period? The reason why I'm asking is that I may rent a car in San Diego, then drive up to Palm Springs to pick some friends with whom I'll spend the next few days. I would like them to be able to drive.

UpgradeMe

You've already answered this question:

ringingup

Oops! Thank you!

mrkymark

If anyone is interested this is the CA state law that describes it:
http://codes.findlaw.com/ca/civil-co...sect-1936.html

PDXpress

Do additional drivers have to be added inside California to be free? If a driver rents a car in California and drives to Oregon, can an additional operator be added at a Hertz location there for free?

CalItalian

Don't quote me but I shouldn't see why not. Your rental rules and laws pertaining to them are determined by the state you initially rent it from.

PDXpress

Result:
Yes, I was able to add a free additional driver at a Hertz office in Oregon on a rental originating in California.

StuartUK

Did that additional driver need to show a credit card ?
Although I am renting in SFO and returning to LAX, my Terms show additional driver needs to show a credit card (which makes me wonder why, given the booking is in my name, and I have full CDW/LIS )
Additional driver is my dad (Road Trip, and yes, I am over 25 and Gold !)

jackal

I've added AAOs to several corporate Hertz rentals, and they have never had to produce a credit card. I have, however, had that asked of AAOs at a couple of different franchised locations (franchises are often less customer-focused and more risk-averse).

If you booked through a UK booking site (for a US rental), I've found that the T&C shown on those sites often bears little resemblance to actual practice at the rental counter.