How to Get a Car Rental Without an Under-25 Fee

It’s difficult but not impossible to rent a car without paying an under-25 fee.

Many car rental companies tack on an under-25 surcharge to protect themselves from the increased chance of an inexperienced driver getting into an accident.

In most cases, fees for young drivers are around $25 to $35 per day, with higher fees imposed on those under 21.

In recent years, nontraditional car rental companies have made it more affordable for young adults to rent a car without fees.

Below, we explain how under-25 fees work and how to avoid them.

Why Car Rental Companies Charge an Under-25 Fee

It may seem unfair for a car rental company to charge you extra fees — or not to rent to you at all — just because you’re under 25. But, it all comes down to numbers.

Car rental companies base these strict rules and higher rates on statistics, and truthfully, young drivers are much more likely to get into accidents.

For car rental companies, these statistics show that it’s riskier to put their cars on the road with younger drivers at the wheel.

For this reason, companies often restrict their rental options or charge extra fees for renters under the age of 25.

One thing to note is that in Michigan and New York, the minimum required age to rent a car is 18. Even if a rental company has a minimum age of 21, for example, in all other states, exceptions may be made in Michigan and New York.

It’s also important to keep in mind that most car rental companies also impose much higher underage driver fees on renters between the ages of 18 and 20; in rare cases, as high as $150 per day.

How to Get Around the Under-25 Fee

If you’re under 25 and want to rent a car without paying age-based fees, it can be done, although your options are limited.

You can’t get around the fee by having a friend or relative over age 25 rent the car for you. All drivers must meet the company’s rental requirements.

Even if you are an additional (rather than the primary) driver, you’ll generally still be charged the young driver fee.

That being said, in certain circumstances, you may be able to get the extra charge waived.

If you’re a U.S. government employee on official government business or active duty military personnel on orders, many rental companies will not charge you the young driver fee.

Hertz will waive underage driver fees for AAA members age 20 or older.

If you don’t fall into one of these categories, you can still avoid the fee by renting from one of the few companies that don’t charge any young driver fees. For your benefit, we’ve listed these companies below.

Companies That Don’t Charge Underage Driver Fees

At the time of writing, the companies that rent to young drivers without any additional charges are newer alternatives to traditional car rentals.

Ridesharing services like Getaround and Zipcar, which allow individuals to rent out their own vehicles by the day or hour, have grown in popularity over recent years.

As these new services gain traction, larger car rental companies will hopefully follow suit in abandoning or lowering the under-25 fee.

Getaround

• Minimum age requirement: 19 for most rentals; 25 or older for “Specialty” vehicles
• Other limitations:
  • Drivers must have been licensed for at least two years with no more than two violations or accidents combined in the past three years.
  • Drivers under 21 must have a completely clean driving record of at least three years.
  • No DUI or drug-related violations are allowed within the past seven years.
• Locations: Getaround currently operates in Atlanta, Berkeley, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, Miami, New Jersey, Oakland, Philadelphia, Portland, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington, D.C.
• Book a vehicle

Silvercar by Audi

• Minimum age requirement: 22 in most states; 18 in New York with a young driver fee of $75
• Other limitations:
  • The first time you rent, you’ll need to show your driver’s license and credit card, but your license information will be saved for subsequent rentals.
  • The credit card you use must be in your name.
• Locations: Silvercar is available at major airports in Austin, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Ft. Lauderdale, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Newark, New York City, Orange County, Orlando, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Tampa, and Washington D.C.
• Book a vehicle

Note: Silvercar by Audi also offers free satellite radio, GPS, and Wi-Fi.

Zipcar

• Minimum age requirement: 18 if you’re a student; 21 for non-students.
• Other limitations:
  • Zipcar requires a $7 monthly membership to use. Students and teachers get a discount.
  • To rent, you’ll need to apply for membership and wait for verification.
• Locations: Available in cities across the U.S. and internationally
• Book a vehicle

Before automatically booking one of the above car rental companies without an under-25 fee, you should compare pricing against some of the traditional car rental companies that do impose a fee.

In some cases, it may still be cheaper to rent through a company that charges an age-based fee.

Companies That Charge Underage Driver Fees

Although some companies won’t rent to you at all if you’re under 25, they’re gradually becoming the minority. More car rental companies now rent to “underage” drivers if they’re willing to pay an additional surcharge.

In the course of our research, some of the cheapest options we found include Enterprise and National Car Rental at around $20 per day for drivers age 21 to 24.

Of course, exact fees can vary based on location, type of rental car, and age, even within the same car rental chain. Always be sure to do your own research to find the best price and options for your trip.

ACE Rent a Car

• Minimum age requirement: 25; select locations will rent to drivers under 25
• Other limitations: Vehicle restrictions may apply for drivers under 25
• Underage driver fee: Fees vary by location. Contact your nearest ACE Rent a Car for details on its individual policy.
• Book a vehicle

Alamo Rent a Car

• Minimum age requirement: 21
• Other limitations: Drivers under 25 may not rent certain large or luxury vehicles
• Underage driver fee: Around $25 per day; exact fees vary by location
• Book a vehicle

Avis Rent a Car

• Minimum age requirement: 21
• Other limitations: If between the ages of 21 and 24, you’ll need to pay with a credit card and show your driver’s license at the reservation time. Renters under 24 can’t rent full-size SUVs, luxury vehicles, minivans, passenger vans, premium SUVs, or Signature Series vehicles.
• Underage driver fee: Around $27 per day for drivers 21-24. If renting in Michigan or New York State where the minimum rental age is 18, the fee is around $52 per day for drivers 18-20.
• Book a vehicle

Budget

• Minimum age requirement: 21
• Other limitations: If you’re between the ages of 21 and 24, you’ll need to pay by credit card, and Budget will check your driving record. Young drivers cannot rent luxury cars, minivans, 12-passenger vans, full-size or premium SUVs, or specialty vehicles.
• Underage driver fee: Around $27 per day in most states. Fees are higher in Michigan and New York State where minimum age requirements are lower. In Michigan, drivers 21-24 must pay an additional $28 per day, while those 18-20 must pay an additional $41 per day. In New York, the 21-24 fee is $35 per day, while the fee is $52 per day for those age 18-20.
• Book a vehicle

Dollar Rent a Car

• Minimum age requirement: 20 at most locations
• Other limitations: You’ll need to show your driver’s license and a valid credit card in the same name as your license. Some locations may have geographic restrictions regarding where you are allowed to drive the car.
• Underage driver fee: Amount varies by location
• Book a vehicle

Enterprise

• Minimum age requirement: 21
• Other limitations: Only specific car classes may be available to renters age 21 through 24. If you’re using a debit card, you may need to show proof of return (at airport locations) or show additional proof of identification.
• Underage driver fee: Around $20 per day at most locations. In New York, drivers 18-20 pay a surcharge of around $57 per day. In Michigan, the 18-20 surcharge is around $40 per day.
• Book a vehicle

Fox Rent a Car

• Minimum age requirement: 19 at most locations; some locations are restricted to 21+ or 25+
• Other limitations: Your reservation must be made at least 24 hours ahead of pick-up to use a debit card, and you must be at least 21. All other young renters will need to pay with a credit card.
• Underage driver fee: Around $20 to $30 per day, depending on the driver’s age. Exact fees vary by location.
• Book a vehicle

Hertz

• Minimum age requirement: 20 at most locations
• Other limitations: Only certain classes of vehicle are available to young renters.
• Underage driver fee: Around $35 to $45 per day for drivers 20-24, which is waived for AAA members. In states where drivers can rent at 18, the surcharge is around $52 per day.
• Book a vehicle

National Car Rental

• Minimum age requirement: 21
• Other limitations: Only certain classes of vehicle are available to young renters.
• Underage driver fee: Around $20 to $25 per day for drivers 21-24, though exact fees vary by location. Renters age 18-20 in Michigan and New York State pay around $40 and $57 per day, respectively.
• Book a vehicle

Payless Car Rental

• Minimum age requirement: 21
• Other limitations: You must have a clean driving record and valid credit card in your name. You may only rent economy, intermediate, standard, full-sized cars, and minivans if you are under 25.
• Underage driver fee: Around $25 per day; exact fees vary by location
• Book a vehicle

Rent-A-Wreck

• Minimum age requirement: 21 at most Rent-A-Wreck locations
• Other limitations: Drivers 21-24 may only rent economy through full-size vehicles, intermediate SUVs, minivans, work pick-up trucks, cargo vans, and cargo trucks
• Underage driver fee: Amount varies by location
• Book a vehicle

Sixt

• Minimum age requirement: 21 at most locations
• Other limitations: Drivers under 25 may not rent certain specialty or large vehicles. Driver’s license requirements may also vary based on the location and type of vehicle being rented.
• Underage driver fee: Amount varies by location
• Book a vehicle

Thrifty Car Rental

• Minimum age requirement: 20
• Other limitations: Thrifty may check the driving record and license of all authorized drivers. Debit cards are only accepted if the reservation is made at least 24 hours in advance.
• Underage driver fee: Amount varies by location
• Book a vehicle

Turo

• Minimum age requirement: 21
• Other limitations: Renters under 25 must have been driving for at least two years. You’ll also need a text-enabled mobile phone in your name and Social Security number to rent from Turo.
• Underage driver fee: Drivers under 25 are subject to a fee of 30% of the trip price or up to $15 per day, whichever is greater.
• Book a vehicle

U-Save Car and Truck Rental

• Age restrictions: 21
• Other limitations: Not all vehicles are available to young renters, and you cannot use a debit card to pay your rental deposit.
• Underage driver fee: Varies by location. It’s around $15 to $50 per day for drivers age 21-24. In Michigan and New York State, fees for renters age 18-20 can reach as high as $150 per day.
• Book a vehicle