Car Rental Under 25: Fees by Company and How to Waive Them (2026)

Five details change who really qualifies:

• The young driver must hold the AAA membership. Hertz's terms say the "young renter must be a AAA member, have a credit card in their own name". A parent's membership on its own doesn't meet that wording.
• A debit card can cost you the AAA waiver. Hertz's AAA terms ask for a credit card in the young renter's own name, even where Hertz otherwise takes debit.
• Under 20, look at Budget and Avis first. The waivers at Hertz, National and Alamo, and the unconfirmed one at Enterprise, start at 20 or 21 on the pages we read. Budget's USAA terms start at 18 at participating locations. Avis's USAA page waives the fee for renters 18–24, which can help an 18-year-old USAA member renting in New York or Michigan.
• USAA limits differ. USAA's join page asks whether you served honorably in the U.S. armed forces, are enlisting or commissioning, or hold an active NOAA or USPHS commission. It also asks whether you work for a federal agency, or have a parent or spouse who served or is a USAA member. National's FAQ limits the waiver to "USAA Insurance eligible members only". Budget's and Avis's pages say "members" and set no insurance limit, so check your own eligibility with each company.
• Avis keeps its waiver on the USAA page. Avis's age page doesn't mention USAA or AAA. The waiver sits on Avis's USAA page, which gives the AWD number A177232 to book with. Budget's age page doesn't mention AAA either.

Budget also says "select corporate customers and insurance/service replacement rental customers may be exempt", so ask your employer or insurer if either applies. At corporate-operated Budget locations there is no surcharge for a renter with a disability, unless both that renter and the authorized driver are under 25.

Is a membership worth it?

Divide the membership price by your daily fee to find how many rental days it takes to pay off. The AAA waiver on this page applies only at Hertz, so the sample uses Hertz's $25 daily fee. The $60 is a sample, not an AAA price, so use your own club's quote.

Military and government renters

Official travel lowers the minimum age to 18 at most companies, and several also drop the fee. Personal trips are treated differently, and a military ID alone doesn't guarantee a waiver.

For a personal trip, check USAA next: the waiver terms we read don't mention orders.

New York and Michigan: age 18, but not free

New York lets you rent from 18 at every company in our table, and Michigan at all of them except Sixt, whose page names only New York. Neither state makes it free. The published fee ranges from $15.50 a day in Michigan to $84 a day in New York, depending on company and age.

New York's rule comes from General Business Law section 391-g. It makes it unlawful "to refuse to rent such vehicle to any person eighteen years of age or older solely on the basis of age". The rule applies if insurance for that age is available. The same section says "any actual extra cost for insurance related to the age of the person renting" may be passed on. The law sets no dollar figure. The notice required by section 396-z allows an extra charge "in certain instances where the renter is under the age of 25".

Michigan's minimum of 18 and its fees come here from the company pages, because we could not open the state's legislature site on the day we checked.

Among the companies in our table, Alabama and Nebraska matter only at Hertz, Dollar and Thrifty, where the minimum is 19. At all three that lower age comes with the $52 fee.

Under 20 outside New York and Michigan

If you're 18 or 19 and renting outside New York, Michigan, Alabama and Nebraska, our table leaves two routes. Use official orders, or Budget's USAA terms at participating locations. Avis's USAA waiver covers 18–24, but its age page sets 21 in most states outside New York and Michigan, so ask the location before you count on it.

Another route is Turo, where you book a host's car. Turo's US booking page lets you book a standard vehicle from 18. A car worth more than $20,000 needs you to be 21. Primary drivers aged 18 to 24 pay a young driver fee that "varies depending on trip length and other factors" (checked Nov 7, 2026). Other guides list Fox Rent A Car from 19, but Fox's site blocked our check, so confirm with Fox before you count on it.

What the fee adds to your rental

At $25 a day, the fee adds $125 to a 5-day rental, or 45% on top of the sample $55 rate below. The table multiplies each published daily figure, before tax.

Here is a 23-year-old's 5-day rental at $25 a day, with and without one of the waivers above. The $55 rate is a sample, and tax and airport charges are left out.

To put this in a full trip, type your fee into the Young driver / day field of our trip budget calculator. It multiplies the fee by your car days. On a shared trip, the fee is worth listing as a separate cost when you split the group's expenses.

Can you rent under 25 with a debit card?

Sometimes, depending on the company and the location. Budget and most Avis locations refuse debit cards under 25 outside New York, and Hertz, Dollar and Thrifty set age 25 for debit at off-airport locations. Enterprise, National and Alamo tie debit to a return ticket at airports.

Hertz's, Dollar's and Thrifty's driver pages list debit with no age limit, while their payment pages set the off-airport limit at 25. Confirm with your location before you count on debit under 25.

A debit rental can also tie up real money in your account. See how much rental companies hold on credit and debit cards before you pick up the car.

Which cars can you rent, and who else can drive?

Under-25 renters can get most everyday cars, but not the top of the range. Being under 25 doesn't by itself force you to buy cover: Hertz says it does "not mean you are required to purchase additional insurance". Decide that separately with our guide to whether you need rental car insurance.

• Avis and Budget: Economy through full-size, premium, convertibles, and intermediate and standard SUVs. Avis bars full-size SUVs, luxury cars, minivans, passenger vans, premium SUVs and specialty cars.
• Enterprise: At most locations, ages 21–24 can rent economy through full-size cars, cargo vans and minivans, pickup trucks, and compact, small and standard SUVs seating up to 5.
• Hertz, Dollar and Thrifty: Most vehicles, except the Dream Car, Prestige and Adrenaline Collections. Hertz also excludes certain specialty vehicles.

A second young driver works differently by company. Hertz says the young renter fee is "charged once per rental, even if more than one renter under 25 appears on the rental agreement". An additional driver fee may apply. Avis says additional drivers "must be at least 25 years old", and Budget's age page says an added driver "must be 25 years or older".

Renting under 25 in Canada

Canadian age limits and fees differ by company and province. Hertz, Dollar and Thrifty charge $15 CAD a day from age 20, or from 18 in Quebec. Enterprise rents from 21, with an average fee of "approximately $25.00 per day".

Avis has two provincial exceptions. In Quebec, most sedans are open from 21 with a $20-a-day fee, and other car groups from 25. In Saskatchewan, the minimum age is 18 and "no underage fee applies". Hertz's AAA benefits apply at participating locations in Canada.

Renting under 25 in the UK

The UK can be stricter than the US, so check before you book. Enterprise's UK page says "all drivers must be 25 or older", and 30 or older for full-size MPVs, Luton vans, premium and 4x4 vehicles. It points younger drivers to its Car Club, open from age 19 with a full license held for at least 12 months. We could not read the UK pages of other companies, so don't assume their rules match.

Before you pay: the lines to check

Look at the quote, not the ad price. Check four lines before you pay:

• Your age: the age you entered is your real one, not the "25+" default.
• The fee line: a young renter fee shows on the quote. If it doesn't, add the daily fee yourself.
• The waiver code: it is on the booking. That means A177232 at Avis, Y126501 at Budget, or the CDP code at Hertz.
• Your card: if you pay by debit, your pickup location accepts debit at your age.

My verdict: with the sample $60 AAA membership, the Hertz waiver pays off from day 3 at $25 a day. On a 1- or 2-day rental, skip a membership bought only for the waiver. Two days of fees come to $50, which is $10 less than the membership.