# Is there a rental car company that will let an 18 year old drive (not rent) the rental car? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 1, 2017, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-rental-car-company-that-will-let-an-18-year-old-drive-not-rent-the-rental-car/795212 "2017-09-01T01:33:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Enola\_Gay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3ab097/32.png) [@Enola\_Gay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Gay)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2017, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-rental-car-company-that-will-let-an-18-year-old-drive-not-rent-the-rental-car/795212/1 "2017-09-01T01:33:54Z")
I am driving across the country in a rental car with my 18 year old son & would like him to do some of the driving. But I just learned that the rental car company I usually use (Hertz) will not allow him to drive the car and I don’t want to do all the driving. Is there a rental car company out there that will let an 18 year old drive the car? Google is failing me because the search results I get always turn up 18 year olds who want to _rent_ a car, but _I_ am renting it…just want him to share in the driving. I don’t want to have to call every rental company out there, wait on hold forever, then get told ‘nope only over 21 can drive the car’, so I’m hoping one of you Dopers will know the answer. TIA ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2017, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-rental-car-company-that-will-let-an-18-year-old-drive-not-rent-the-rental-car/795212/2 "2017-09-01T01:54:20Z")
It looks like you would need him to rent the car and have you as the additional driver. Due to his age your rental options are limited and a extra charge will apply. > **[4 Places to Rent a Car at Age 18 (+ Where You Can't)](https://firstquarterfinance.com/rent-a-car-at-age-18/)** > > We have the list of places that will let you rent a car at 18 -- including what it will cost and restrictions that may apply. Plus, find where not to go. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2017, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-rental-car-company-that-will-let-an-18-year-old-drive-not-rent-the-rental-car/795212/3 "2017-09-01T01:54:52Z")
He can drive a U-Haul. I was able to _rent_ one at 19. ---
**Author:** ![Alley\_Dweller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alley_dweller/32/430_2.png) [@Alley\_Dweller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alley_Dweller)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2017, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-rental-car-company-that-will-let-an-18-year-old-drive-not-rent-the-rental-car/795212/4 "2017-09-01T03:20:57Z")
You might find a local non-chain or regional-chain place that will allow it. But these sorts of places sometimes have geographical limitations on where you can drive the car, typically the state where you rent it and the bordering states. Since you want to drive across country, be sure to inquire about geographical limitations. Another suggestion: Find the poor neighborhood in your area and go to the “Buy Here Pay Here” used car place. Have your son buy a car there and pay in advance for however many weeks you need it. Then at the end of the trip, drop off the car at the dealer. The business model of these sorts of places depends on selling the car frequently and repossessing it when the payments stop being paid. They will be grateful to you for not making them send the repo-man to find the car. ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2017, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-rental-car-company-that-will-let-an-18-year-old-drive-not-rent-the-rental-car/795212/5 "2017-09-01T12:14:34Z")
What are the downsides if he just drives anyway? How can they stop him from driving it? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2017, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-rental-car-company-that-will-let-an-18-year-old-drive-not-rent-the-rental-car/795212/6 "2017-09-01T12:17:34Z")
> [@Slash1972](#): > > What are the downsides if he just drives anyway? How can they stop him from driving it? If there’s an accident, insurance won’t cover it. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2017, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-rental-car-company-that-will-let-an-18-year-old-drive-not-rent-the-rental-car/795212/7 "2017-09-01T12:17:36Z")
> [@Slash1972](#): > > What are the downsides if he just drives anyway? How can they stop him from driving it? If he gets in an accident they will not be covered. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2017, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-rental-car-company-that-will-let-an-18-year-old-drive-not-rent-the-rental-car/795212/8 "2017-09-01T12:20:38Z")
> [@Alley\_Dweller](#): > > You might find a local non-chain or regional-chain place that will allow it. But these sorts of places sometimes have geographical limitations on where you can drive the car, typically the state where you rent it and the bordering states. Since you want to drive across country, be sure to inquire about geographical limitations. I rented from a used car dealer and took the car from Dayton Oh to Boston. It was an older car and if It broke down I was on my own. But I didn’t have a credit card at the time and he was the only one that would just take cash for a rental. Luckily all I did was run over a deer carcass in the road, no discernible damage. ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2017, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-rental-car-company-that-will-let-an-18-year-old-drive-not-rent-the-rental-car/795212/9 "2017-09-01T12:20:40Z")
Why not? I never get the insurance from the car rental place, my own auto insurance covers me. Does the 18 year have insurance for another car already? Would that transfer to the rental? ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2017, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-rental-car-company-that-will-let-an-18-year-old-drive-not-rent-the-rental-car/795212/10 "2017-09-01T12:53:50Z")
Depends on the state. Some states the insurance follows the actual car, while in other states the insurance covers the driver no matter what car they drive. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2017, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-rental-car-company-that-will-let-an-18-year-old-drive-not-rent-the-rental-car/795212/11 "2017-09-01T12:58:01Z")
> [@Enola\_Gay](#): > > I am driving across the country in a rental car with my 18 year old son & would like him to do some of the driving. But I just learned that the rental car company I usually use (Hertz) will not allow him to drive the car and I don’t want to do all the driving. Is there a rental car company out there that will let an 18 year old drive the car? > > Google is failing me because the search results I get always turn up 18 year olds who want to _rent_ a car, but _I_ am renting it…just want him to share in the driving. I don’t want to have to call every rental company out there, wait on hold forever, then get told ‘nope only over 21 can drive the car’, so I’m hoping one of you Dopers will know the answer. TIA Do you really want your 18 year old driving you across country? I just made a trip to NYC and offered to let my GFs 17 year old son drive part of the way thru rural Pennsylvanian on the turnpike and he said no. He felt it would be to tiring since his attention span is limited due to constant social media and interaction. He either didn’t want to be disconnected from his precious phone or didn’t want to have to drive with me sitting there white knuckled. ---
**Author:** ![Alley\_Dweller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alley_dweller/32/430_2.png) [@Alley\_Dweller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alley_Dweller)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2017, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-rental-car-company-that-will-let-an-18-year-old-drive-not-rent-the-rental-car/795212/12 "2017-09-01T13:12:12Z")
> [@Slash1972](#): > > Why not? I never get the insurance from the car rental place, my own auto insurance covers me. Does the 18 year have insurance for another car already? Would that transfer to the rental? Will your insurance cover unauthorized use of a car? If you drive a car without the permission of the owner, that’s unauthorized use. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2017, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-rental-car-company-that-will-let-an-18-year-old-drive-not-rent-the-rental-car/795212/13 "2017-09-01T13:30:18Z")
> [@Slash1972](#): > > Why not? I never get the insurance from the car rental place, my own auto insurance covers me. Does the 18 year have insurance for another car already? Would that transfer to the rental? Guessing-The car rental place still may be able to recover for loss of vehicle use and the decrease in value. ---
**Author:** ![Orwell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/dfb087/32.png) [@Orwell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orwell)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2017, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-rental-car-company-that-will-let-an-18-year-old-drive-not-rent-the-rental-car/795212/14 "2017-09-01T13:38:26Z")
You’re definitely going to have better luck with less mainstream rental agencies, as in NOT Hertz, Avis, Budget, etc. You might want to try Enterprise. They had no problem having my 22 year old son drive one of their cars. The car was actually rented by our insurance company following his car being totaled, but Enterprise didn’t blink allowing him to take the car and drive it. Rent-A-Wreck might also be worth looking into. > [@](#): > > Another suggestion: Find the poor neighborhood in your area and go to the “Buy Here Pay Here” used car place. Have your son buy a car there and pay in advance for however many weeks you need it. Then at the end of the trip, drop off the car at the dealer. The business model of these sorts of places depends on selling the car frequently and repossessing it when the payments stop being paid. They will be grateful to you for not making them send the repo-man to find the car. That’s an interesting idea. Not sure how workable it is, but probably worth investigating. ---
**Author:** ![Alley\_Dweller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alley_dweller/32/430_2.png) [@Alley\_Dweller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alley_Dweller)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2017, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-rental-car-company-that-will-let-an-18-year-old-drive-not-rent-the-rental-car/795212/15 "2017-09-01T13:54:55Z")
I don’t know what state the OP is in, so I randomly chose New York: > [@](#): > > New York Consolidated Laws, Penal Law - PEN § 165.05 Unauthorized use of a vehicle in the third degree > > A person is guilty of unauthorized use of a vehicle in the third degree when: > > 1. Knowing that he does not have the consent of the owner, he takes, operates, exercises control over, rides in or otherwise uses a vehicle.  A person who engages in any such conduct without the consent of the owner is presumed to know that he does not have such consent;  … > > Unauthorized use of a vehicle in the third degree is a class A misdemeanor. If the son were aware that he was not an authorized driver, he would be in jeopardy. (I’m not claiming that this is a routinely prosecuted offense in such situations.) Car rental contracts specifically spell out who is an authorized driver of the vehicle and do not delegate the authority to the renter to authorize additional drivers. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2017, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-rental-car-company-that-will-let-an-18-year-old-drive-not-rent-the-rental-car/795212/16 "2017-09-01T13:57:18Z")
I suspect that the standard rental companies will not permit. BTW, it is not the collision insurance that becomes invalid (many credit cards cover that automatically and I never get it anyway) but the liability which can be enormous, so I would not go that route. When my son was 22 and interviewing at Microsoft, none of the rental agencies at SEATAC would rent him a car even on MS’s dime. If even MS could not get them to change their policy, I doubt you can. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2017, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-rental-car-company-that-will-let-an-18-year-old-drive-not-rent-the-rental-car/795212/17 "2017-09-01T14:03:41Z")
When you say “I am driving across the country …” do you mean you’re taking a one-way trip or that you’re driving a long way from \ to \ then later back to \ again? Depending on which situation there are lots of different ways to do this. It’s also the case that even the big rental agencies have different prices and policies for one-way rentals vs. round trip rentals. So if you are going one-way you \*must \*tell them that up front to get an accurate price quote. For any round trip rental longer than a few days it’ll be a bunch cheaper to use the oddball small franchise companies like U-Save. Though almost all those places are not going to accept a one-way rental, young driver or no. There’s also the technique of buying a cheap used car at one end and selling it at the other end. If it’s a round trip you can return it as **Alley Dweller** suggests or resell it. You tie up some cash during the “rental” timeframe, but your net round trip cost can be real small this way. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2017, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-rental-car-company-that-will-let-an-18-year-old-drive-not-rent-the-rental-car/795212/18 "2017-09-01T14:04:13Z")
> [@Si\_Amigo](#): > > Do you really want your 18 year old driving you across country? I just made a trip to NYC and offered to let my GFs 17 year old son drive part of the way thru rural Pennsylvanian on the turnpike and he said no. He felt it would be to tiring since his attention span is limited due to constant social media and interaction. He either didn’t want to be disconnected from his precious phone or didn’t want to have to drive with me sitting there white knuckled. Well, that’s refreshingly candid, at least. But it does make me weep for the future. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2017, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-rental-car-company-that-will-let-an-18-year-old-drive-not-rent-the-rental-car/795212/19 "2017-09-01T15:43:29Z")
> [@gnoitall](#): > > Well, that’s refreshingly candid, at least. But it does make me weep for the future. In the future we will have self driving cars to go along with our self absorbed youth. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2017, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-rental-car-company-that-will-let-an-18-year-old-drive-not-rent-the-rental-car/795212/20 "2017-09-01T15:45:48Z")
> [@Si\_Amigo](#): > > He felt it would be to tiring since his attention span is limited due to constant social media and interaction. _Gott im Himmel_. Perhaps if you are a useless parasite, there’s something to be said for a willingness to admit it. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-rental-car-company-that-will-let-an-18-year-old-drive-not-rent-the-rental-car/795212.md?page=2)