The Policy On Adding Additional Drivers To You Car Rental Ag
by RICHARD EDMUNDS
Sometimes it happens that you go on a trip, and you wish that someone else could drive the car. But it is just not that easy when you are dealing with car rentals. When you are renting a car you are the only person allowed to drive the car. There are some exceptions, but we will discuss it at a later point of time.
Additional Driver Rules:
The age of the person renting the vehicle is not an issue but additional drivers need to be at least 25 years of age. Some rental agencies allow employees from the same company to drive if the rental is for business purposes and the company has an existing agreement that covers both underage and extra drivers as part of their corporate discount. For example, Microsoft arranged for driving privileges for all renters and drivers age 18 and above on Microsoft-sponsored business trips.
A relatively clean driving record is necessary for you to rent a car. This also applies to an extra driver, and the agencies may run a review of any driver's record. The well-known car-rental company, Avis, outsources this part of the application process to a third party. The agencies electronically scan your driving record to find details for comparison against criteria they have set up. Any additional driver should be declared and the required paperwork should be properly filled out. Nearly all agencies ask for a payment (approx. $15-25) from the additional driver(s). If you have an additional driver(s), that are not declared, it is considered a violation of the rental agreement and any damage or claim will not be paid by the insurance company. The company you work for, or the purpose of your trip are some examples of significant factors which may apply to you in the legal driver scenario.
A lot of companies allow employees who are going on a business trip to drive without paying extra fees or incurring additional paperwork. However, the company must pay for the rental car. Should damages or an accident occur, this proves that the rental car was booked for business purposes, which confirms that the contract was not violated.
Many companies allow spouses to take the vehicle without asking any additional paperwork and on their behalf this is a great decision. Many car rental companies do not consider spouses as domestic partners. But, at present, there is one rental company named Avis Rent-A-Car, which allows domestic partners for driving privileges without asking any questions. In case an accident takes place, Avis will request for showing proof of domestic partnership. Domestic partnership will be verified by a government issued ID having the same address, a credit card bill or shared utility bill in both names.
Richard Edmunds worked as a manager of a big name Car Rental Agency for the past 20 years before retiring. He now spends his time writing car rental articles for you about such topics as Car Rental Insurance and other rental car tactics
