Can you add an additional driver to a car rental in France? Yes: any person named on the car hire agreement, besides the main driver, may drive the rental car and is insured. Adding an additional driver means an extra driver fee, a valid driving licence and the minimum age of the rental company, for a road trip or business travel alike.
What an additional driver means on a French car rental
When you rent a car in France, the rental company insures the vehicle for the people listed on the contract, and only for them. The main driver is the person who signs, pays and leaves the deposit on a credit card. Every other person who will take the wheel must be added as an additional driver, sometimes called an extra driver, second driver or authorized driver. If someone who is not on the agreement is driving when an accident happens, the cover can be refused and the main driver may be asked to pay for the damage personally.
This matters more than many travellers think. On a long road trip from Paris to Normandy, the Loire or the south, sharing the driving is the normal way to travel: one person drives, the other navigates, and you swap at every rest area. The car hire contract has to match that reality. Adding an additional driver is a small step at the rental counter, but skipping it turns every change of driver into an uninsured risk.
Car rental companies in France, whether international brands such as Avis, Enterprise, Budget, Europcar, Hertz or Sixt, or broker sites like Auto Europe, all use the same principle, even if their extras and conditions differ in detail. The rules below are the common ground; always read the terms and conditions of your own booking before you travel. Visitors from the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, Japan, Portugal or New Zealand hire under exactly the same conditions as French residents: the vehicle hire contract, not the nationality, decides who may drive.
Who can be an additional driver?
Almost anyone who could rent the car alone can be added as an additional driver. The person does not need to be a relative of the main driver: a friend, a colleague on a business trip or an adult child can all be added. What the rental company checks is the driver, not the relationship.
What is required for an additional driver?
Additional drivers must meet the same conditions as the main driver. In practice the rental counter asks for:
- A valid driving licence, held for a minimum period (often one to three years depending on the company and the car category). A licence issued outside the European Union may need an International Driving Permit alongside it; our page on driving licence requirements in France explains which licences are accepted.
- An identity document, passport or national ID card, with the same name as the licence.
- The minimum age set by the company, usually 21, with a young driver surcharge for drivers under 25 that applies to an additional driver just as it does to the main driver.
- Physical presence at the rental counter when the car is collected, or when the driver is added later, so that staff can see the licence.
An additional driver does not need a credit card of their own: the deposit and payment stay on the main driver's card. If your co-driver is under 25, check the rules explained in our guide to young driver car rental in France before adding them, because some car classes are closed to young drivers whatever their role on the contract.
How to add an additional driver
There are three moments when you can add an additional driver to a car rental, and the easiest one is at the time of booking.
- When booking online. Most booking sites and apps list "additional driver" among the extras, next to the child seat, GPS or cross-border cover. Select it and the fee is shown in your total. The driver's details are still checked at the rental counter.
- At the rental counter. If you did not add the driver when booking, ask at pick-up. The second driver shows their licence and ID, the agent adds the name to the rental agreement, and the extra driver fee is charged on the spot.
- During the rental. Plans change on a trip. Most companies allow you to add a driver later, but only at one of their locations, with the new driver present. A phone call to customer support is not enough: until the name is printed on the agreement, that person is not insured.
Use "manage my booking" in your account on the company website or app to see whether the extra is already included. Some reservations made through hire partners or with business accounts include one or more additional drivers by default. The same page lets you view, modify or cancel the selected extras before the journey, which is more flexible than discovering the question at the desk.
Additional driver fee: what the price depends on
The additional driver fee is usually charged per day, per driver, with a maximum per rental. The amount is not the same everywhere, and it is better to understand what moves it than to rely on a single figure.
| Factor | Effect on the fee |
|---|---|
| Rental company and rate | Some all-inclusive or premium rates include one extra driver; basic rates charge it as an extra. |
| Length of the rental | Daily charge, so it grows with the trip, until the per-rental cap is reached on long term rentals. |
| Age of the driver | A young additional driver adds the young driver surcharge on top of the fee. |
| Where you book | Booked in advance it is often cheaper than at the rental counter; some brokers offer a free additional driver. |
| Loyalty or business account | Corporate contracts and loyalty tiers may waive the fee for a spouse or domestic partner or a colleague. |
In the United States some states oblige rental companies to let a spouse or domestic partner drive for free. There is no such general rule in France: unless your rate says otherwise, a spouse is charged like any other additional driver. If you are comparing offers, include the extra driver in the price you compare, as our page on cheap car rental in Paris suggests for every add-on.
Questions travellers ask about adding a driver
Can I add multiple drivers?
Yes. Most companies accept several additional drivers on the same contract, each one paying the fee and each one meeting the licence and age conditions. A family or a group on a long road trip can therefore share the driving between three or four people.
Where can I add an additional driver?
At any of the rental company's locations: the desk where you collect the car, an airport or a city agency. Adding one is not possible by email or phone because the licence must be seen.
What happens if an unlisted person drives?
The rental agreement is breached. In case of an accident, theft or damage, the insurance and the excess reduction you paid for may not apply, and the rental company can claim the full cost of repairs from the main driver.
What the insurance covers for a second driver
Once added, the additional driver enjoys the same cover as the main driver. Third party liability, which is compulsory in France, protects both. The collision damage waiver, theft protection and any excess reduction bought at the counter also extend to every driver listed on the contract. The excess itself does not change: if the second driver has an accident, the same amount is taken from the deposit on the main driver's card.
Two points deserve attention. First, the cover provided by a credit card or by a separate excess policy bought from an insurer often requires the driver at the wheel to be named on the rental agreement; read your policy before relying on it. Second, roadside assistance works for any listed driver, but not for someone who was not on the contract. Our article on car rental insurance in France details which protections are worth taking.
Practical tips before a shared road trip
These tips apply to every car hire provider and to all destinations, from Paris airport desks to small town agencies. A few habits make driving a rental car together simpler and safer during your travel in France:
- Add every person who might drive, even for a short stretch. A single hour at the wheel without being listed is enough to lose the cover.
- Bring both licences to the rental counter, even if the extra driver was added online when booking.
- Check that the name printed on the agreement matches the licence exactly.
- Agree on who drives in Paris traffic and on motorways: the main driver is responsible for fines and tolls whoever was driving, since the car is registered through the contract.
- Keep a copy of the agreement in the car; police can ask to see it during a roadside check.
Whether you collect the car at a Paris airport or in the city centre, the process is the same for the additional driver: licence, ID, signature, fee. Done at the start, it takes a few minutes and lets you share the driving for the whole trip without worrying about cover.