Peter Greenberg: Can a Non-Driver Rent a Car?

By: Peter Greenberg | Source: AARP.org | 2009-08-28

Q: Peter, I am planning to take a trip with my daughter and her two children. I will be paying for the trip. I am a non-driver but would like to rent a car and use my AARP card to get a discount on it. My daughter is a licensed driver and will do all the driving. Is it possible for me to rent the car and my daughter to drive it?

–RoseMarie, Salem, N.H.

A: Unfortunately, there is no way you can rent a car without a license. A car-rental transaction is a legal contract that involves liability issues and other factors, which is why you must be a licensed driver, and the car must be rented in your name. At the time of the rental, you can, however, add your daughter to the rental contract as a second driver.

There is nothing to stop you from simply having your daughter rent the car, then reimbursing her for the cost of the rental. If you're worried about getting a good rate, try a Web site like Priceline.com or Hotwire.com, which let you get super-discounted prices in return for not knowing exactly what company you're using until after you've paid. (But they only deal with reputable companies, so you're not going to get a lemon.)