Renting a Car in Hawaii Under 25: Young Driver Fees and Age Rules

Renting a car in Hawaii under 25 costs more than most young travelers expect. The base rate is only part of the bill. Nearly every major counter at Honolulu (HNL), Kahului (OGG), Kona (KOA) and Lihue (LIH) adds a daily young driver surcharge for renters aged 20 to 24. Hawaii’s state rental surcharge, general excise tax and airport facility fees are then applied on top of that.

For a 22-year-old, that surcharge can add $130 to $290 to a one-week rental before fuel or parking. On many quotes the fee matches or beats the daily cost of the car itself. Age rules also limit which vehicles can be booked, so the convertible or large SUV in the listing photo is often off the table.

This guide sets out the minimum ages, typical fees and restricted vehicle classes at Hertz, Enterprise, Avis, Budget, Alamo and Turo. It explains which waivers actually remove the surcharge and shows the math for a 7-day trip. It also compares the total with going without a car on Oahu, where TheBus, shuttles and rideshare are real alternatives.

Minimum rental ages at the major Hawaii rental companies

Hawaii has no state law that sets a minimum rental age, so each company sets its own policy. Most major brands rent to drivers from 21. Hertz is the main exception and generally rents to drivers from 20. Turo, a peer-to-peer platform, has its own age tiers, and individual hosts can set stricter limits.

The daily surcharge figures below are typical published ranges for Hawaii airport locations. They change with company policy, location and booking channel, so the final number always appears on the checkout screen. Treat these as planning figures, not guarantees.

Hertz

Hertz is usually the only major brand at Hawaii airports that rents to 20-year-olds. Drivers aged 20 to 24 pay a “young renter fee,” which has historically sat around $19 per day and can climb higher at busy airport locations. Hertz also offers the best-known waiver for this age group, through AAA, covered later in this guide.

Hertz’s under-25 renters are limited to standard classes. Its Prestige, Adrenaline and Dream Car collections are reserved for renters 25 and older. In Hawaii, that rules out most high-end convertibles and performance models on the Hertz lot.

Enterprise, National and Alamo

These three brands share a parent company, Enterprise Mobility, and follow similar age policies. The minimum age is 21. Drivers aged 21 to 24 pay a daily young renter fee, commonly quoted at about $25 per day, with some airport quotes running higher.

Alamo is heavily marketed to leisure travelers in Hawaii and often posts the lowest economy base rates. That low base rate can mislead younger renters. Once the fee is added, Alamo’s total for a 23-year-old may land well above a Hertz quote that looked more expensive at first.

Avis and Budget

Avis and Budget are sister companies with matching under-25 rules. Both rent to drivers from 21, and both charge a daily young renter surcharge that has typically ranged from about $27 to $41 at US airport locations. Both also honor the USAA waiver for eligible members.

Avis restricts its Signature Series, luxury and specialty vehicles to drivers 25 and older. Budget’s restrictions are similar but involve fewer premium classes, since its fleet leans toward economy and midsize cars.

Turo

Turo works differently. The platform lets guests as young as 18 book in most US states, but cars are grouped into value tiers. Guests under 21 can book only lower-value vehicles. Guests aged 21 to 24 get more choice but are still barred from the highest-value “deluxe” and “super deluxe” listings.

Turo charges a young driver fee to every guest under 25. Rather than a flat figure, it is calculated for each trip and depends on trip price and length. Individual Hawaii hosts can also set a higher minimum age, so a listing may still be closed to a 21-year-old even when the platform’s rules allow it.

Vehicle classes under-25 drivers cannot book

Age rules control which cars can be rented as well as what they cost. In Hawaii this matters more than on the mainland, because convertibles, Jeep Wranglers and large SUVs make up a big share of leisure bookings. Some of these are open to under-25 drivers and some are not.

The table below summarizes the general pattern. The exact list changes by location, and counter staff may refuse a vehicle class at pickup even after an online booking has gone through, so confirming in writing is worthwhile.

For most young travelers the practical result is a compact, midsize sedan, standard SUV or Jeep. That is enough for every paved road in the state. It also helps with parking, because Waikiki, Lahaina-area and Kailua lots are tight and charge by the hour.

How the surcharge stacks onto Hawaii’s taxes and fees

Young drivers are charged more than the headline surcharge because Hawaii layers several taxes and fees onto every rental. Some are flat daily charges. Others are percentages, and those percentages can apply to the young driver fee too, so the surcharge grows slightly as it moves through the bill.

The main layers on an airport rental are listed below. The Hawaii Department of Taxation publishes the current rental motor vehicle surcharge and general excise tax rules, and airport facility charges are set under the state’s airports program at HIDOT.

• Rental motor vehicle surcharge: a flat state charge of $5 per day per car.
• General excise tax: passed on at roughly 4.7% on most islands, including Oahu.
• Customer facility charge: a daily airport fee, commonly about $4.50 per day.
• Vehicle license recovery fee: usually $1–$2 per day, depending on company.
• Concession recovery fee: an airport percentage, often around 11% of the base rate.

Before any surcharge, these fees commonly add $10 to $15 per day to an airport rental. For a 23-year-old, a $27 surcharge plus about $13 in fixed fees means roughly $40 a day of charges with no connection to the car itself. Off-airport branches drop the facility and concession charges but not the state surcharge or excise tax.

What a 7-day trip costs a 22-year-old

A one-week trip shows the real gap. The table below models an economy car picked up at HNL for 7 days. It uses a $60 daily base rate, close to the middle of typical Hawaii quotes outside peak months. Rates on the site’s Hawaii rental car price breakdown by island and season show that figure can double around Christmas and in July.

At the upper end of published surcharges, around $41 a day, the age premium alone passes $300 for a week. That is about the cost of three nights in a budget Oahu hostel bed, or a round-trip interisland flight booked early.

Fuel and parking come on top. Hawaii regular gasoline has averaged well over $4.50 a gallon in recent years, among the highest prices in the country, according to EIA retail fuel data. A week of island driving at about 250 miles in a 30-mpg car uses roughly 8 gallons, or about $40.

Parking is the larger hidden cost on Oahu. Waikiki hotels commonly charge $40 to $65 per night for self or valet parking. Seven nights can add $280 to $455, which often makes the car’s overnight parking costlier than the young driver fee.

Ways to waive or reduce the young driver fee

Only a few programs actually remove the under-25 surcharge. Most “discount codes” cut the base rate but leave the age fee in place. The waivers below are the ones most often used by renters aged 18 to 24 in Hawaii, and each comes with eligibility conditions worth checking before booking.

USAA membership

USAA membership is open to active-duty and former military members, plus eligible spouses and children. It has long been the strongest waiver for young renters. USAA’s rental program has historically waived the young driver fee for members aged 18 to 24 at Avis, Budget, Enterprise and Hertz when the booking uses the USAA discount code.

The age floor matters. Through USAA, some companies lower their minimum age to 18 for members, which opens rentals to drivers who would otherwise be turned away. Oahu has a large military population around Pearl Harbor, Schofield Barracks and Kaneohe Bay, so many military families visiting relatives qualify.

AAA with Hertz

AAA members aged 20 to 24 renting from Hertz have their young renter fee waived when they book with AAA’s discount code (CDP). AAA membership usually costs $60 to $80 a year, depending on the regional club. On a 7-day rental, waiving a $19 daily fee saves $133, which covers the membership.

The waiver covers the renter named on the AAA account and requires a valid membership card at the counter. It does not lift Hertz’s restricted vehicle classes, so a 22-year-old AAA member still cannot book from the Prestige or Adrenaline collections.

Military and government travel

Federal employees and service members renting on official orders are covered by the US Government Car Rental Agreement. Under that agreement, participating companies rent to government travelers aged 18 and older with no young driver fee. The agreement also includes insurance coverage for official travel.

The key limit is purpose. The government rate applies to official travel only. A 23-year-old sailor taking leave on Maui is not covered by that agreement, though USAA or a military leisure discount may still apply. Using a government rate for a personal trip can void the rental’s coverage.

Corporate accounts and other options

Some employers and universities have negotiated corporate rates that waive the under-25 fee for business travel. Interns and new graduates on work trips should check with their travel desk before booking personally. A few other routes can lower the total cost without removing the fee:

• Booking off-airport branches to avoid facility and concession charges.
• Letting a traveler aged 25 or older be the primary renter and driver.
• Renting only for the days a car is needed rather than the full trip.
• Comparing Hertz at age 20–24, since its published fee is often lowest.

One common mistake is adding an under-25 traveler as an extra driver to a parent’s rental. The young driver fee usually applies to every under-25 driver listed on the contract, not just the primary renter. Many companies also charge an additional driver fee of about $13 to $15 per day, although spouses and domestic partners are often exempt.

Turo in Hawaii for under-25 drivers

Turo listings are common on Oahu, Maui and the Big Island, and many hosts offer airport delivery or pickup from nearby lots. For young renters, Turo’s appeal is a lower base price on older economy cars. Quotes of $35 to $55 per day for a used compact are common outside peak months.

The young driver fee changes the comparison. Because Turo calculates the fee per trip, a 22-year-old booking a $45-per-day car might see a surcharge of $20 to $40 per day in checkout. Turo’s trip fee and a protection plan, which can run another 15% to 40% or more of the trip price, are added on top.

The totals usually land close together. Turo wins when a host offers weekly discounts of 10% to 25%, and loses when its protection plan is added or the car is in a pricier tier. Turo cars also tend to be older, with more miles, and come with host-set mileage limits, often 150 to 250 miles a day.

Insurance is the other difference. Many personal auto policies and credit card rental benefits do not cover peer-to-peer car sharing. A young driver relying on a parent’s policy should confirm whether Turo trips are covered before declining Turo’s protection plan.

Going without a rental: shuttles, rideshare and TheBus on Oahu

On Oahu, skipping the rental is a realistic option for many under-25 travelers. Honolulu’s TheBus network runs about 100 routes across the island. Waikiki, Ala Moana, downtown and the University of Hawaii area are served every few minutes on core routes. The City and County of Honolulu runs TheBus and the Skyline rail line.

The site’s guide to getting around Oahu without a car on TheBus covers routes in detail. In short, an adult fare is $3, a 1-day pass is $7.50 when loaded on a HOLO card, and fares are capped daily, so heavy users never pay more than the day pass.

A mixed approach often works best. A traveler staying in Waikiki might ride TheBus for five days and rent a car for two days to reach Kailua, the North Shore and the windward coast. That approach cuts the young driver fee to about $40 to $55 and avoids five nights of hotel parking.

TheBus limits worth knowing

TheBus is not ideal for every trip. Luggage must fit on the rider’s lap or under the seat, roughly 22 by 14 by 9 inches, so full-size suitcases are not allowed. Arriving travelers with checked bags usually need a shuttle or rideshare from the airport.

Travel times can also be long. The trip from Waikiki to Haleiwa on the North Shore takes roughly 2 hours by bus, against about 1 hour by car outside rush hour. Hanauma Bay, a common stop on a 7-day Oahu itinerary, is reachable by bus but needs careful timing because entry runs on timed reservations.

Service also changes on public holidays, when some routes run on Sunday schedules. Travelers arriving around Kuhio Day in March or Kamehameha Day in June can check the site’s list of Hawaii state holidays and closures before planning bus-dependent days.

Island by island: where a car is optional and where it is not

The case for paying the young driver fee depends heavily on the island. Oahu is the only island where public transit fully replaces a car for most visitors. On Maui, the Big Island and Kauai, bus service exists but runs less often and covers fewer of the places visitors usually want to go.

• Oahu: car optional; TheBus covers most attractions at $7.50 per day maximum.
• Maui: car strongly recommended; Maui Bus routes are limited and run about hourly.
• Big Island: car essential; Kona to Hilo is about 2 hours by road.
• Kauai: car recommended; the island’s bus has limited evening and weekend service.

The Big Island makes the strongest case for a rental. A Hawaii Volcanoes National Park day trip from Kona is about 96 miles each way, and there is no practical transit alternative. Travelers there should budget for the full-week surcharge, and the County of Hawaii site lists the limited Hele-On bus schedules.

Maui is in between. Travelers following a first-trip Maui itinerary with the Road to Hana and Haleakala sunrise need a car on those days. A stay in Kihei or Kaanapali with beach days in between can sometimes get by with a shorter rental. The Oahu vs Maui comparison covers how transport costs differ between the two.

The rental-car card: a pre-booking checklist for under-25 drivers

The card below sums up the decisions in this guide. It is meant as a quick reference to check before entering payment details on any rental site, whether the trip is a one-week vacation or the first weeks after a move to the islands.

1. Confirm the minimum age at the exact pickup branch, not just the brand.
2. Enter the driver’s true age before comparing quotes, so the fee is included.
3. Apply any eligible waiver code and check that the fee line reads $0.
4. Book a class open to under-25 drivers to avoid a forced swap at the counter.
5. Add hotel parking and fuel to the total before deciding on full-week rental.

Insurance, deposits and paperwork at the counter

Young renters face extra checks at the counter. Most companies require a credit card in the renter’s own name. Some accept debit cards only with proof of a return flight and an extra credit check. A deposit hold of about $200 to $500 is common and can tie up a student’s available credit for the whole trip.

Coverage options are the same as for older renters, but they matter more because under-25 drivers often lack their own auto policy. The counter’s loss damage waiver often costs $25 to $40 per day in Hawaii. That can push a 7-day total for a 22-year-old above $1,000.

• Check whether a parent’s auto policy extends to rental cars for listed household drivers.
• Confirm credit card rental coverage, which may be secondary and exclude certain vehicles.
• Bring a valid, unexpired license; temporary paper licenses are often refused.
• Photograph the car at pickup, including wheels and windshield.

Travelers should also know that federal law still bans cannabis in rental cars and on federal land, even where state rules allow possession. The site’s guide to marijuana laws for Hawaii visitors explains why carrying it in a rental can lead to cleaning fees or a voided contract.

What changes for young people moving to Hawaii

For under-25 newcomers relocating rather than visiting, rental costs build quickly during the first weeks. A month of renting at $60 per day plus a $25 surcharge comes to about $2,550 before taxes. That is often more than shipping a car from the West Coast, which Matson and Pasha Hawaii quote at roughly $1,500 to $2,500 per sedan.

Shipping timelines from Long Beach or Oakland to Honolulu usually run about 5 to 10 days at sea, plus port handling. Rates are posted by Matson and Pasha Hawaii. The site’s moving to Hawaii cost breakdown sets car shipping against buying locally.

Newcomers staying in short-term housing while they search for a lease should also check parking rules, since many Honolulu apartments charge separately for a stall. Those weighing transport against a higher cost of living can compare figures from the Honolulu Consumer Price Index and the site’s Honolulu cost of living comparison.

Frequently asked questions

Can a 20-year-old rent a car in Hawaii?

Yes, mainly through Hertz, which generally rents to drivers aged 20 and older at Hawaii locations and charges a daily young renter fee. Most other major brands require renters to be at least 21. Turo allows younger guests in some cases, though many Hawaii hosts set a minimum of 21.

How much is the young driver fee in Hawaii?

Published surcharges at major Hawaii rental companies typically range from about $19 to $41 per day for drivers aged 20 to 24. Hertz is often at the lower end, while Avis and Budget tend higher. The exact fee depends on branch, dates and booking channel.

Does AAA waive the under-25 fee in Hawaii?

AAA members aged 20 to 24 who book Hertz with the AAA discount code generally have the young renter fee waived. The waiver applies to Hertz, not every brand, and requires showing a valid AAA card at pickup. Restricted vehicle classes still apply to these renters.

Can under-25 drivers rent a convertible or Jeep in Hawaii?

Standard convertibles such as the Ford Mustang and Jeep Wranglers are often available to drivers aged 21 to 24. Premium convertibles, luxury cars and sports models are usually limited to renters 25 and older. Confirming the class with the pickup branch before arrival prevents a forced vehicle swap.

Is Turo cheaper than a rental company for young drivers?

Sometimes, but rarely by much. Turo base rates are often lower, but its per-trip young driver fee, trip fee and protection plan usually bring a 7-day total close to a Hertz or Enterprise quote. Weekly host discounts are the main factor that makes Turo cheaper.

Is a rental car necessary on Oahu?

Not for most visitors staying in Waikiki or Honolulu. TheBus reaches most major sights, and daily fares are capped at $7.50 with a HOLO card. Many under-25 travelers rent for one or two days only, which cuts both the young driver fee and overnight parking costs.

Does the young driver fee apply to additional drivers?

Generally yes. Each driver aged under 25 listed on the rental contract usually incurs the young driver surcharge, sometimes along with a separate additional driver fee of about $13 to $15 per day. Adding a young traveler to a parent’s rental therefore does not avoid the age charge.

Are military members under 25 exempt from rental age fees?

Service members and federal employees on official orders can rent from age 18 without the young driver fee under the US Government Car Rental Agreement. For personal leave trips, that exemption does not apply, but USAA membership typically waives the fee at Avis, Budget, Enterprise and Hertz.