To rent a car in Colorado, you generally have to be at least 21. No Colorado statute sets a minimum rental age, so each company writes its own rule, and 21 is the industry standard at Enterprise, National, Alamo, Budget, and their peers. If you’re 21 to 24, you can rent, but expect a daily underage surcharge of roughly $25 to $30 on top of the base rate, plus limits on which vehicles you can drive and how you can pay.
Why the Floor Is 21
Colorado has no law telling rental companies whom they must rent to, so the 21-year minimum is a business decision tied to insurance costs and accident statistics for younger drivers. At Denver International Airport, for instance, Alamo will not rent to anyone under 21, and Enterprise and National locations across the state follow the same rule.1Alamo Rent A Car. Denver International Airport (DEN) Car Rental
If you’re 18, 19, or 20 and not traveling on military or government orders, you’re unlikely to find a traditional rental company in Colorado that will hand you the keys. Peer-to-peer platforms are the usual workaround, covered further down.
What Renters Aged 21 to 24 Pay
The underage surcharge is a per-day fee added to your daily rate. At Alamo’s Denver airport location, it’s $25 per day.1Alamo Rent A Car. Denver International Airport (DEN) Car Rental Most companies across the industry charge $25 to $30 per day, sometimes more depending on vehicle class and pickup location. On a seven-day rental, that alone adds $175 to $210 before taxes.
AAA Membership Waiver
AAA members aged 20 to 24 can skip the underage fee entirely at participating Hertz locations, a savings of up to $29 per day. Book at least 24 hours in advance, include your AAA Club Discount Code on the reservation, and bring your membership card and a credit card in your own name to pickup.2AAA. 40th Year Partnership AAA and Hertz Member Benefits
USAA Membership Waiver
USAA members who carry USAA insurance get the surcharge waived at several brands. Hertz, Avis, and Budget waive it for members aged 18 to 24; Enterprise, Alamo, and National waive it for members aged 21 to 24.3USAA. USAA Member Car Rental Discounts The waiver is limited to insurance-eligible members, so a USAA bank account alone may not qualify you.
Vehicle and Payment Restrictions Under 25
Younger renters also face limits on which cars they can take. Alamo restricts 21-to-24-year-olds at Denver to economy through full-size cars, cargo and minivans, pickups, and smaller SUVs seating up to five.1Alamo Rent A Car. Denver International Airport (DEN) Car Rental Budget applies similar limits, blocking renters aged 21 to 24 from luxury cars, minivans, 12-passenger vans, specialty vehicles, full-size SUVs, and premium SUVs.4Budget Car Rental. Requirements For Renting
Payment matters too. Budget does not accept debit cards from renters under 25 at corporate-operated locations, so bring a credit card in your own name.4Budget Car Rental. Requirements For Renting Policies vary by company and location, so confirm the payment rules when you book.
Renting Under 21: Military and Government Travel
The main exception to the 21-year floor is official government travel. Under the U.S. Government Rental Car Agreement, anyone 18 or older on authorized government travel can rent through the program.5Defense Travel Management Office. U.S. Government Rental Car Agreement Number 4
The agreement builds in a $5.00 per day Government Administrative Rate Supplement, which helps cover the cost of renting to employees under 25. The rental company also absorbs the risk of vehicle damage in most circumstances during authorized travel within the scope of a traveler’s duties.5Defense Travel Management Office. U.S. Government Rental Car Agreement Number 4 Drivers 18 to 20 renting through the Defense Travel Management Office program may still be charged an underage fee, but that fee is reimbursable through official travel channels.6Defense Travel Management Office. Rental Car Program Keep the receipt and submit it with your travel voucher.
Turo and Zipcar for Drivers Under 21
Peer-to-peer platforms operate outside the traditional rental model and often accept younger drivers. Turo allows renters as young as 18 in most markets, with young driver fees running about $30 per day for ages 21 to 25 and about $50 per day for ages 18 to 20. Zipcar uses hourly and daily rates that can pencil out lower depending on your trip.
Colorado regulates these platforms under its peer-to-peer car sharing statute, C.R.S. § 6-1-1202 and § 6-1-1203, a framework separate from traditional rental companies and ride-hailing services. The statute requires both the vehicle owner and the driver to be covered by automobile liability insurance during each sharing period.7Justia Law. Colorado Code Title 6 Section 6-1-1203 – Insurance Requirements Colorado’s baseline liability minimums are $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for bodily injury, plus $15,000 for property damage.8Justia Law. Colorado Code Title 10 Section 10-4-620 – Required Coverage Before booking, confirm the platform’s insurance meets those minimums or plan to fill the gap with your own policy.
Individual owners set their own prices, availability, and sometimes their own age or experience rules, so shop the specific listing rather than assuming platform-wide terms apply.
Insurance Decisions at the Counter
Before you buy anything the counter offers, check two things: your personal auto policy and your credit card’s benefits guide.
Most personal auto policies extend liability and collision coverage to rental cars driven within the United States. If yours does, buying the rental company’s collision damage waiver or liability supplement pays for the same protection twice. Call your insurer and ask specifically whether rental cars are covered, whether there’s a deductible, and whether coverage applies to all vehicle classes.
Many major credit cards include secondary or primary collision damage protection when you pay for the rental on the card. Terms vary by issuer and tier, so read the actual benefit guide rather than relying on a general impression.
If you plan to decline the rental company’s liability coverage, make sure your personal policy meets Colorado’s minimums of $25,000 / $50,000 / $15,000.8Justia Law. Colorado Code Title 10 Section 10-4-620 – Required Coverage Driving with less exposes you to personal liability and potential fines.
If a Company Misleads or Discriminates
Age-based surcharges themselves are legal in Colorado. What isn’t legal is hiding them or applying them unevenly.
The Colorado Consumer Protection Act, C.R.S. § 6-1-105, prohibits deceptive trade practices, which covers rental companies that bury surcharges in fine print, misrepresent the total cost, or fail to disclose fees before you sign.9Justia Law. Colorado Code Title 6 Section 6-1-105 – Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices Fees and restrictions must be disclosed clearly and upfront.
Colorado’s public accommodations law, C.R.S. § 24-34-601, bars discrimination based on race, color, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, national origin, ancestry, or disability.10Colorado Civil Rights Division. Discrimination A rental company is a place of public accommodation. Age surcharges are permitted, but applying them differently based on a protected characteristic is not.
Complaints go to the Colorado Civil Rights Division. The filing deadline for public accommodation complaints is 60 days from the date of the alleged discrimination, a short window that catches many people off guard. There’s no fee, and intake starts with an online form through the Division’s CaseConnect system; the Division then reviews your information and, if it has jurisdiction, prepares the formal complaint for your signature.11Colorado Civil Rights Division. The Complaint Process