Car Rental Under 25 in Melbourne: Age Rules and Surcharges

Car rental under 25 in Australia is possible, but with conditions. When we checked on 3 October 2026, Avis and Budget both set a minimum rental age of 21, let drivers under 25 rent only certain vehicle groups, and required a full licence held for at least 12 months, with no provisional licences. Budget also warns that restrictions and fees may apply to drivers under 25. Every company sets its own rules, so check before you book.

This guide explains how the age rules usually work, which cars are off-limits, the extra costs to ask about, and how a weekly rental can differ from a daily hire for a younger driver.

What is the minimum age to rent a car in Australia?

Rental companies set their own minimum age, and it differs between them. Two of the biggest use 21. Here is what two of them published when we checked:

Our guide to car rental requirements in Australia covers the documents most companies ask for, whatever your age.

Young driver surcharges and a higher excess

Some companies charge more when the driver is under 25. Budget, for example, says fees may apply. The extra cost can come as a fee, a different excess, or both, and the amounts aren't always on the front page, so ask for them in writing before you commit. The questions that matter:

1. Is there a young driver fee, and is it charged per day, per week or per rental?
2. Is the damage excess higher for my age?
3. Can I reduce the excess, and what does that cost?
4. Does any of this change if I add a second driver who is also under 25?

The excess is the amount you pay towards damage before the insurance covers the rest, and it can be the biggest number in the whole deal. Our explainer on what rental car excess is shows how it works.

Which vehicles are off-limits under 25?

At Avis and Budget, drivers under 25 could only rent these groups when we checked: Compact, Intermediate, Standard, Full Size, Compact SUV and Intermediate SUV passenger cars, plus a list of utes, vans and trucks. Anything outside those groups is off-limits until you turn 25. Avis also lists its Signature Series cars as requiring drivers over 25.

In practice, at those two brands, everyday cars from compact to full size and the smaller SUV groups are open to under-25s, and the other groups are not. Other companies draw the line in different places, so ask which vehicles your age allows before you pick one.

Renting at 18 to 20: is it possible?

Not with companies that set the minimum at 21, which includes Avis and Budget. Some smaller operators set their own limits, so it is worth asking local companies directly. If a company says no, ask what would change the answer: a different vehicle group, a full licence instead of P-plates, or simply waiting until you turn 21.

At 18 to 20 you are also likely to be on P-plates, and that brings its own rules. Victorian P1 drivers face a peer passenger limit, and probationary drivers can't drive probationary prohibited vehicles. Our P-plate rules guide explains both.

If you want to drive for Uber, age is a hard limit. Uber requires drivers in Victoria to be 21 or older and to have held a full Australian or New Zealand licence for at least 6 months, so P-platers can't carry Uber passengers. Uber Eats car delivery in Victoria accepts a green P2 licence but not a red P1.

Our age rules

We accept P-plates (red or green) and overseas licences, which Avis and Budget don't. We rent to licensed drivers from 18, including P-platers for any vehicle a probationary driver is allowed to drive, on the same weekly terms as everyone else: no young-driver surcharge, and the same rent, bond and excess at 18 as at 40. Our guide to renting a car on P-plates in Victoria explains how that works in more detail.

Sharing the car with another young driver

If a friend, partner or flatmate will also drive, check the rules for them as well as for you. The ACCC suggests asking any rental company who is permitted to drive the car before you sign, and at Avis and Budget the age and licence rules apply to every driver, not just the person paying. Under our rental agreement, another person may drive only if we have approved them in writing first. Handing the keys to someone who hasn't been approved breaks the agreement, even for a short trip. Our guide on whether someone else can drive your rental car explains how to add a driver properly.

Weekly rental vs daily hire for young drivers

Daily hire suits a weekend away. A weekly rental suits someone who needs a car for work, study or getting settled, for a month or more. Our terms are the same whatever car you choose:

• Rent is billed weekly in advance, with a one-month minimum, then 2 weeks' notice to hand the car back.
• Rent and bond are shown on every listing. At the time of writing, older petrol cars start from about $150 a week and 2025 and 2026 hybrids are roughly $220 to $430 a week.
• The bond is refunded within 30 days, with an itemised statement for any deduction.
• The vehicle is insured, with the cover and excess set out in your booking documents.
• We pay for scheduled servicing and wear-and-tear repairs. You pay fuel, tolls, parking, fines and damage up to the excess.

Browse the current cars on our vehicles page.

What to bring

1. Your physical driver licence card. We check the front and back at pickup.
2. If your licence is from overseas and not in English, an accredited English translation or an International Driving Permit.
3. The bond for the car you have chosen, payable at pickup, and the first week's rent, which is billed in advance.

Pickup is in Dandenong South, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. We confirm the exact time and address by phone or WhatsApp once your request is approved.

Questions people ask