Cloves Carneiro Jr · October 9, 2026

Car Rental Under 25 in Fort Lauderdale: What Drivers Ages 23–24 Should Know

Renting a car when you're under 25 usually means paying more for it. Most of the big rental companies will rent to you from 21, then add a young-driver surcharge every day, hold back some vehicle classes, and sometimes tighten the payment rules too. Across a week-long trip, that surcharge can cost about as much as two or three extra days of rental.

We do it differently. If you're 23 or 24, there's no young-driver surcharge at Atlas Auto Rental. You pay the same rate a 35-year-old pays for the same car on the same dates, and you go through the same booking and verification as everyone else.

The short answer

Minimum age: 23, for the renter and for every additional driver
Young-driver surcharge: none
Cars held back from renters under 25: none
Credit or debit card in your own name: both accepted
Security deposit: the same $300.00 refundable hold every renter has
Mileage, delivery, tolls and length-of-rental discounts: the same rules as every renter

If you're 21 or 22, we can't rent to you yet. More on that below.

Why other companies charge drivers under 25 more

At most of the big companies, 25 isn't the minimum age. It's the age when the surcharge stops. Here's what two of the largest charge, as of October 2026:

Avis at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) rents from age 21 and lists a $27-per-day surcharge for renters under 25. Renters 21–24 can't rent luxury cars, minivans, specialty cars, full-size SUVs or premium SUVs.
Enterprise rents from age 21 across most of the U.S. and says its young-renter fee averages about $25 per day, more or less depending on the location. Renters 21–24 may be limited to certain car classes.

These policies change and vary from one branch to the next, so check the current terms for the exact location you're booking.

What a young-driver surcharge adds up to

At Avis FLL's current $27 a day, the surcharge alone adds:

3-day rental: $81
7-day rental: $189
14-day rental: $378
30-day rental: $810

That's on top of the vehicle rate. A company with a lower daily rate can still cost more once the surcharge is added, so if you're under 25, compare the complete total for your dates, not the advertised daily price.

Why our minimum age is 23

We could rent from 21 and charge extra for it. Instead, we picked one age, 23, and charge everyone who meets it the same:

Drivers 21–22 aren't currently eligible.
Drivers 23–24 are eligible under the same requirements and the same prices as everyone else.
Drivers 25 and older go through exactly the same process.

There's no separate young-renter price tier. We'd rather tell you plainly who we can rent to than advertise a lower minimum age and make up the difference with a daily fee.

You don't enter your date of birth separately. We read it from your driver's license during verification, and the age that counts is your age on the pickup date. If you turn 23 the week before your trip, you're eligible.

What you need to rent at 23 or 24

The same things every Atlas renter needs:

A valid, unexpired driver's license
A credit or debit card in your own legal name
A completed identity check (a photo of your license, a selfie and a liveness check, done on your phone in a couple of minutes)
Qualifying liability coverage, either your own auto policy verified during booking or our renter liability coverage
Funds for the rental total when you book, and for the $300.00 hold on pickup day

The full checklist is in What Documents Do You Need to Rent a Car in Florida?

Do you need a credit card if you're under 25?

No. We accept debit and credit cards from every eligible renter, and we don't ask for a credit card just because you're under 25. The card has to be in the renter's legal name, and it needs enough available funds or credit to cover the rental and the deposit hold.

This is another area where other companies' policies vary a lot. Some add extra debit-card requirements, especially at airport counters. Can You Rent a Car With a Debit Card in Fort Lauderdale? explains how it works with us.

How the $300.00 deposit works

Every Atlas rental has the same $300.00 refundable security-deposit hold, whatever the renter's age. It isn't a young-driver fee. A 23-year-old and a 40-year-old get exactly the same hold.

The hold is an authorization, not a charge. We place it on the card you booked with when we hand over the car, not when you book. We release it after you return the car, and we only capture against it if the car comes back with damage or another amount is owed under the rental agreement.

On a credit card, the hold reduces your available credit. On a debit card, it reduces the money available in your account, and your bank decides how fast that money shows up again after we release the hold. A few business days is typical.

Do younger renters need different insurance?

No. Being 23 or 24 doesn't put you in a different coverage category.

Every rental needs qualifying liability coverage. If we can verify your personal auto insurance and it qualifies, you can use it. If you don't have a qualifying policy, you'll add our renter liability coverage, which is charged per rental day.

Our damage waivers are optional and separate from liability coverage, and your age never makes one mandatory. Can You Rent a Car Without Insurance in Fort Lauderdale? covers this in detail.

Can a 23-year-old rent any Atlas car?

Yes. We don't hold any car back from renters under 25. If you're eligible, you can book any car that's available for your dates:

The Kia Soul, a roomy compact, from $54.00 a day
The Volkswagen Jetta, a sedan with a big trunk for the airport run
The Volkswagen Taos, a compact SUV with more room for passengers and gear

The right one depends on how many people are coming, how much luggage you have and where you're driving. Our guide to choosing between a sedan and an SUV in Fort Lauderdale can help you pick.

What about additional drivers under 25?

Everyone who drives an Atlas car has to be approved first, and the minimum age applies to each driver. An additional driver must:

Be at least 23 on the pickup date
Hold a valid driver's license that doesn't expire before the rental ends
Complete their own identity verification
Be added to the booking and approved before they drive

Your spouse, friend or travel companion can't drive just because you said they could. If an additional driver is 21 or 22, they can't drive an Atlas car.

Can you rent at 21 or 22?

Not from us, for now. Every Atlas renter and additional driver has to be at least 23. If you're 21 or 22, you'll need a company that rents in that age range. Several national companies do, but expect the young-driver surcharge and vehicle restrictions described above. Once you turn 23, you can rent from us under the normal booking requirements.

Everything else works the same at 23

Your age doesn't change any other part of the rental.

FLL airport pickup. Book online, complete verification, ride the Park By The Ports shuttle from your terminal, and pick up your car at the Park My Share lot in Dania Beach. Airport pickup is free, and there's no young-driver fee on top. The FLL Airport Park My Share pickup guide walks through each step.

Delivery. We deliver in Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, Dania Beach, Hallandale Beach, Aventura and Davie. The delivery fee depends on the city, never on your age. See How Car Rental Delivery Works in Fort Lauderdale.

Mileage. Every rental includes 200 miles per rental day, pooled across the whole rental, with additional miles at $0.35 each. A longer rental gives you a bigger pool, so you can drive more on some days and less on others.

Tolls. Every car has a SunPass transponder. You drive Florida's toll roads normally, and we bill you the actual toll amount afterward, with no daily toll-program fee, convenience fee or markup. See How Do Tolls Work in a Rental Car in Florida?

Weekly and monthly discounts. Discounts depend on how long you rent, not how old you are. Every car in our fleet currently takes 10% off the vehicle rate for rentals of seven days or more, and 20% off for a month (28 days) or more. That adds up when you need a car for several weeks. Monthly Car Rental in Fort Lauderdale explains when a long-term rental makes sense.

Renting while your car is in the shop

Younger local drivers need replacement cars too. If you're 23 or 24 and your own car is out for collision repair, mechanical or warranty work, an insurance claim, a total loss or back-ordered parts, you can rent from us under the normal requirements.

If an insurer may reimburse your rental, ask the adjuster about the daily reimbursement limit. Depending on the policy and the claim, a young-driver surcharge at another company may not be fully covered, so skipping it can matter even more for a replacement rental. Read Renting a Car While Yours Is in the Shop for more.

Tips for renting a car at 23 or 24

When you're comparing companies:

Check the minimum age for the exact location you're booking.
Look for a young-driver surcharge and multiply it by the length of your rental.
Check which vehicle classes are restricted for your age.
Read the credit- and debit-card rules.
Compare deposit amounts, mileage allowances, and airport or facility fees.
Compare the complete total for your dates, not the advertised daily rate.

When you book with Atlas:

Make sure every driver will be at least 23 on the pickup date.
Pay with a card in the renter's own name.
Complete identity verification promptly.
Have your insurance information ready.
Leave room on your card for the $300.00 hold on pickup day.
Review the itemized quote before you pay.

Being under 25 doesn't have to cost more

A lot of drivers who are 23 or 24 expect a rental car to cost more because of their age. With us, it doesn't. If you're at least 23, have a valid license and clear the same verification as everyone else, you pay the same rate as any other renter, with no daily surcharge added.

Rates start at $54.00 a day and change with demand and dates, so the quote for your dates is the real number. Your quote itemizes the vehicle rate, delivery, taxes, any coverage and any length-of-rental discount before you pay. If you cancel 24 or more hours before your start time, you get a full refund.

See the cars and get a quote, or check our FAQ for more on deposits, coverage, delivery and tolls.

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