Mississippi Driver’s License 2026: Steps, Teen Limits, Fees

How do you get a Mississippi driver’s license at each age?

Age	What happens
15	Pass the knowledge and eye exams for a learner’s permit, then drive only with a licensed driver 21 or older beside you
16	Get a Class R license once you’ve held the permit for 12 months. A conviction for driving under the influence (DUI) or a moving violation restarts the 12 months
17 and older	Pass the exams and get the permit and the license on the same day, with no affidavit

If you started on a permit at 16 and turn 17 before the year is up, you can get the license at 17. Months on a valid learner’s permit from another state count toward the 12. The Highway Patrol and the Driver Service Bureau are both part of DPS, and licenses come from the Driver Service Bureau’s stations, not a DMV or the Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT).

The learner’s permit and the knowledge exam →

Mississippi driver’s license requirements

At 16 you come back to the station with these, as well as the documents you showed for the permit:

Your valid learner’s permit
An up-to-date school attendance form, a high school diploma or a general educational development (GED) certificate if you’re under 18. If you’re married, a marriage license instead
The Waiver of Road Testing Affidavit, signed by a parent, teacher or guardian, if you’re under 17
Two proofs of your Mississippi address, each no more than 60 days old
From July 1, 2027, proof that you finished a certified driver’s ed course, if you’ve never had a license

Your knowledge exam score is good for two years. If you bring the affidavit later than that, you take the exam again.

Accepted proofs of a Mississippi address

Each one must show your name and a Mississippi home address, not a P.O. box. Junk mail, envelopes and handwritten letters aren’t accepted. Under 21, you can use papers for your parent’s or guardian’s home. DPS’s list includes:

Utility bill (electric, water, gas or cable), or an internet or phone bill
Bank or credit card statement
Paycheck stub with your name and address
Lease, rental or purchase agreement, or mortgage papers
Medical records or bills
Returned IRS or state tax forms or a W-2
School record, transcript or report card
Vehicle title, registration or tag receipt
Voter registration card with your physical address
Life, health, auto or home insurance policy
Property tax statement or homestead exemption receipt
A Mississippi license held by your parent or legal guardian
The Proof of Domicile Affidavit, signed by a roommate, landlord, parent or guardian
Any official city, county, state or federal letter with your address

Limits for drivers under 18, and the hardship license

Mississippi no longer has an intermediate license: House Bill 550 removed it in 2021. Instead, the law sets these limits for regular license holders under 18:

Drive alone from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., Sunday through Thursday
Drive alone from 6 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday
Drive alone at any time when you’re going straight to or from work, school or an activity
Outside those times, for your first six months with the license, a licensed driver 21 or older must sit beside you

A hardship license lets some 15 to 17 year olds drive alone earlier. A parent or guardian applies through DPS’s online portal after you’ve held the permit for 30 days with no traffic tickets. You must have finished a certified driver’s ed course and meet the school attendance rule, and it isn’t available to anyone with a DUI.

DPS considers school transportation, a death in the family, driving brothers and sisters, medical needs, work and a family business or farm. With a hardship license you may drive alone only to school or school events, to take siblings there, to work or for medical needs. You may carry only immediate family, and you can’t use a phone at all, not even hands-free.

Drivers ed in Mississippi →

Fees

Item	Fee
Learner’s permit for 2 years	$7
Class R license for 4 years	$24
Class R license for 8 years	$47
Duplicate license	$11
Late renewal	$1
ID card for 4 years	$17
ID card for 8 years	$33

Stations take cash, debit and credit cards for license and ID fees, but not personal checks.

Moving to Mississippi, renewing and REAL ID

New residents have 60 days to get a Mississippi license and must hand in every out-of-state license. With a valid license from another state you skip the knowledge exam and take a vision screening. With an expired one, DPS’s Class R page says you take the knowledge exam, and state law waives the exam only for a valid license. The manual words it as a license expired over 30 days, so if yours has lapsed, plan on taking the exam. At 16 or 17, a license from another state held for at least six months means you don’t need a Mississippi permit first.

You can renew up to six months before your license expires, online every other time, and in person if it’s been expired over 12 months. After 60 months you bring all your documents and take the knowledge exam again. DPS says every Mississippi license and ID card is REAL ID compliant and carries the gold star, and you can add a Mississippi Mobile ID to your phone. Non-US citizens renew in person, within 30 days of expiration. Since July 1, 2026, state law says their licenses carry a designation that the holder isn’t a US citizen.

Sources: Mississippi DPS Driver Service Bureau · Mississippi Department of Public Safety · Mississippi Legislature and 11 more. Checked October 2026.

Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.

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Overview Where to learn Road test Driver’s manual Drivers ed CDL Class D license

How to get a Mississippi driver’s license