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Mississippi · Permit test

The MS driving test: a 50-hour affidavit, not a road test

There’s no MS driving test with an examiner for a regular Class R license right now. The Driver Service Bureau of the Department of Public Safety (DPS) says no skills test is required of anyone applying for one. If you’re under 17, a parent, teacher or guardian signs the Waiver of Road Testing Affidavit instead, swearing that you’ve held your permit for at least a year, had at least 50 hours of driving instruction and can drive safely. You do take a skills test for a motorcycle endorsement or a commercial license.

  • 50 hoursSupervised driving the affidavit covers
  • 12 monthsOn the permit before the affidavit
  • 17Age from which no affidavit is needed
Download the road test waiver affidavit

Updated October 2026 · Written from official sources, listed at the bottom of this page

Why is there no MS driving test for a regular license?

State law (Mississippi Code § 63‑1‑33) tells DPS to accept an affidavit from a parent, teacher or guardian who has watched the student drive for at least 50 hours, in place of a skills test by the department. DPS’s answer to “am I excused from the driving part of the test?” is that no road tests are being given, and you only take the written exam.

In the 2026 session, House Bills 397 and 694 would have made a road test a condition of getting a license, and both died in committee on February 3, 2026.

The Waiver of Road Testing Affidavit

You need it at 16, when you trade your learner’s permit for a Class R license. A parent, teacher or guardian fills in your name, address, date of birth and Social Security number, then signs that you’ve held the permit for at least one year, that you’ve had at least 50 hours of driving instruction, and that you can drive safely. You can pick the form up at a driver license station or download it from DPS. Bring it with your valid permit and an up-to-date school attendance form. From 17 you don’t need it. From July 1, 2027, a certificate from a certified driver’s ed course joins the list if you’ve never had a license.

Everything you bring for a Mississippi driver’s license →

Making the 50 hours count

DPS’s Model Mentor Guide is written for the adult who rides with you. It suggests starting in an empty parking lot, keeping early drives short, since an hour can be exhausting for a new driver, and moving to busy traffic and highways later. Phones and the radio go off, for the mentor too, and the guide says to avoid other passengers at first. On a permit, the person beside you must be a licensed driver 21 or older.

Motorcycle and CDL skills tests

A motorcycle endorsement takes a knowledge test and a skills test. DPS skips the skills test if you’ve finished a motorcycle safety class endorsed by the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA), and an out-of-state license with a motorcycle endorsement means no testing at all.

A commercial driver’s license (CDL) skills test has three parts, taken in order: a vehicle inspection, basic vehicle control and a drive on the road. You book it by phone with DPS’s CDL help desk, and you can’t take it until you’ve held your commercial learner’s permit for 14 days.

Motorcycle license rules by state →The Mississippi CDL tests and permit →
Sources: Mississippi DPS Driver Service Bureau · Mississippi Legislature and 6 more. Checked October 2026.

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

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