Missouri’s driving laws for minors run on a three-stage graduated system: an instruction permit at 15, an intermediate license at 16, and a full license at 18. Each stage carries its own rules about who has to be in the car, when the teen can drive, how many friends can ride along, and what happens if the teen picks up a ticket or an alcohol offense along the way.1Missouri Department of Revenue. Graduated Driver License Law – Details The restrictions are the part families most often underestimate, because a violation at 16 or 17 can push the full license past the 18th birthday.
The Instruction Permit at 15
A Missouri teen becomes eligible for an instruction permit at age 15. A parent or legal guardian has to sign the application, and that signature is also a promise to supervise (or arrange supervision for) the required driving practice.2Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Revised Statutes Section 302.130 At a Missouri State Highway Patrol examination station, the applicant takes a vision screening, a road sign test, and a 25-question written knowledge test. Twenty correct answers (80 percent) is a passing score.3Missouri Department of Revenue. Driver License – General FAQs
The Class F permit costs $10 and is valid for 12 months.4Missouri Department of Revenue. The Missouri Driver License and Nondriver ID During that year the teen must log at least 40 hours of behind-the-wheel practice, and at least 10 of those hours have to happen between sunset and sunrise. A parent or guardian has to sign off on the hours before the teen can move up.1Missouri Department of Revenue. Graduated Driver License Law – Details
Who Has to Be in the Front Seat
Before the permit holder turns 16, the front passenger seat must be occupied by one of the following:2Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Revised Statutes Section 302.130
- A parent, grandparent, or legal guardian who holds a valid license.
- A designated adult who is at least 25, has been licensed for at least three years, and has written permission from the parent or guardian.
- A qualified driving instructor.
Once the permit holder turns 16, any licensed driver 21 or older can supervise.1Missouri Department of Revenue. Graduated Driver License Law – Details
The Intermediate License at 16
After holding the permit for at least six months, a 16-year-old can apply for an intermediate license. The fee is $14.4Missouri Department of Revenue. The Missouri Driver License and Nondriver ID To get one the teen must:5Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Revised Statutes Section 302.178
- Have a parent or guardian sign confirming the 40 hours (including 10 night hours) of supervised practice.
- Have no alcohol-related enforcement contacts in the preceding 12 months.
- Have no pointed moving violations in the preceding six months.
- Pass the Highway Patrol driving skills test.
A parent or guardian has to come to the licensing office to give consent, and the teen needs the usual proofs of identity, residency, and Social Security number.
What the Intermediate License Restricts
An intermediate license looks like a regular license in most respects, but it comes with three limitations that catch teens off guard.
1:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. Curfew
Intermediate license holders cannot drive between 1:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. without a qualifying supervising driver in the front seat. There are three exceptions where the teen can drive alone during those hours: to or from school or a school activity, to or from a regular job, and in a genuine emergency as defined by the Department of Revenue.5Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Revised Statutes Section 302.178
Passenger Limits
For the first six months of the intermediate license, the teen can carry only one non-family passenger under 19. After that six-month mark, the cap rises to three non-family passengers under 19. Immediate family members do not count against either limit.5Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Revised Statutes Section 302.178 This is one of the easiest rules to break by accident when a group of friends piles in after school.
Seat Belts for Everyone in the Car
Missouri’s general seat belt law only covers the driver and front-seat passengers. For an intermediate license holder, though, every person in the vehicle has to buckle up, including anyone in the back seat.5Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Revised Statutes Section 302.178 That requirement is a condition of the license itself, so ignoring it is a license violation rather than a routine seat belt ticket.
Alcohol: Zero Tolerance and Abuse and Lose
Anyone under 21 who drives after drinking faces administrative action at a blood alcohol concentration of 0.02 percent, well below the 0.08 percent adult threshold.6Missouri Department of Revenue. Driving While Intoxicated – DWI A first offense at 0.02 percent or higher brings a 90-day license suspension, with possible eligibility for a restricted driving privilege. A second offense outside five years is another 90-day suspension; a second within five years is a one-year revocation.7Missouri Department of Revenue. Driver Guide – Chapter 10
Alcohol possession by a minor (MIP) is handled separately. A first MIP brings a 30-day suspension, a second brings 90 days, and a third or later offense brings a one-year revocation.6Missouri Department of Revenue. Driving While Intoxicated – DWI
On top of those rules, Missouri’s Abuse and Lose law lets a court suspend or revoke driving privileges for anyone under 21 based on alcohol or drug offenses that have nothing to do with driving. A first qualifying offense carries a 90-day suspension; a later one carries a one-year revocation.8Missouri Department of Revenue. FAQs – Abuse and Lose Qualifying offenses include any alcohol-related traffic violation, possessing or using alcohol while operating a vehicle, possessing or using drugs, and altering or misrepresenting a driver license.9Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Revised Statutes Section 302.400 A teen caught with a fake ID at a liquor store can lose driving privileges under this law without ever getting behind the wheel.
Texting and Handheld Phone Use
Missouri prohibits every driver, teen or adult, from texting, emailing, or using social media on a handheld device while driving. Voice-operated and hands-free features are allowed as long as the driver keeps their eyes on the road.10Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Revised Statutes Section 304.822
Two details are worth knowing. Texting while driving is a secondary enforcement offense: an officer cannot pull a driver over for texting alone, but can add a texting citation to a stop made for another reason.10Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Revised Statutes Section 304.822 And as of August 2023, texting citations no longer carry points on a Missouri driving record.11Missouri Department of Revenue. Missouri Driver Record Traffic Violation Descriptions and Points Assessed – Form 899 The fine and the record still exist, and insurers can still see them.
Points and Suspensions
Missouri tracks moving violations on a point system. Eight or more points in 18 months triggers a suspension: 30 days for a first suspension, 60 for a second, and 90 for a third or later.12Missouri Department of Revenue. Tickets and Points FAQs Common violations like speeding or running a stop sign carry two to four points; a felony reckless driving conviction carries 12, enough to trigger a suspension on its own. The full point schedule is on Department of Revenue Form 899.11Missouri Department of Revenue. Missouri Driver Record Traffic Violation Descriptions and Points Assessed – Form 899
For a teen, the effect of a suspension goes beyond the days off the road. Moving up to a full license at 18 requires a clean 12 months, so a suspension resets that clock.
Insurance and Parental Responsibility
Every vehicle on Missouri roads must carry at least 25/50/25 liability coverage: $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for bodily injury, plus $25,000 per accident for property damage. Missouri also requires uninsured motorist coverage at 25/50.13Missouri Department of Revenue. Insurance Information These minimums apply regardless of whose name is on the title.
The parent who signed the minor’s license application is accepting financial responsibility for the teen’s driving. That is worth remembering when choosing coverage levels, because a single at-fault crash can run well past $25,000 in medical costs alone.
Moving to a Full License at 18
At 18, an intermediate license holder can apply for a full under-21 license, and can start the application up to 30 days before the birthday.1Missouri Department of Revenue. Graduated Driver License Law – Details The applicant must:
- Hold a valid intermediate license that is not suspended, revoked, or denied.
- Have no alcohol-related offenses or traffic convictions in the previous 12 months.
- Retake the vision and road sign tests (the written and driving tests already passed do not have to be redone).14Missouri Department of Revenue. Parent/Guardian Role in MO Graduated Driver License Law
If the clean-record requirement isn’t met at 18, the teen keeps the intermediate license (with all its curfew and passenger restrictions) until they go a full 12 consecutive months without an alcohol offense or pointed conviction. That is the single most common reason teens end up driving with restrictions well past their 18th birthday.