What Age Can You Get Your Driver’s License in Mississippi?

In Mississippi, you can get a learner’s permit at 15, a regular driver’s license at 16 with nighttime restrictions, and a fully unrestricted license at 17. Each step has its own requirements, and a moving violation or DUI along the way can reset the clock. Here is what the age progression actually looks like under Mississippi’s graduated licensing system.

Learner’s Permit at 15

Mississippi law lets anyone at least 15 years old apply for a learner’s permit.¹ At a Driver License Station, the applicant takes a written knowledge test on traffic laws, road signs, and safe-driving basics, plus an eye exam. The Mississippi Driver’s License Manual is available as a free download or for $3.00 at a Driver License Station.²

The permit costs $7.00 and is valid for two years.³ A permit holder can only drive when supervised by a licensed adult. Mississippi does not set a statutory minimum number of supervised hours during the permit stage.⁴ Practice still matters, though, because a parent or guardian will later have to swear to 50 hours of driving instruction before the minor can move up to a regular license.

One narrow exception sits below age 15. Mississippi’s administrative code allows a 14-year-old to hold a learner’s permit if they are enrolled in a certified driver education program, and the permit may only be used to operate the driver education vehicle.⁵ It is not a route to general driving privileges before 15.

Regular License at 16

A minor can step up to a regular Class R license at 16, but only after holding the learner’s permit for at least 12 months with no DUI conviction and no moving violation during that period.¹ So getting a permit on the fifteenth birthday is what makes a license on the sixteenth birthday possible.

At the Driver License Station, the 16-year-old applicant needs three things: the valid learner’s permit, a current school attendance form, and a signed Waiver of Road Testing Affidavit.⁶ On the waiver, a parent, teacher, or guardian attests that the permit holder has received at least 50 hours of driving instruction and is proficient in safe vehicle operation.⁷ With that waiver, there is no state-administered road test.

A four-year license costs $24.00; an eight-year license costs $47.00.³

Nighttime Restrictions After 16

A license issued at 16 is not fully unrestricted. The new driver enters an intermediate period that lasts six months or until the driver turns 17, whichever comes first.⁵ During that window, unsupervised driving is off-limits between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. Sunday through Thursday, and between 11:30 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. Friday and Saturday.⁸ The curfew does not apply when a licensed adult is in the car, or when the driver is traveling for work or school activities. When the six months end or the driver turns 17, the curfew drops.

Unrestricted License at 17

Seventeen is the age at which Mississippi treats a first-time driver as an adult applicant. A 17-year-old is not required to hold a permit for 12 months and can obtain both the learner’s permit and a full driver’s license on the same day.⁶ The knowledge test, the eye exam, and the document requirements still apply, but the Waiver of Road Testing Affidavit is not required for anyone 17 or older, so the applicant goes through the standard testing process instead of relying on a parent’s certification.

A license issued at 17 is fully unrestricted from day one, with no nighttime curfew and no intermediate period.⁵

Documents and Parental Consent

Every minor applicant, at every stage, brings the same core paperwork. An original birth certificate (no photocopies), a Social Security card or official government correspondence showing the full nine-digit number, and two proofs of residency are all required.² If the applicant’s current name does not match the birth certificate, legal name-change documentation comes with it.

Applicants aged 15 through 17 also need a notarized school attendance form, signed by a principal, headmaster, home-study parent, or GED supervisor.⁹ It expires 30 days after the notarization date, so the trip to the Driver License Station needs to be timed within that window. Public, private, parochial, and home instruction programs all qualify. A minor under 18 who is married is exempt from the school form but must present a marriage license instead.²

For applicants under 17, both parents or legal guardians must sign the application, and their signatures must be notarized. If a parent is unavailable because of divorce, death, or other circumstances, the application asks for an explanation. Signing does more than authorize the application: the parents agree “to be liable for damages resulting from such misconduct or negligence” by the minor behind the wheel.¹⁰

What Can Delay the Timeline

The clean 15-to-16 progression only works if the permit period stays clean. Any moving violation or DUI conviction during the learner’s permit stage resets the 12-month waiting period, and the countdown starts over from the date of conviction.¹ A single speeding ticket at 15 can push a license from 16 to 17.

Mississippi enforces a 0.02% blood alcohol concentration limit for all drivers under 21, low enough that one drink can trigger it. A BAC between 0.02% and 0.08% brings fines, potential jail time, and license suspension; at 0.08% or higher, the full adult DUI penalties apply.¹¹ Courts can also suspend a minor’s license for up to 90 days for certain violations.¹²

The school attendance rule creates the other common delay. Because driving privileges under 18 are tied to school enrollment, a minor who has dropped out or racked up excessive unexcused absences may be unable to obtain or renew a permit or license until the attendance issue is resolved.⁹

Driver Education Becomes Mandatory in 2027

Driver education is not currently required to get a Mississippi license, but the rule changes soon. Senate Bill 2695, passed in 2024, amends Section 63-1-9 to require completion of a certified driver education and training program for all first-time license applicants beginning July 1, 2027.¹³ A minor will still be able to get a learner’s permit before completing driver education, but will need to finish the program before advancing to a regular license. Families whose teens will apply in July 2027 or later should plan on that added step regardless of which age the license is sought at.

1
Justia. Mississippi Code 63-1-9 – Persons Prohibited From Obtaining License; Issuance of Learner’s Permits and Driver’s Licenses
2
DPS Driver Service Bureau. Regular Learner’s Permit
3
DPS Driver Service Bureau. Driver Service Fees
4
University of Maryland Carey School of Law. Summary of State Laws Addressing the Supervised Driving Requirement in Graduated Driver Licensing Systems
5
Justia. Mississippi Administrative Code, Chapter 2, Rule 31-1-2.18 – Graduated Driver License
6
DPS Driver Service Bureau. Regular Driver License – Light Commercial Class D
7
Mississippi Department of Public Safety. Road Test Waiver Affidavit
8
Mississippi Department of Transportation. Parent-Teen Driving Agreement
9
Mississippi Department of Public Safety. Certification of School Attendance Status
10
Mississippi Department of Public Safety. Application for Mississippi Driver License/ID
11
Justia. Mississippi Code 63-11-30 – Operating a Vehicle While Under the Influence
12
Justia. Mississippi Code 63-1-55 – Suspension of License of Minor
13
Mississippi Legislature. SB2695 (As Sent to Governor) – 2024 Regular Session