Mississippi graduated driver licence stages

By the end of this topic you can

• You can name the minimum age for a Mississippi learner's permit and a Class R license.
• You can explain the one-year permit holding rule and when it ends early.
• You can describe who may supervise a permit holder.
• You can explain what the optional hardship license allows and who can get it.
• You can say how the route differs if you first apply at 17 or older.

What you need to know and understand

• You can apply for a regular learner's permit at 15, with proof that you are enrolled in school.
• The learner's permit costs $7 and is valid for two years.
• A permit holder may drive only with a licensed driver aged 21 or older sitting in the seat next to them.
• Under 17, you must hold the permit for 12 months before a Class R license, or until your 17th birthday if that comes first.
• Applicants aged 17 or older can get the permit and the license on the same day after passing the knowledge and vision exams.
• Under 18, for your first six months with a Class R license you may drive unsupervised only from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and 6 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, unless you are going directly to or from work, school or an extracurricular activity.
• From July 1, 2027, anyone getting a first license must also show completion of a certified driver education course.

The Mississippi ladder, step by step

1. Learner's permit (from 15): pass the computerized knowledge exam and a vision exam, bring your documents and a school attendance form, and pay $7. You drive only with a licensed driver aged 21 or older beside you.
2. Hardship license (optional, ages 15 to 17): after 30 days on the permit with no traffic infractions, and with certified driver education, a parent or guardian can request limited solo driving for school, work, medical needs and taking siblings to school.
3. Class R regular license (from 16): after 12 months on the permit, or on your 17th birthday if sooner. Under 17, a parent, teacher or guardian signs an affidavit that you have driven at least 50 hours and can drive safely. If you are under 18, night limits apply for your first six months.

How your starting age changes the route

The age you first apply makes a big difference. If you get your permit at 15 and a half, the one-year rule means your Class R license comes at 16 and a half. If you first apply at 16, you get a permit and become eligible for the license on your 17th birthday or after a year, whichever comes first.

At 17 or older there is no holding period: pass the knowledge and vision exams and you can leave with a license the same day. Time on a valid out-of-state permit counts toward the 12 months.

Is there an intermediate license in Mississippi?

Not as a separate card. Mississippi's December 2024 manual lists only the learner's permit and the Class R license. However, Mississippi Code section 63-1-21 sets night limits for Class R holders under 18 during their first six months: unsupervised driving is allowed from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and 6 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and at any time when going directly to or from work or a school or extracurricular activity. Outside those hours, a licensed driver aged 21 or older must sit in the seat beside you. Neither the manual nor the DSB license pages list a passenger limit for Class R holders, and state law also lets the Commissioner of Public Safety add rules for an under-18's first year, so check with the DSB before you drive alone. Our teen license rules guide covers this in more depth.

Common mistakes

• Assuming you can get a license on your 16th birthday. You also need 12 months on the permit unless you have reached 17.
• Practicing with an 18-year-old sibling. A permit holder's supervisor must be a licensed driver aged 21 or older in the seat next to you.
• Treating the hardship license as a full license. It only covers its approved trips; at all other times you still need a supervisor.
• Forgetting the school attendance form. It is required under 18 and is only valid for 30 days.

Test yourself: Mississippi graduated driver licence stages

Answer each question, then read the explanation. Questions come in a random order each time.

Go deeper

• Learning to Drive in Mississippi
• Mississippi Permit Practice Test
• Mississippi Permit Test