Photo: Get Lost Mike, Pexels
This guide is for Missouri teens, their parents and first-time drivers. In Missouri you can get an instruction permit at 15, an intermediate license at 16 after holding the permit for at least 182 days, and a full driver license at 18. Every first-time driver aged 15 to 18 goes through these graduated driver license (GDL) stages.
Key facts
- Who runs it: the Missouri Department of Revenue (DOR) issues licenses through license offices. The Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP) gives the vision, road sign, written and driving tests at its driver examination stations.
- Handbook: the Missouri Driver Guide, free from the DOR. The written test questions come from it.
- Instruction permit: from age 15, after passing vision, road sign recognition and written tests.
- Intermediate license: from 16, after 182 days on the permit, 40 hours of supervised driving (10 at night) and a driving test.
- Full license: at 18, or in the 30 days before your 18th birthday, with a clean record for the previous 12 months.
- Phones: Missouri’s hands-free law covers drivers of all ages.
How to get a driver’s license in Missouri: the three stages
| Stage | Age | What you need | Main rules |
|---|---|---|---|
| Instruction permit | 15 | Pass vision, road sign and written tests at an MSHP station | Drive only with an approved licensed driver in the front seat |
| Intermediate license | 16 to 18 | Permit held 182 days, 40 hours (10 at night), driving test, clean record | No driving 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. (with exceptions), passenger limits, seat belts for everyone |
| Full driver license | 18 | No alcohol-related offenses or traffic convictions in the last 12 months | GDL restrictions end |
Each stage has its own guide:
- Missouri written driver test and instruction permit
- Missouri 40-hour supervised driving requirement
- Missouri State Highway Patrol driving test guide
- Missouri intermediate license rules for teens
- Missouri hands-free driving law explained
Step 1: the Missouri instruction permit at 15
Go to an MSHP driver examination station and pass three tests: vision, road sign recognition and a written test on the Missouri Driver Guide. Then take your results to a DOR license office to be issued the permit; the MSHP test record on its own is not a permit. A parent, stepparent, legal guardian or certified trainer with a federal residential job training program must go with you to sign a permission statement. The vision standard is at least 20/40 with either or both eyes and a side field of at least 55 degrees in each eye or 85 in one eye. If your test results are more than a year old, you must retake all three. The permit can be renewed as often as needed without retaking the written test, and everyone in the car must wear a seat belt.
Who can sit beside you
- Under 16: in the front seat, a parent, stepparent, grandparent, legal guardian or qualified driving instructor, or a person aged at least 25 who has been licensed for at least 3 years and has written permission from your parent or guardian. A physically disabled parent, stepparent, grandparent or guardian may name up to two people to ride with you instead.
- 16 or older: any licensed driver aged at least 21 with a valid license, in the front seat.
Step 2: the intermediate license at 16
To apply you must:
- Be at least 16.
- Have held your instruction permit for at least 182 days (counting from the day after it was issued).
- Have completed 40 hours of supervised driving, including at least 10 hours between sunset and sunrise. A parent, stepparent, grandparent, legal guardian or certified trainer comes with you to the license office to confirm the hours.
- Have no alcohol-related offenses in the last 12 months and no traffic convictions in the last 6 months.
- Pass the MSHP driving test.
Intermediate drivers may not drive between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. unless a licensed driver aged 21 or older is with them, or the trip is to or from a school activity, a job or an emergency. Passenger limits also apply. Full details are in the intermediate license guide.
Step 3: the full Missouri driver license at 18
At 18, or within the 30 days before your 18th birthday, you can apply for a full license if you have had no alcohol-related offenses and no traffic convictions in the previous 12 months. If your record is not clean, you stay on the intermediate license until it is. You pass the vision and road sign tests again, but not the written or driving tests. Until 21 your license is marked as a minor’s license.
Fees
The fee chart in the Missouri Driver Guide (revised August 2026):
| Document | Fee | Valid for |
|---|---|---|
| Instruction permit | $10.00 | Up to 12 months |
| Intermediate license | $14.00 | Up to 2 years |
| Full license (Class F) | $16.50 (3 years) or $33.00 (6 years) | Based on age and documents |
License offices can add processing fees, so check the DOR before your visit.
Missouri road rules worth memorizing
From the Missouri Driver Guide (revised August 2026):
- Speed limits unless posted otherwise: 75 mph on rural interstates and freeways, 65 on rural expressways, 60 on urban interstates and on other roads outside urban areas, 55 on lettered roads and 25 in cities, towns and villages. On interstates you may not drive slower than 40 mph in normal conditions.
- Work zones: speeding or passing in a work zone on state roads brings a fine of at least $250 for a first offense and $300 after that.
- Seat belts: the law covers the driver and front seat passengers, but on a permit or intermediate license every passenger must be belted.
- Signals: signal at least 100 feet before you turn.
- Low beams: within 500 feet of an oncoming vehicle and within 300 feet when following.
- Move over: for a stationary emergency vehicle with red or red and blue lights, change to a lane not next to it if the road has at least two lanes your way and it is safe. Otherwise slow down to a safe speed.
- School buses: you do not stop when going the other way on a road divided into separate roadways, or on a highway with four or more lanes. A school bus conviction is 5 points with a court suspension (90 days for a first offense).
- Railroad crossings: when you must stop, stop 15 to 50 feet from the tracks.
- Funeral processions: an organized procession with flashing lights has the right of way at intersections, whatever the signals, except for emergency vehicles or police directions.
What the Missouri Driver Guide covers
The written test draws on the whole guide. Study these areas:
- Your driver license: license classes, documents, the GDL stages and the tests. Many Missourians also choose a REAL ID; see REAL ID and your first license.
- Signs, signals and markings: sign shapes and colors, traffic lights and lane lines. The road sign test is separate from the written test. See US road signs by shape and color, traffic signals and pavement markings.
- Rules of the road: right of way, turns, passing, speed and parking. See four-way stops, speed limits and the basic speed law and parking rules.
- Safe driving: following distance, freeways, night driving, bad weather and distractions. See freeway driving and driving in snow, fog and rain.
- Sharing the road: pedestrians, school buses, motorcycles, bicycles, trucks and emergency vehicles. See sharing the road, school bus laws and move over laws.
Alcohol, drugs and Missouri’s Abuse and Lose law
- Drivers under 21 face suspension or revocation at a blood alcohol content of .02 or above, under Missouri’s zero tolerance rules.
- Refusing a breath or blood test, or testing over the legal limit, brings a separate DOR suspension or revocation on top of any court case.
- Under Abuse and Lose, a driver under 21 can lose their license for 90 days for any alcohol-related traffic offense, possessing or using alcohol or drugs while driving, or altering or misusing a driver license. Separately, a court can suspend or revoke the license of anyone aged 15 to 20 for buying or trying to buy alcohol, possessing it (drinking counts), being visibly intoxicated or a BAC over .02. A third minor in possession offense means a one-year revocation.
- Any alcohol-related offense also stops you moving from intermediate to full license for 12 months.
More detail: zero tolerance laws for drivers under 21 and implied consent and DUI.
Missouri points, suspensions and revocations
| Points on your record | What the DOR does |
|---|---|
| 4 in 12 months | Advisory letter |
| 8 in 18 months | Suspension: 30 days the first time, 60 days the second, 90 days after that |
| 12 in 12 months, 18 in 24 months, or 24 in 36 months | One-year revocation |
For a teen, any traffic conviction also delays the next GDL stage. You must also carry proof of insurance (financial responsibility) on any car you drive. The Driver Guide sets the minimum at $25,000 per person and $50,000 per crash for bodily injury and $25,000 for property damage, plus uninsured motorist cover of $25,000 and $50,000. If you buy a car, apply for the title within 30 days, and many vehicles need a safety inspection before they can be registered; see car insurance for new drivers and points systems across the US.
Common questions
How old do you have to be to get a permit in Missouri?
15. You pass vision, road sign and written tests at an MSHP driver examination station first.
How long do you have to hold a Missouri permit?
At least 182 days, starting the day after it is issued, before you can apply for an intermediate license at 16 or older.
Can I get a license at 16 without driver’s ed in Missouri?
Yes. The Driver Guide lists the permit time, the 40 hours and the tests, but not a driver education course. Driver’s ed becomes required only if you fail the driving test three times: the DOR then asks for proof of extra behind-the-wheel training before you can test again.
What if I am over 18 and have never had a license?
The Driver Guide says the GDL law covers first-time drivers under 18, so the 182-day hold, the 40 hours and the intermediate license do not apply to you. You still take the four-part exam (written, vision, road sign and driving tests). See getting a Missouri license as an adult.
Can a parent stop a teen getting a license?
Yes. Under 18, a parent or guardian can file Form 4811 asking the DOR to deny you a license, which also cancels one you already hold. The denial lasts until you turn 18 or the parent asks for it to be cleared.
I am moving to Missouri with a license from another state. What do I take?
If your license is valid or expired no more than 184 days, you surrender it and take only the vision and road sign tests, with proof of lawful status, identity, Social Security number and Missouri residency. If it expired more than 184 days ago, you take the full four-part exam. See moving to a new state.
Can I drive in another state on my Missouri permit?
Each state sets its own rules for out-of-state permits. See driving with a learner’s permit in another state.
How does Missouri compare with other states?
See US graduated driver licensing compared and learning to drive in the USA.
Sources
- Missouri Department of Revenue, “Missouri Graduated Driver License Law” (dor.mo.gov)
- Missouri Department of Revenue, “Graduated Driver License (GDL) Law FAQs” (dor.mo.gov)
- Missouri Department of Revenue, “Missouri Driver Guide” (dor.mo.gov)
- Missouri Department of Revenue, “Tickets and Points FAQs” (dor.mo.gov)
- Missouri Department of Revenue, “Driving While Intoxicated (DWI)” (dor.mo.gov)
- Missouri House of Representatives, bill summary on under-21 BAC suspensions (house.mo.gov)
- Missouri Department of Transportation, “Hands-Free Law Takes Effect on Monday” (modot.org)