Photo: TBKS1, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
This guide is for Mississippi teens aged 15 and up, and their parents, getting ready for the learner’s permit visit. To get a Mississippi regular learner’s permit, you pass a computerized knowledge exam and a vision exam in person at a Driver Service Bureau (DSB) station. You also bring your documents, a recent school attendance form and $7. The permit lasts 2 years.
Key facts
- Minimum age: 15, with proof of school enrollment.
- Fee: $7, valid for 2 years (as of November 2026).
- Tests: a computerized multiple-choice knowledge exam based on the Mississippi Driver’s License Manual, plus a vision exam. Both must be passed in person.
- Score validity: your knowledge exam score is valid for 2 years.
- Audio option: a headset can read the questions and answers aloud.
- Supervision: you may drive only with a licensed driver aged 21 or older in the seat next to you.
What to bring for a Mississippi learner’s permit
- Application: completed and signed. Under 17, both parents sign (if both are living and have custody), or a guardian, employer or responsible adult does. The signature must be notarized.
- Proof of date of birth: an original or certified birth certificate with a state seal and certificate number. No photocopies.
- Social Security number: your SSN card, or official government correspondence showing all 9 digits.
- Two proofs of residency: with a physical address (no P.O. boxes). Under 21, documents for a parent’s or guardian’s home are accepted.
- School attendance form: the Certification of School Attendance Status. See the next section.
- Name-change documents if your name differs from your birth certificate.
- Payment: cash, debit or credit card. No personal checks.
The DSB recommends making an appointment before you go.
The school attendance form (certification of attendance)
Every applicant under 18 must show they are in school or an accepted alternative. The form is valid for only 30 days, so get it close to your appointment. It certifies one of the following:
- you are enrolled in school in Mississippi or another state
- you are enrolled in a nonpublic school, which includes private, church and home instruction programs
- you are enrolled and making satisfactory progress toward a GED
- you cannot attend school for an accepted reason (suspension, expulsion or incarceration do not count)
Home-schooled students use the blank form from the DPS website, signed by a parent. If you are under 18 and married, a marriage license replaces the form. Graduates show a diploma or GED certificate.
What is on the Mississippi permit test?
The manual says the computerized exam is based on its contents. It focuses especially on:
- Mississippi traffic laws
- safe driving rules
- driver’s license requirements
The exam checks whether you:
- know the traffic laws
- can read and follow signs and signals
- understand the rights of pedestrians and other drivers
- know how to keep a vehicle in safe condition
Topics worth knowing cold, because the manual states them as hard numbers:
| Topic | Mississippi figure |
|---|---|
| School zone speed | 15 mph |
| Interstate maximum and minimum | 70 mph and 40 mph |
| Two-lane highway maximum | 55 mph |
| Following distance | One car length per 10 mph |
| Dim headlights | Within 500 feet of an oncoming vehicle or one you are following |
| Stopping for a school bus | At least 10 feet away |
| Parking from a fire hydrant | At least 10 feet |
| Parallel parking | Tires within 12 inches of the curb |
| Passing a cyclist | At least 3 feet |
| BAC limit | 0.08% (21 and over), 0.02% (under 21) |
| Crash you must report | Injury, death or damage over $500 |
Check the number of questions and the pass mark with your local station if you want to know before test day. Study from the manual, which you can download free or buy at a station for $3. For other states’ formats, see US permit test by state.
Test-day rules at the Driver Service Bureau
- All knowledge exams are taken in person.
- No cell phones, earbuds, smart watches or other electronics are allowed in the testing area. Leave them outside.
- If you are caught with banned items or cheating, the test is cancelled immediately, a note goes on your record, and you cannot test again for 6 months.
- You can appeal in writing to the DPS Driver’s Education Program Coordinator within 30 days.
- If you need an interpreter, complete the Mississippi Interpreter Oath form and bring it and your interpreter with you.
The vision exam
Your eyes are checked to make sure you see well enough to drive. If the result suggests you need glasses, you get a vision form (DE26) for an eye specialist or optometrist to complete. If you need glasses or another aid to pass, your permit and license will carry that restriction. If you are under a doctor’s care, you may be asked for a certificate about your condition before testing.
If you have difficulty reading
The manual suggests having someone teach you its contents. On the exam itself, a headset lets the machine read each question and answer aloud.
What the permit lets you do
- Drive any time, as long as a licensed driver aged 21 or older is in the seat next to you.
- Carry the permit whenever you drive.
- Practice toward the 50 hours your parent, teacher or guardian must certify. See the road test waiver guide.
- Apply for a hardship license after 30 days if you qualify. See the teen license rules.
A conviction for DUI or a moving violation while on the permit restarts the one-year holding period. Texting and posting to social media while driving are banned for everyone. Planning to drive out of state? See driving with a learner’s permit in another state.
Common questions
How old do you have to be to get a permit in Mississippi?
15. You also need proof that you are enrolled in school.
How much is a Mississippi learner’s permit?
$7 as of November 2026. It is valid for 2 years.
Can I take the Mississippi permit test online?
No. The DSB says all knowledge exams must be taken in person.
Do I have to retake the test when I get my license?
Not if you apply within 2 years. Your exam score is valid for 2 years, so if you wait longer you retake it.
What happens if I fail the vision test?
You get a DE26 form for an eye specialist or optometrist to fill in. Then you return with it.
Does driver’s ed affect getting a permit?
No. Under the 2024 law, under-18s can still get a learner’s permit. Driver’s ed becomes a condition of the first license from July 1, 2027. See the driver’s ed guide.
Back to the full guide to learning to drive in Mississippi.
Sources
- Mississippi Department of Public Safety, Driver Service Bureau, “Regular Learner’s Permit” (driverservicebureau.dps.ms.gov)
- Mississippi Department of Public Safety, “Driver’s License Manual” (revised December 2024) (driverservicebureau.dps.ms.gov)
- Mississippi Department of Public Safety, Driver Service Bureau, “Knowledge Testing” policy (driverservicebureau.dps.ms.gov)
- Mississippi Department of Public Safety, Driver Service Bureau, “Certification of School Attendance Status” form (driverservicebureau.dps.ms.gov)
- Mississippi Department of Public Safety, Driver Service Bureau, “Required Documents” (driverservicebureau.dps.ms.gov)
- Mississippi Department of Public Safety, Driver Service Bureau, “Driver Service Fees” (driverservicebureau.dps.ms.gov)
- Mississippi Legislature, “Senate Bill 2695, 2024 Regular Session (As Sent to Governor)” (billstatus.ls.state.ms.us)