Missouri graduated driver licence stages

By the end of this topic you can

• You can name the three steps of the Missouri GDL program in order.
• You can say the earliest age for each step.
• You can explain how long you must hold a permit before moving up.
• You can describe the passenger and late-night limits on an intermediate license.
• You can list what is needed to move to a full license at 18.

What you need to know and understand

• The GDL program applies to first-time drivers under 18; drivers aged 15 to 21 follow its document and record rules.
• Step one is the instruction permit, available from age 15.
• You must hold the permit for at least six months (182 days), counted from the day after it is issued.
• Step two is the intermediate license, available from age 16.
• Step three is the full license, available from age 18.
• A clean record matters: traffic convictions or alcohol offenses can delay each step.
• Licenses for drivers under 21 are marked to show the holder is a minor.

The three steps at a glance

Each step adds freedom only after you have shown you can handle the step before. Missouri tests are run by the Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP), while the permit or license itself is issued by a Department of Revenue license office.

• Instruction permit (from 15): drive only with a qualified supervisor in the front seat.
• Intermediate license (from 16): drive alone, with passenger limits and a 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. limit.
• Full license (from 18): the GDL limits end, though the license still shows you are under 21.

Moving from permit to intermediate license

Time alone is not enough. You need practice hours and a clean record as well as a passed driving test.

1. Hold your instruction permit for at least 182 days.
2. Complete 40 hours of supervised driving, including at least 10 hours at night.
3. Have no alcohol-related convictions in the last 12 months and no traffic convictions in the last six months.
4. Bring a parent, grandparent, stepparent, legal guardian or certified trainer to the license office to confirm your hours.
5. Pass the MSHP driving test (and retake the vision, sign and written tests if your earlier results are more than a year old).

Limits while you hold an intermediate license

For the first six months you may carry no more than one passenger under 19 who is not in your immediate family. After that, the limit rises to three such passengers. You also may not drive alone between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. unless you are going to or from school activities, work or an emergency, or a licensed driver aged 21 or older is with you. Everyone in the vehicle must wear a seat belt.

At 18 you can move to a full license if your driving privilege is not suspended, revoked or denied and you have had no alcohol-related offenses or traffic convictions in the last 12 months. You will retake the vision and road sign tests, but not the written and driving tests if you already passed them.

Common mistakes

• Counting the permit period from the exam date. It starts the day after the permit itself is issued, so get the permit promptly after passing your tests.
• Forgetting that a single traffic conviction can delay the next step. Drive carefully from day one.
• Treating cousins or school friends as family for passenger limits. Only immediate family living in your household count.
• Assuming the late-night limit ends at midnight. It runs from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m.

Test yourself: Missouri 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 Missouri
• Missouri Intermediate License Rules
• Missouri Permit Practice Test