Driving Tests

Mississippi Driver's License at 16 or 17: How to Get Your Class R License

informational·how to guide·Published August 20, 2026

How do you get a Class R driver's license in Mississippi at 16 or 17?

At 16, hold a learner's permit for 12 months or until your 17th birthday, whichever comes first. Bring it, a school attendance form and a signed 50-hour road test waiver affidavit to a driver license station. No road test is given at this time. At 17 or older, Mississippi DPS says permit and license come the same day. The license costs $24 for 4 years or $47 for 8 years.

Where these Mississippi rules come from

The DPS Driver Service Bureau Class R page gives the steps and documents, and its fee list gives the prices in U.S. dollars. The Mississippi Driver's Manual (revised December 2024) explains the permit and license ages. The law facts come from the enrolled texts of 2021 H.B. 550, 2021 S.B. 2598, 2024 S.B. 2695 and 2026 S.B. 2314. Information is as of 2026. Confirm the rules with the Mississippi Department of Public Safety Driver Service Bureau (driverservicebureau.dps.ms.gov) before you drive.

Class R license at 16 and at 17 or older

Class R license at 16 and at 17 or older
Step	At age 16	At age 17 or older
Learner's permit	Hold it 12 months, or until your 17th birthday, whichever comes first	No 12-month hold. DPS says you can get the permit and the license on the same day
Road test waiver affidavit	Required: a parent, teacher or guardian signs for 50 hours of driving	Not required
Road test	None at this time	None at this time
Written (knowledge) test	Passed for the permit. The score is valid for 2 years	Pass it and the eye exam. This can be on the same day
School paper	School attendance form, or a diploma or GED if you graduated	Under 18 and not graduated: school attendance form. Graduated: diploma or GED

How to get your Class R license at 16

1
Get your learner's permit
You must be at least 15 and show proof that you are enrolled in school. Pass the knowledge exam and the eye exam to get the permit. The permit is valid for 2 years.
2
Keep your record clean for 12 months
The law text of 2024 S.B. 2695 requires one year with the permit without a conviction under the DUI law (Section 63-11-30) or of a moving violation. Such a conviction restarts the one-year count. Test yourself on the 12-month permit rule.
3
Log 50 hours of driving
A parent, teacher or guardian who watched you drive signs the Waiver of Road Testing Affidavit. The signer swears that you held the permit for at least one year, had at least 50 hours of driving instruction and can drive a motor vehicle properly and safely. For more on who can sign, see the guide to the Mississippi 50-hour road test waiver.
4
Collect your documents
Bring your valid permit, the signed affidavit and a school attendance form that is not more than 30 days old (or a diploma or GED if you graduated). Also bring a completed, signed application (under 17, your parents sign it too), an original or certified birth certificate (no photocopies), a Social Security card or an official paper that shows all 9 digits, and two proofs of Mississippi residency that are not more than 60 days old. Under 21, you can use your parent's or guardian's residency papers. From July 1, 2027, you also need signed proof that you completed a certified Driver's Education and Training Program.
5
Visit a driver license station
The Driver Service Bureau highly recommends an appointment. Hand in your papers and pay the license fee in cash, debit or credit. Personal checks are not accepted.

Getting a Class R license at 17 or older

The Driver's Manual says that at 17 or older you can get a regular driver's license whatever permits or licenses you held before. If you first apply at that age, you can apply directly for the license and take the Computerized Exam the same day. If you are under 18 and still in school, bring a school attendance form that is not more than 30 days old. Test yourself on the permit rule when you start at 17.

Is there a road test for the Mississippi Class R license?

Not at this time. DPS gives no skills (road) test to anyone who applies for a regular driver's license. For applicants under 17, the signed 50-hour affidavit takes the place of that test: the law text of 2021 S.B. 2598 says DPS must accept it instead of a skills test given by the department.

Class R license cost and permit fee

Class R license cost and permit fee
Item	Fee (U.S. dollars)	Note
Learner's permit	$7.00	Valid for 2 years
Class R license, 4 years	$24.00	New license or renewal
Class R license, 8 years	$47.00	New license or renewal
Mississippi Driver's Manual	Free download, or $3.00 printed	Printed copies are sold at driver license stations

After you get your Mississippi license

Under 2026 S.B. 2314 (effective July 1, 2026), you must have your license with you whenever you drive and hand it to a law enforcement officer for inspection on demand. Under 18, the law text of 2021 H.B. 550 lets you drive alone from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, from 6:00 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and at any time directly to or from work or an educational or extracurricular activity. At other times, for your first six months, a parent, guardian or other person 21 or older who holds a valid driver's license must sit beside you. The Mississippi under-18 curfew guide has the details.

Key takeaways

At 16, hold the learner's permit for 12 months or until your 17th birthday, whichever comes first.
At 16, bring your valid permit, a school attendance form and the signed Waiver of Road Testing Affidavit (50 hours).
DPS says that at 17 or older you can get the permit and the license on the same day, with no affidavit.
The Class R license costs $24.00 for 4 years or $47.00 for 8 years, and no road test is given at this time.
Next step: practice on the free Mississippi Class R practice test.

Mississippi Class R license: common questions

Can I get my Mississippi driver's license on my 16th birthday?

Yes, if you got your learner's permit on your 15th birthday and held it for one full year with no conviction under the DUI law or for a moving violation. You can get the permit at 15, and the law asks for one year with it. The Driver's Manual gives an example: a permit at 15 and one-half makes you eligible for the regular license at 16 and one-half.

Do both of my parents have to sign my license application?

If you are under 17, yes, when both parents are living and both have legal custody of you. If not, your legal guardian or your employer signs. The Driver's Manual says that each signer is liable for your negligence or willful misconduct and must have the signature notarized. A signer can later file a written request to cancel your license or permit.

Do I retake the written test when I apply for the license?

Not if your score is less than two years old. The learner's permit uses the same Computerized Exam that the license requires, and the score is valid for two years. If you give the 50-hour affidavit within those two years, you do not retake the exam. If you wait longer than two years, you take it again.

What school form does a home-schooled teen need?

Get a blank Certification of Attendance from the DPS website. Your parents' signature must be on it, and the form must not be more than 30 days old when you apply. If you are under 18 and married, you can show a marriage license instead of the school form.

Can I get a Mississippi license at 16 if I already have a license from another state?

Yes. The law text of 2024 S.B. 2695 says an applicant who is at least 16 and has held another state's driver's license for at least six months does not need a Mississippi learner's permit first. If you are under 18 and have not graduated, you still bring a school attendance form.