Driving Tests

Is There a Driving Test in Mississippi? The 50-Hour Affidavit

informational·how to guide·Published August 22, 2026

Is there a driving test in Mississippi?

No. At this time, the Mississippi Driver Service Bureau requires no road test for a Class R driver's license. You pass the written and eye exams. If you are under 17, you also turn in a road test waiver affidavit: a parent, teacher or guardian swears to at least 50 hours of driving instruction. A 16-year-old holds the permit for 12 months or until 17, whichever comes first.

Where the Mississippi road test rules come from

The Mississippi Department of Public Safety (DPS) Driver Service Bureau sets the license steps on its Class R license page. The law behind the affidavit is in Senate Bill 2598 of 2021, which changed Mississippi Code section 63-1-33. DPS publishes the Affidavit for Road Test Waiver form. Other details come from the DPS Learner's Permit page, the DPS frequently asked questions, a Driver Service Bureau notice, the Mississippi Driver's License Manual, the Driver Service Bureau Mentor Guide, Senate Bill 2695 of 2024 and Senate Bill 2685 of 2017. This guide is current as of 2026. Confirm the rules with the Mississippi Department of Public Safety Driver Service Bureau (driverservicebureau.dps.ms.gov) before you drive.

What replaces the road test in Mississippi

No applicant for a regular driver's license takes a road (skills) test at this time. The written (knowledge) exam is still required.

For teens, a sworn form takes the place of the road test. A 2021 law (Senate Bill 2598) tells the Department of Public Safety to make an affidavit on which a parent, teacher or guardian certifies that they saw the student drive for at least 50 hours and that the student drives properly and safely. DPS must accept that affidavit instead of a skills test that it gives itself.

Who needs the 50-hour affidavit

Who needs the 50-hour affidavit
Your age	Affidavit	What you do
Under 17	Yes. Signed by a parent, teacher or guardian.	Hold the permit for 12 months or until your 17th birthday, whichever comes first. Then bring your valid permit, a school attendance form and the affidavit.
17 or older	No. The Driver Service Bureau does not require it.	Get the learner's permit and the driver's license on the same day. You must pass the knowledge exam and the eye exam.

What the affidavit says

The form, named "Affidavit for Road Test Waiver", cites section 63-1-33 of the Mississippi Code. On it, a parent, teacher or guardian states three things:

- The permit holder has held the permit for at least one year and has had at least 50 hours of driving instruction.
- The signer gave the training and guidance.
- The permit holder drives properly and safely.

The form is sworn. The signer swears or affirms that the information is true and correct, then signs and dates it and adds a title. The law says that the signer "witnessed" the driving, so sign only for hours that you saw.

How to use the affidavit to get a Class R license

1
Get a learner's permit
You must be at least 15, show proof that you are enrolled in school, and pass the knowledge exam and the eye exam.
2
Practice for 12 months and keep a log
Drive only with a licensed driver aged 21 or older in the seat next to you. The person who signs your affidavit must see the hours, so record each drive in a driving log.
3
Get the affidavit signed
Pick up the Affidavit for Road Test Waiver at a driver license station or get it on the Driver Service Bureau website. Your parent, teacher or guardian fills it in and signs it.
4
Go to a driver license station
Bring the affidavit, your valid permit and your proof of school. The Driver Service Bureau recommends an appointment at dps.ms.gov/appointment.

What to bring with the affidavit

Your valid learner's permit.
Proof of school: an up-to-date school attendance form. It is valid for only 30 days, so get it close to your visit. The question on how recent the school attendance form must be tests this rule.
A report card or progress report from the current school year also works with the affidavit, as a Driver Service Bureau notice says. If you are married, bring a marriage license instead of the school form.
The fee: $24.00 for a 4-year Class R license or $47.00 for an 8-year license (U.S. dollars, as of 2026).
Your other documents. For the full list, read the guide to what to bring for a Mississippi Gold Star license. If you are under 21, you can use your parent's or guardian's proof of residency.

How do you get 50 hours of driving?

The Driver Service Bureau Mentor Guide is written for the people who teach you to drive. It gives a sample plan for about 60 hours of supervised driving and a log to track the hours. The affidavit needs at least 50 hours, so the sample plan goes past the minimum. The guide says that night driving is very important and that practice should also include bad weather. Keep the log up to date, so the signer can check the hours before signing.

How long your permit and exam score stay valid

The learner's permit is valid for only two years, and your Computerized Exam score is valid for two years too. If you turn in the affidavit within two years of the exam, you do not retake it. If you wait longer, you retake the Computerized Exam and also turn in a School Attendance Affidavit. You need 12 months on the permit, so plan your station visit well before the two years end.

Your path by age: 15 and a half, 16 or 17

You get your learner's permit at 15 and a half

After 12 months, at 16 and a half, you can get your Class R license with the affidavit, your valid permit and proof of school.

You first apply at 16

You get a learner's permit first. At 17, you can get your Class R license, and the affidavit is no longer required.

You are 17 or older

Take the knowledge exam and the eye exam. The Driver Service Bureau says that you can get the permit and the license on the same day, with no affidavit and no 12-month wait.

Key takeaways

At this time, Mississippi gives no road test for a regular license. You still pass the written exam.
Under 17, you also turn in the road test waiver affidavit: a parent, teacher or guardian swears to at least 50 hours of driving instruction and safe driving.
At 17 or older, the Driver Service Bureau does not require the affidavit, and it says that you can get the permit and the license on the same day.
Bring your valid permit, a school attendance form (valid for 30 days) and the signed affidavit.
Next step: practice for the written exam on the free Mississippi Class R practice test.

Mississippi road test and affidavit: common questions

Who can sign the Mississippi road test waiver affidavit?

A parent, teacher or guardian. That person states that they gave you the training, that you had at least 50 hours of driving instruction and that you drive safely, and then swears that the form is true. Ask the adult who rode with you on your practice drives. The question on the 50 witnessed hours tests this rule.

What if I get a ticket on my learner's permit in Mississippi?

Under a 2024 law (Senate Bill 2695), a person under 18 must hold the permit for one year without a conviction for a moving violation or under section 63-11-30, the law against driving under the influence. Such a conviction restarts the one-year period, so you need a new full year on the permit. The practice question on the permit holding period covers the one-year rule.

Do months on an out-of-state learner's permit count in Mississippi?

Yes. If you move to Mississippi with a valid learner's permit from another state, the months that you held it count toward the 12-month period before a Class R license. If you are under 17, you still need the signed affidavit, your proof of school and the other documents.

Do I need driver's ed to get a Mississippi license without a road test?

Not at this time. Beginning July 1, 2027, the Mississippi Driver's License Manual says that an original license also needs proof that you completed a certified driver's education course. Applicants under 17 still need the road test waiver affidavit too. If you plan to apply after that date, add the course to your plan.