Driving Tests

Mississippi Hardship License for Teens: Who Qualifies and Allowed Reasons

informational·how to guide·Published August 13, 2026

Can my 15-year-old drive alone to school or work in Mississippi?

Only with a Mississippi Department of Public Safety (DPS) hardship license. A parent or guardian can request one for a teen aged 15 to 17 who has held a learner's permit for 30 days with no traffic infractions. If DPS approves, the teen may drive alone only to school, work, medical needs and siblings' school trips. Other trips need a licensed adult aged 21 or older beside the teen.

Where the Mississippi hardship license rules come from

The Mississippi Department of Public Safety (DPS) Driver Service Bureau sets the hardship program on its Hardship Driver's License page and in the Request for Hardship form. The driver's education date comes from the Driver Service Bureau news item of June 25, 2026. The permit rules come from the Driver Service Bureau learner's permit page, its Certification of School Attendance Status form and the text of the 2021 Mississippi act H.B. 550. 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.

Who qualifies for a Mississippi hardship license

The teen is a Mississippi resident aged 15 to 17 and holds a learner's permit.
The teen has held the permit for 30 days with no traffic infractions. A parent or legal guardian then makes the request.
DPS requires all three of these: a certified driver's education course, compliance with the school attendance policy, and no prior traffic citations.
A teen who has received a DUI cannot get a hardship license.

The six reasons DPS considers for a hardship request

The six reasons DPS considers for a hardship request
Reason	What the request form asks for
School transportation	The school's name, address and phone number, the class start and end times and days, and the sports or extracurricular schedule as an attachment.
A death-related emergency	The name of the person who died, the relationship to the teen and the date of death.
Assistance for transportation of siblings	The name and age of each sibling, with lines for up to five.
Medical needs	A letter from a doctor.
Work requirement	The employer's name, address and signature.
Family business requirements (farm included)	The business name and address and the employer's signature.

What if my reason is not on the list?

The form has an "Other" line for a reason that is not in the table. Describe that reason in the applicant's narrative on the second page. Every request needs the narrative, so write it even when a reason from the table applies: the teen explains why the hardship license is needed.

Hardship license limits: trips, supervisor, passengers and phone

Alone: only to school or a school related function, to help take siblings to school or a school function, to work, and for medical needs.
Every other trip: a parent, guardian or other licensed driver aged 21 or older sits in the seat beside the teen. That is the same age rule as for a learner's permit supervisor.
Passengers: immediate family members only, such as siblings, parents and grandparents.
Phone: no cell phone use of any kind while driving, hands-free included.

Driver's education for a hardship request

Only courses taught by a DPS or Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) certified instructor count. Since July 1, 2026, DPS accepts a driver's education certificate only from a Mississippi public school or a DPS certified instructor, whenever the course was completed. DPS cannot approve the request until the proof arrives from the instructor: a public school instructor sends a copy of the completion certificate, and a DPS certified instructor sends a Driver's Education Student Completion list. From July 1, 2027, every new driver needs driver's education for a regular license, as the guide to the 2027 driver's education rule explains.

How a parent applies for a Mississippi hardship license

1
Get the permit and wait 30 days
The teen first needs a learner's permit, which requires age 15 and proof of school enrollment. The teen then holds it for 30 days with no traffic infractions.
2
Finish certified driver's education
Use a Mississippi public school course or a DPS certified instructor. Make sure the instructor sends the certificate or the completion list to DPS.
3
Get a current school attendance form
The request needs this form and the driver's education certificate. The school attendance form is valid for only 30 days. Practice this rule with the question on how recent the school attendance form must be.
4
Complete the Request for Hardship Form
A parent or guardian fills in the reason, the details for that reason and the narrative. Both parents sign, or the form asks why one does not. By signing, they accept responsibility for the teen's negligence or willful misconduct while driving and confirm that liability insurance exists. The form also has a notary section.
5
Send it through the online portal
DPS says applications can only be sent through the online submission portal on its Hardship Driver's License page. Send questions to hardship@dps.ms.gov.
6
Wait for the decision
DPS sends the notice of approval or denial by e-mail. If DPS approves, it sends the proof of hardship by USPS.

When can DPS revoke a hardship license?

The Commissioner of Public Safety can revoke a hardship privilege for any reason. DPS gives special weight to four things: a parent's or guardian's request to revoke it, a citation from any law enforcement agency, a police report of criminal activity or dangerous driving, and a violation of the state's compulsory school rules.

Key takeaways

A Mississippi teen on a learner's permit needs a hardship license to drive alone. Without one, a licensed adult aged 21 or older must sit beside the teen.
To qualify, the teen needs a permit held 30 days with no infractions, certified driver's education, a current school attendance form and no prior citations. A DUI rules out a hardship license.
DPS considers six reasons. Unsupervised trips cover only school or school functions, siblings' school trips, work and medical needs.
Passengers are immediate family only, and the phone ban includes hands-free use. DPS can revoke the license for any reason.
Next step: practice the rules of the road on the free Mississippi Class R practice test.

Mississippi hardship license: common questions

Can my teen drive friends on a hardship license?

No. DPS allows a hardship licensee to carry only immediate family members, such as siblings, parents and grandparents. Classmates and friends are not immediate family, so the teen cannot give them a ride, even to school or a school event.

Can a hardship licensee take a call on a hands-free device?

No. DPS says a hardship licensee may not use a cell phone in any way while driving, and that includes hands-free use. A call through a headset or the car speakers is also phone use. Put the phone away before the car moves.

Can my teen drive alone to sports practice on a hardship license?

Unsupervised trips are allowed to school or a school related function. With a school transportation request, the form asks for the sports or extracurricular schedule as an attachment, so include it. Any trip outside the allowed list (school, siblings' school trips, work and medical needs) needs a licensed adult aged 21 or older beside the teen.

Can my teen get a hardship license after a DUI or a ticket?

Not after a DUI: DPS does not offer hardship licenses to anyone who has received a DUI. A ticket is also a problem. The teen must have no prior traffic citations and must have held the permit for 30 days with no traffic infraction. After approval, a citation is one of the reasons DPS weighs when it decides on a revocation.

What if only one parent can sign the hardship request?

The form asks for the signatures of both parents, or for the reason one parent does not sign: divorce, death or other. If the parents are divorced and only one signs, DPS requires a court order about child custody. A legal guardian can also make the request.