Driving Tests

Missouri Full Driver License at 18: How to Leave the Intermediate License

informational·how to guide·Published September 13, 2026

When can you get a full driver license in Missouri at 18?

You can apply for a full Missouri driver license at 18, or in the 30 days before your 18th birthday. You need 12 months with no alcohol-related enforcement contacts and no traffic convictions that carry points. Plan for a vision test and a road sign recognition test; you do not repeat the written and driving tests. The Class F license costs $16.50 for up to 3 years.

Where the Missouri rules come from

The rules come from section 302.178 of the Revised Statutes of Missouri and the Missouri Department of Revenue (DOR) Graduated Driver License page. Fees come from the DOR driver license fee table. The DOR GDL FAQ, the Missouri Driver Guide and the Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP) driver examination FAQ give the other details. The law names only a vision test for this step, and DOR also lists a road sign recognition test, so plan for both. This guide is current as of 2026. Confirm the rules with the Missouri Department of Revenue (dor.mo.gov) before you drive.

What you need for the full license at 18

What you need for the full license at 18
Requirement	What Missouri asks
Age	18, or within the 30 days before your 18th birthday
Record	12 months with no alcohol-related enforcement contacts and no traffic convictions that carry points
License status	Your license or driving privilege is not denied, suspended, cancelled or revoked when you apply
Tests	Vision test and road sign recognition test. You do not repeat the written and driving tests if you already passed them

How the 30-day window works

The full license is Step Three of the Graduated Driver License (GDL) program. You can apply in the 30 days before your 18th birthday, and you can also apply on or after the birthday. The date that counts is the date of your application. The 12 months with a clean record must end on that date, so a point conviction from 11 months ago still blocks you.

How to get your Missouri full driver license

1
Check the date
Count from your 18th birthday back 30 days. Apply on or after that day.
2
Check your record
Look at the 12 months before the day you will apply. A traffic conviction with points or an alcohol-related enforcement contact in that time means you must wait.
3
Pass the vision test and the road sign recognition test
You do not repeat the written test or the driving test if you already passed them.
4
Get the license at a license office
DOR issues licenses at its license offices (contract fee offices). Pay the Class F license fee there.

What the vision and road sign tests check

The vision test has two parts: an acuity test and a peripheral (side) vision test.
The minimum acuity is 20/40 with either or both eyes. If you wear glasses or contact lenses, you may need them for the test.
The road sign recognition test checks that you can recognize and understand traffic signs. Try the free practice question on the red octagonal stop sign to warm up.

Which convictions block the full license

Under the law, a traffic conviction counts against you only when it carries points. Every alcohol-related enforcement contact counts. The practice question on the point suspension threshold tests what you know about points. The Missouri teen points and zero tolerance guide covers the point table and the alcohol rules for drivers under 21.

Which case is yours?

You have a point conviction or an alcohol-related offense in the last 12 months

Wait. You can get the full license when the offense or conviction date is 12 months old, or when you turn 21, whichever comes first. Until then, you can only renew the intermediate license.

Your license or driving privilege is denied, suspended, cancelled or revoked

You cannot apply until it is fully reinstated. After a revocation, you must pass the complete driver examination, apply for a new license and pay the fee.

You turn 18 and never had an intermediate license

The law exempts a person who is 18 and meets all other licensing requirements from the intermediate license rules. A new Class F license needs the written, vision, road sign and driving tests.

What changes when you get the full license

The intermediate license ends when you receive the full license. Under Missouri law, the 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. curfew and the passenger limits apply to drivers who hold an intermediate license. The curfew and passenger limits guide lists those rules in full.

Missouri intermediate and full license fees and terms

Missouri intermediate and full license fees and terms
License	Fee	How long it lasts
Intermediate license (Class F, age 16)	$14	Up to 2 years
Full license, age 18 to 20 (Class F)	$16.50	3 years, to your birthday in the third year
Full license, age 21 to 69 (Class F)	$33	6 years

Renewing the full license

Each renewal needs a road sign recognition test and a vision test. You can renew up to six months before the license expires. If the license has been expired for more than six months (184 days), you take the written and driving tests again, plus the vision and road sign tests.

Key takeaways

Apply for the full license at 18, or in the 30 days before your 18th birthday.
You need 12 months with no alcohol-related enforcement contacts and no traffic convictions that carry points.
Plan for the vision test and the road sign recognition test. You do not repeat the written and driving tests.
The Class F license costs $16.50 and lasts up to 3 years for ages 18 to 20.
Next step: practice road signs and rules of the road on the free Missouri Class F practice test before your visit.

Missouri full driver license at 18: common questions

Do I have to take the Missouri written test again at 18?

No. DOR says you do not need to pass the written and driving tests again if you already completed them. You take the vision test and the road sign recognition test. The rule changes after a revocation: then you must pass the complete driver examination and apply for a new license.

Can a curfew ticket stop me from getting my full license?

No points go on your record for a violation of the intermediate license rules, such as the 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. curfew. It is an infraction. A conviction for another violation that carries points does block the full license until the conviction is 12 months old, or until you turn 21.

My intermediate license expires before I turn 18. Can I get the full license instead?

Only if you apply in the 30 days before your 18th birthday, or on or after it, and meet the record rules. Then you can renew and graduate to the under-21 full license. If you apply more than 30 days before your 18th birthday, DOR issues only another intermediate restricted license.

My intermediate license expires on a Saturday. Can I still drive on Monday?

Yes. When an intermediate license expires on a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday, it stays valid for the five business days after the expiration date. Use those days to drive to a license office and renew, or to apply for the full license if you qualify.

Do I need a new license when I turn 21?

No. Under 21, your license shows that you are a minor. At 21 you may pay for another license without the minor mark, or you may wait until the under-21 license expires. A driver age 18 to 20 gets a license that expires on the birthday in the third year.