Driving Tests

Missouri Instruction Permit at 15: Steps, Cost and Who Can Ride With You

informational·how to guide·Published October 2, 2026

How do I get a Missouri instruction permit at 15?

You can apply for a Missouri Class F instruction permit at 15. Pass the free written, vision and road sign recognition tests at a Missouri State Highway Patrol station. Then go with a parent or legal guardian to a license office, where the permit costs $10 and lasts up to 12 months. Under 16, only a licensed adult 21 or older from a short legal list may sit beside you.

Where the Missouri permit rules come from

Missouri sets the permit rules in Revised Statutes of Missouri section 302.130. The Missouri Department of Revenue Graduated Driver License page explains the steps. The Missouri State Highway Patrol driver examination FAQ, the Department of Revenue FAQs, parent page and fee chart, and the Missouri Driver Guide give the test, cost and document details. This guide is current as of 2026. Confirm the rules with the Missouri Department of Revenue (dor.mo.gov) before you drive.

How to get a Missouri permit: tests first, then the license office

1
Pass the tests at a Highway Patrol station
Go to a Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP) driver examination station and take the written test, the vision test and the road sign recognition test. The Patrol gives these tests in all 114 counties. Anyone may take you to the written test if you have proper identification.
2
Go to a license office with a parent
Take your Driver Examination Record to a Missouri license office, a contract office of the Department of Revenue (DOR). A parent or legal guardian must come with you to sign the application.
3
Bring your documents
The license office asks for your certified birth certificate or unexpired passport, proof of residency (a piece of mail or a utility bill in your parent's name works), and your Social Security card. Missouri also checks that you are lawfully present in the United States.
4
Pay $10 and collect your permit
Pay for the permit and carry it every time you drive. Each permit comes with a “PERMIT DRIVER” sticker or sign that you may put on the rear window when you drive, and free signs are available at all license offices.

What does the permit cost and how long does it last?

The Class F instruction permit costs $10 (U.S. dollars), and the Highway Patrol tests are free. The permit lasts up to 12 months: it cannot last longer than your lawful presence in the United States. You can renew it as many times as you need without a new written test, if it has not been expired for more than six months. Missouri mails no renewal reminder for a permit, so watch the date: driving on an expired permit is never legal. If you lose your permit, bring proof of identity and Missouri residency to a license office and pay for a duplicate.

What do the permit tests ask, and what if I fail?

The written test has 25 questions, and you need 80% (20 correct) to pass, so you can miss up to five. All written test questions come from the Missouri Driver Guide. If you fail, you can take the written test again on the same day: the limit is two written tests a day, counted across all Missouri stations. Our guide to Missouri driver test retakes has the full retake rules.

Who can ride with you on a Missouri permit

Who can ride with you on a Missouri permit
Your age	Who may supervise	Where they sit
Under 16	A licensed person who is 21 or older and is your grandparent, parent or guardian; a driver education instructor or qualified private program instructor; or a person 25 or older who has been licensed for at least three years and has written permission from your parent or legal guardian.	In the seat beside the driver
16 or older	A licensed driver who is at least 21 years old and has a valid driver license.	In the front seat

Under 16: the supervisor list is short

The Department of Revenue counts a stepparent, foster parent or adoptive parent as a parent, and a step-, foster or adoptive grandparent as a grandparent. An older brother or sister does not qualify before you turn 16, unless that person is 25 or older, has held a license for at least three years and has written permission from your parent or legal guardian. Our free practice question about a permit supervisor under 16 tests this rule. A parent, grandparent or guardian whose physical disability stops them from supervising may name up to two licensed designees, 21 or older, on Form 4737. The permit prints their names.

At 16 or older: any licensed driver 21 or up

Once you turn 16, any licensed driver who is at least 21 years old and has a valid driver license may ride in the front seat. A 17-year-old friend with an intermediate license does not qualify. If your supervisor has restrictions on their own license, those restrictions apply while they ride with you. Our practice question on who may supervise a 16-year-old permit holder covers this case. At any age on a permit, the driver and all passengers must wear seat belts.

What the parent signs: 40 hours of driving

A parent or legal guardian must sign the permit application. Until you turn 18, your parent may approve or deny it, and can deny a permit after it is issued by filing Form 4811.
By signing, the parent states that you will get at least 40 hours of behind-the-wheel instruction, and at least 10 of those hours must fall between sunset and sunrise.
You can track the hours on the Driver Experience Log (Form 4901). It is a tool for your family, and you do not hand it in to the Department of Revenue.

Other permits you may see at 15

You take driver training at school

A Student Permit costs $1.00, has a minimum age of 15 and is valid for the length of the approved course. Missouri can also issue a restricted school-year permit, where only the instructor may sit beside you. Anyone 15 or older may drive as part of a driver training program with a qualified instructor.

You want a motorcycle permit

The 15 and a half age applies to motorcycle permits only, and under 16 you must show a completed Motorcycle Rider Training Course. That permit allows daylight driving only, within 50 miles of home, on a motorcycle of no more than 250 cc, with no passengers.

From permit to intermediate license

Missouri uses three Graduated Driver License steps: the permit at 15, the intermediate license at 16 and the full license at 18. To move up, hold the permit for at least 182 days, counting from the day after it is issued, and complete the 40 hours. You also need no alcohol-related convictions in the last 12 months and no traffic convictions in the last 6 months. Then pass the driving test at an MSHP station with your valid permit. The intermediate license curfew and passenger limits come next.

Key Takeaways

You can apply for a Class F permit at 15: tests at an MSHP station first, then the license office with a parent or legal guardian.
The permit costs $10 and lasts up to 12 months; the Highway Patrol tests are free.
Under 16, only the people on the state list may sit beside you; at 16 or older, a licensed driver 21 or older may.
Your parent signs for 40 hours of driving, 10 of them at night.
Next step: practice on the free Missouri Class F practice test before you go to the Highway Patrol.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I drive alone on a Missouri instruction permit?

No. Every drive on a Class F permit needs a licensed supervisor, 21 or older, in the seat beside you, and under 16 that person must also be on the short legal list. The law makes one exception to the supervisor rule, for motorcycle permits, and a motorcycle permit before 16 has its own limits, such as daylight riding only.

Is the paper from the Highway Patrol a permit?

No. The Driver Examination Record is only your test receipt, and it is not valid for driving. You get the permit when you pay at a license office. The 182 days you must hold the permit before the intermediate license also count only from the day after that issue date.

Can I drive in other states on my Missouri permit?

Yes. Nothing in Missouri law stops you, as long as you keep Missouri's Graduated Driver License limits, such as the supervisor rule. Before the trip, contact each state where you will drive, because that state can add its own restrictions for permit drivers.

Does driver training count toward the 40 hours?

Yes. The 40 hours can include time you spend driving in a driver training program with a school driver education teacher or a private driver education instructor. When you apply for the intermediate license, a parent, legal guardian or grandparent goes with you to the license office and signs that you completed the 40 hours.

Do my parents need to tell their car insurance company about my permit?

The Department of Revenue tells parents to notify their insurance company as soon as you get your instruction permit, and to say which vehicle or vehicles you will drive. Ask the insurer what changes on the policy.