Mississippi driver's license and ID card: first license, renewal, replacement and REAL ID
How to get a Mississippi learner's permit and first license, the hardship license for teens, what new residents need, how to renew online or in person, replace a lost license, and get a state ID card, from the DPS Driver Service Bureau.
Guide · Mississippi · REAL ID · Driver licenses · Renewals · ID cards · updated October 29, 2026
Mississippi driver's licenses, learner's permits and ID cards are issued by the Driver Service Bureau (DSB) of the Mississippi Department of Public Safety (DPS), at its driver license stations. Renewals, duplicates and address changes can often be done online through the DPS Driver Self-Service Portal. This guide covers a first license, the teen hardship license, moving to Mississippi, renewal, replacement, REAL ID and state ID cards. For booking a visit and the full document list, see the Mississippi driver license station visit guide.
Learner's permit
To get a regular learner's permit, you must be at least 15 and able to prove you are enrolled in school. You must pass a knowledge (written) exam and an eye exam at a driver license station. Knowledge exams must be taken in person. Bring:
- The signed application
- An original or certified birth certificate (no photocopies)
- Proof of your Social Security number
- Two proofs of residency
- A school attendance form if you are 15 to 17. It is not valid if it is more than 30 days old.
The permit costs $7 and is valid for two years. The DSB's Mississippi Driver's License Manual is the study guide: free to download, or $3 at a station.
Your first license
The minimum age for a Mississippi driver's license is 16. What you need depends on your age.
At 16, you must have held your learner's permit for twelve months, or until your 17th birthday, whichever comes first. Then bring:
- Your valid learner's permit
- An up-to-date school attendance form
- A signed Waiver of Road Testing Affidavit
At 17 or older, there is no waiting period. You can get the learner's permit and the license on the same day, after passing the knowledge and eye exams with all the required documents.
The DSB says that at this time no road (skills) test is required for a regular driver's license. A regular 4-year license costs $24 and an 8-year license $47. If you held a valid learner's permit in another state, those months count toward the 12-month period.
Coming change: the DSB says that from July 1, 2027, completing driver's education will be required for all new drivers to get a regular driver's license.
Hardship license for teens
A parent or legal guardian can request hardship driving privileges for a Mississippi resident aged 15 to 17. The teen must have held a learner's permit for 30 days without traffic infractions. The DSB lists these requirements:
- A certified driver's education course. Online and defensive-driving courses are not accepted. Since July 1, 2026, only certificates from a Mississippi public school or a DPS-certified instructor count.
- No prior traffic citations
- Meeting the school attendance policy
The request is emailed as a PDF using the DSB's Request for Hardship Form. Hardship licenses are not available to anyone who has received a DUI.
If approved, the teen may drive unsupervised only to school or school functions, to transport siblings to school, to work, and for medical needs. At all other times they must be supervised by a licensed driver aged 21 or older in the front passenger seat. They may carry only immediate family members and may not use a phone at all while driving.
Moving to Mississippi
The DSB says a new resident with a valid out-of-state license does not have to take the knowledge exam. If your out-of-state license has expired, you must take it. Visit a driver license station with:
- Your out-of-state license
- Your birth certificate
- Your Social Security card
- Two proofs of residency
The self-service portal FAQ adds that written and skills tests may be waived. The DSB pages do not give a deadline for getting your Mississippi license.
Renewing
You can renew any time within six months before your license expires. You can renew:
- Online, through the DPS Driver Self-Service Portal, up to one year after expiration (a surcharge applies). Only Class R or Class D (light commercial) licenses qualify, and not if your license has Restriction D. You can renew online only every other time; after an online renewal, the next one must be in person. On top of the $24 renewal fee, there is a convenience fee and a $1.50 postage and handling fee. Once submitted, an online renewal cannot be cancelled.
- In person, at a driver license station.
- By mail, if you are a Mississippi resident attending college out of state. The DSB's college students page lists the documents to send, with a certified check or money order, to DPS.
If your license has been expired for more than 60 months, you must retake the knowledge exam. Non-U.S. citizens cannot renew online. They must renew in person with their immigration documents, and the DSB says they can renew only within 30 days of their expiration date.
Replacing a lost license
A duplicate license or ID card costs $11. You can order one online through the DPS Driver Self-Service Portal. If you need it immediately, go in person to any driver license station. There you take a new photo and fill in the duplicate application.
The DSB says it is not responsible for licenses lost in the mail; if that happens, you pay $11 for a duplicate.
REAL ID
The DSB's FAQ says all Mississippi driver's licenses and IDs are REAL ID compliant and automatically carry the gold star, including when you renew online.
To check a card, see How can I tell if my driver's license is REAL ID compliant? and REAL ID explained.
State ID cards
Anyone aged 6 or older may apply for a Mississippi identification card. You need the same documents as for a license: the signed application, an original birth certificate or other accepted document, proof of Social Security number, two proofs of residency and any name change documents. A 4-year card costs $17 and an 8-year card $33. The fee list also shows lower fees for disability identification cards.
Non-U.S. citizens can get a license or ID card valid for their length of stay, up to four years. Delivery may be delayed by up to 30 days if federal SAVE verification of immigration status is not immediate.
For vehicle tags and titles, see the Mississippi vehicle title and registration guide, and for stations the Mississippi office list.