Missouri driver license and nondriver ID: first license, renewal, replacement and REAL ID
How Missouri's graduated licensing works for teens, how new residents transfer a license, who can renew remotely, how to replace a lost card, and what a REAL ID or nondriver ID requires, from the Missouri Department of Revenue.
Guide · Missouri · REAL ID · Driver licenses · Renewals · ID cards · updated October 29, 2026
In Missouri, driver licenses, instruction permits and nondriver ID cards are issued by the Missouri Department of Revenue through its license offices. Knowledge and driving tests are given separately by the Missouri State Highway Patrol. This guide covers getting your first license, moving to Missouri with another state's license, renewing, replacing a lost card, REAL ID and nondriver IDs. For what to bring and how a license office visit works, see the Missouri license office visit guide.
Your first license
Every first-time license applicant follows the same two-step path:
- Test at the Highway Patrol. Go to a Highway Patrol driver examination station and pass the tests you need. You receive a Driver Examination Record (Form 100).
- Apply at a license office. Take that record, together with your identity, lawful status, Social Security and residency documents, to any Missouri license office to apply and pay.
You must provide the vehicle for the driving test. The Department says it can be any street-legal passenger vehicle, such as a van, truck or jeep, with current registration and insurance.
Teens: the graduated driver license
Missouri's Graduated Driver License law applies to all first-time drivers aged 15 to 18. It has three steps.
Instruction permit (from age 15). You pass the vision, road sign recognition and written tests at a Highway Patrol station. The Department's FAQ says the passing grade on the written test is 80% (20 of 25 questions). A parent or legal guardian must go with you to the license office to sign a permission statement. The FAQ lists the Class F permit at $10, valid for 12 months and renewable. If you are under 16, you may drive only with a licensed driver in the front seat who is one of the following:
- A parent, legal guardian or grandparent
- A qualified driving instructor
- A driver at least 25 years old, licensed for at least 3 years, with written permission from your parent or guardian
From age 16, the person beside you must be a licensed driver aged at least 21.
Intermediate license (ages 16 to 18). To qualify, you must:
- Hold the permit for at least 182 days
- Have no alcohol-related offenses in the last 12 months and no traffic convictions in the last 6 months
- Have completed 40 hours of driving instruction, including at least 10 hours at night
- Pass the driving test
A qualified person (a parent or legal guardian) or grandparent must come to the license office to verify the driving hours. You may not drive alone between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m., except to and from a school activity, a job or an emergency, unless a licensed driver aged 21 or older is with you. During the first 6 months you may carry only one passenger under 19 who is not immediate family. After that the limit is three.
Full license (from age 18). You can apply within 30 days before your 18th birthday. You need a valid intermediate license, no alcohol-related offenses or traffic convictions in the last 12 months, and passed vision and road sign recognition tests.
Moving to Missouri with another state's license
The Department says you must apply for a Missouri license as soon as you establish residency. You can surrender a valid license from another U.S. state, or one expired 184 days or less, to skip the Missouri written and driving tests. Every applicant still has to pass the road sign recognition and vision tests. Commercial license holders must transfer within 30 days.
If your old license was lost or stolen, you can bring a current clearance letter from that state instead. Missouri lets you hold only one valid credential. When you apply, any license or ID card from another state is invalidated and that state is notified.
Renewing your license
Licenses for drivers aged 21 to 69 run for 6 years. Drivers aged 18 to 20, and drivers 70 or older, get 3-year licenses. At renewal you take a road sign recognition test and a vision test. You can renew early if your license expires within six months.
You can renew without visiting an office through My DMV if all of these apply:
- You are 21 to 49 years old.
- A U.S. citizenship document check is already on your record.
- You completed a vision exam within the last 12 months.
- Your last application was made in person. Only one remote renewal is allowed between in-person visits.
- Your license is valid, or expired no more than 184 days.
- Your driver history meets the Department's criteria.
Applicants with immigration documents from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services must apply in person.
The standard grace period is 6 months after expiration. After that you must retest, but the Department says there is no late renewal fee. You must not drive on an expired license. Fees depend on your age and license class, and testing fees are not included; see the Department's fee chart linked below.
Replacing a lost license
You can get a duplicate at any license office if your license is not due to expire within the next 184 days. Bring proof of identity and Missouri residency. If you meet conditions similar to remote renewal, you can also apply for a duplicate online through My DMV. If your card was stolen, the Department recommends telling your local police. With a police report, you can ask for a new license number.
REAL ID
The Department says a REAL ID is your choice under Missouri law. Since May 7, 2025, you need a REAL ID or another TSA-accepted ID, such as a passport, to board domestic flights and to enter certain federal facilities. A REAL ID costs the same as a standard card.
To apply at a license office, bring original documents showing:
- Identity (one document)
- Lawful status (one document)
- Social Security number (one document)
- Missouri residency (two documents from separate sources)
- Any name change, if your name differs from your identity document
Use the Department's REAL ID document list. The Department says to allow about 10 to 15 days for processing and mailing. Compliant cards have a star in the upper right corner. Cards that are not compliant say "NOT FOR REAL ID PURPOSES". If you have never had a REAL ID, Missouri allows a one-time waiver of the duplicate fee to get one early, but the license office processing fee still applies.
To check a card you already have, see How can I tell if my driver's license is REAL ID compliant? and REAL ID explained.
Nondriver ID cards
A nondriver ID has no minimum age. It expires on your birthday in the sixth year after issue, and applicants aged 70 or older can get one that never expires. The fee chart lists it at $24. A nondriver ID for voting purposes is free (minimum age 17½).
You cannot hold a Missouri driver license and a Missouri nondriver ID at the same time. To get one, you surrender the other.
For vehicle paperwork, see the Missouri vehicle registration and title guide, and for nearby offices the Missouri office list.