Application and the Driver Examination

Key points

1. Adults applying for an original license show 2 documents proving they live in Mississippi.

   Source: Handbook p. 12

   “If you are eighteen (18) years old or older and are applying for an original license, you must show TWO (2) pieces of documentation to prove you live in this state.”
   Mississippi Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 12

2. You must provide your Social Security card.

   Source: Handbook p. 12

   “You must provide your SOCIAL SECURITY CARD.”
   Mississippi Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 12

3. Under 17, both parents must sign the application.

   Source: Handbook p. 12

   “If you are under seventeen (17) years old, your application for a permit or license must include the signature of both of your parents”
   Mississippi Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 12

4. Under 18, you must prove school enrollment with a Certification of Attendance no more than 30 days old.

   Source: Handbook p. 12

   “If you are under eighteen (18) years old, you must provide proof of your enrollment in school. Request a Certification of Attendance form from your school. This form must not be over thirty (30) days old.”
   Mississippi Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 12

5. Whoever signs a minor's application is liable for the minor's negligence and must have the signature notarized.

   Source: Handbook p. 12

   “Whomever signs your application will be liable for your negligence or willful misconduct and must have their signature NOTARIZED.”
   Mississippi Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 12

6. If you fail the Computerized Exam, retake it the next business day; after 3 failures, wait 30 days.

   Source: Handbook p. 13

   “If you fail the Computerized Exam, you may retake it the following business day. If you do not pass after three (3) attempts, you must wait thirty (30) days to retake the Computerized Exam.”
   Mississippi Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 13

7. The computerized test has 20 multiple choice questions.

   Source: Handbook p. 75

   “you will be given a computerized test comprised of twenty (20) multiple-choice questions.”
   Mississippi Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 75

8. You must pass the computer examination by 80%.

   Source: Handbook p. 74

   “Pass the computer examination by 80%.”
   Mississippi Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 74

9. All driver's license testing stops at 4pm statewide.

   Source: Handbook p. 1

   “ALL Driver’s License Testing STOPS at 4pm STATEWIDE.”
   Mississippi Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 1

Numbers to know

3 questions from the Mississippi practice test

1. 1. Before a Mississippi applicant can get a Regular Driver's License, how many hours of supervised driving must a parent, teacher, or guardian certify in an affidavit?

   1. At least 20 hours
   2. At least 50 hours
   3. At least 100 hours
   4. No supervised hours are required
   Show answer

   At least 50 hours. Mississippi requires an affidavit in which a parent, teacher, or guardian certifies watching the applicant drive for at least 50 hours and attests to safe, proper operation of the vehicle. Twenty hours is too few, 100 hours is not the Mississippi figure, and the requirement is not optional. The affidavit sits alongside the written and vision exams and the physical requirements, and it can also let an applicant skip retaking the computerized exam within two years.

2. 2. What must a Mississippi applicant under eighteen provide to show school enrollment?

   1. A school record from any prior school year
   2. A Certification of Attendance form no more than thirty days old
   3. A notarized letter from a neighbor
   4. A college transcript regardless of age
   Show answer

   A Certification of Attendance form no more than thirty days old. An applicant younger than eighteen must show school enrollment with a Certification of Attendance form requested from the school. The form must be no more than thirty days old, so an old school record may not satisfy the requirement. A neighbor cannot replace the school document, and a college transcript is not the form identified for this application. Home-schooled applicants follow a separate process involving a school or superintendent and a notarized parent signature. Check the date before bringing the certification to the licensing office.

3. 3. You passed Mississippi's computerized exam but waited to finish the licensing process. When would you have to take the computerized exam again?

   1. After 90 days
   2. After 6 months
   3. After two years
   4. Never; a passing score never expires
   Show answer

   After two years. A computerized exam score is good for two years. Applicants who wait longer than that must retake the exam. The 90 day and six month choices would expire the score far sooner than the manual says, and a passing score does not last forever. Providing the 50 hour affidavit before the two years pass lets the applicant avoid retaking the exam.

Source: the Mississippi Driver's Manual, Application Requirements and the Examination. This lesson is a plain English summary, not the law itself; where it differs, the manual and the statute govern. Last checked 2026-09-27.