Who Needs a License and New Residents

Key points

1. Driving without a valid license or learner's permit is illegal, even with a parent or licensed driver along.

   Source: Handbook p. 7

   “Driving without a valid Driver’s License or Learner's Permit is illegal, even if you are accompanied by a parent or licensed driver.”
   Mississippi Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 7

2. New residents must get a Mississippi license within 60 days and a license plate within 30 days.

   Source: Handbook p. 7

   “If you move to Mississippi, you must obtain a Mississippi driver’s license within sixty (60) days. You must obtain a Mississippi license plate (tag) within thirty (30) days.”
   Mississippi Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 7

3. You must surrender all out of state licenses when you apply.

   Source: Handbook p. 7

   “When you apply for a Mississippi driver’s license you must surrender all out-of-state licenses.”
   Mississippi Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 7

4. If your out of state license expired over 30 days ago, you must take the Computerized Exam.

   Source: Handbook p. 7

   “If your out-of-state license has been expired over thirty (30) days, you must take the Computerized Exam.”
   Mississippi Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 7

5. A license may be renewed up to 6 months before it expires.

   Source: Handbook p. 8

   “the license may be renewed UP TO SIX (6) MONTHS prior to the expiration date.”
   Mississippi Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 8

6. If your license expires during military service out of state, renew within 90 days of discharge or on return.

   Source: Handbook p. 8

   “you may renew the license at any time within ninety (90) days of being discharged from military service or upon returning to the state.”
   Mississippi Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 8

7. Under 18 you cannot be licensed without proof of school enrollment.

   Source: Handbook p. 7

   “You are under eighteen (18) years old and do not provide proper documentation of your enrollment in school.”
   Mississippi Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 7

Numbers to know

3 questions from the Mississippi practice test

1. 1. What examination is required if an out-of-state license has been expired for more than thirty days?

   1. No examination under any circumstance
   2. Only a motorcycle skills examination
   3. Only a vision screening
   4. A computerized examination
   Show answer

   A computerized examination. When an out-of-state license has been expired for more than thirty days, the applicant must take the Computerized Exam. A vision screening is still part of the licensing process, but it is not the additional examination triggered by this expiration condition. The manual does not make the applicant wait without testing or substitute a motorcycle skills exam. Watch the qualifier carefully: this rule concerns an out-of-state license, and its threshold is thirty days, not the longer periods used for other license situations. Check the expiration date before applying.

2. 2. How early may an eligible Mississippi driver renew a license before its expiration date?

   1. Up to thirty days early
   2. Up to three months early
   3. Only during the expiration month
   4. Up to six months early
   Show answer

   Up to six months early. The renewal notice permits an eligible licensed driver to renew up to six months before the expiration date. Thirty days and three months are shorter than the stated window, while waiting for the expiration month is unnecessarily restrictive. This rule concerns renewal timing, not the period of validity printed on a newly issued credential. A useful planning cue is to begin the renewal process during the six month window and confirm current requirements with the Driver Service Bureau before visiting an office.

3. 3. A Mississippi teen without a permit drives with a licensed parent in the passenger seat. Is this legal?

   1. Yes, if the parent is over 21
   2. Yes, on rural roads only
   3. No, driving without a valid license or learner's permit is illegal even with a parent
   4. Yes, during daylight hours
   Show answer

   No, driving without a valid license or learner's permit is illegal even with a parent. Mississippi requires a valid Driver's License or Learner's Permit to drive any motor vehicle on streets or highways, except road and farm equipment. The manual states that driving without one is illegal even when a parent or licensed driver is along. A supervising adult makes permit driving legal, but only for someone who already holds the permit. Road type and time of day do not create an exception.

Source: the Mississippi Driver's Manual, License Requirements. 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.