In Mississippi, all drivers, regardless of age, must obtain a regular learner’s permit before applying for a driver’s license. You must be at least 15 years old for a regular permit. You must also pass a vision exam and an official computerized (permit) exam on driving theory. You must take the permit test at a DMV Driver Service Bureau office, not online. If you’re younger than 17, you must provide signed consent from your parent or guardian. If you’re aged 15 – 17, you must also provide proof that you’re either married or enrolled in or have graduated from high school or the equivalent.
A driver education course is not currently required for drivers of any age, but it can certainly be beneficial. A high school student as young as 14 who passes the vision and computerized exams can obtain a “temporary learner’s permit,” which will allow the student to attend an approved high school driver education course and practice driving but only with a driving instructor in one of the course’s vehicles. Upon turning 15, the student may upgrade to a regular learner’s permit and continue to practice driving under supervision.
All questions on the computerized exam are based on information in the official Mississippi DMV driver’s 2025 handbook (Mississippi DMV Handbook (MS Driver's Manual) 2025). The DMV currently publishes versions of this manual in English and Spanish, which can be easily downloaded from this webpage in PDF format for your convenience.
We have also created an audiobook of the English version of the official driver’s manual. It’s formatted as a downloadable series of 17 MP3 files, one for each section and Appendix A: License Requirements, Types of Licenses & Permits, Application Requirements, and so on. The longest file is Section 10: Rules of the Road & Safe Driving, whose running time is 38 minutes and 8 seconds. The total running time of this audiobook is approximately 1 hour, 44 minutes, and 19 seconds, so you should be able to go through it in a day or two.
Worried you might forget something important or freeze up on the day of the computerized test? We also offer our own permit test study guide (available elsewhere on this website) aimed at final preparations for the big exam day. It covers what documents to take, fees you may have to pay, how to stay relaxed yet alert, and frequently missed test questions.
Compared with the licensing regulations of other states, Mississippi’s are relatively lax. No road test or driver education course is currently required for a license. But this is going to change. Starting on July 1, 2027, all new drivers will be required to complete driver’s education.