Missouri · Handbook chapter 1 · 5 min read

Who needs a Missouri license, permit and license types, the Graduated Driver License steps, documents, fees, and the four-part driver exam: written, vision, road sign and driving tests.

Why this chapter matters

Almost 50 percent of test-takers fail the written test the first time. Knowing how the four-part exam works, and the Graduated Driver License (GDL) rules, gives you a head start.

Who needs a Missouri license

You need a Missouri license if you live here, are 16 or older and plan to drive, or if you are a new resident, even with a license from another state. Members of the armed forces and full-time students with a valid home-state license do not. Always carry your license or permit and show it to an officer on request.

Permits and licenses

Drivers under 21 get a permit or license marked as a minor.

The Graduated Driver License

Step one: instruction permit (age 15)

• Pass the vision, road sign and written tests at a Highway Patrol examination station.
• A parent, stepparent, legal guardian or certified trainer signs a permission statement at the license office.
• Under 16, drive only with a parent, stepparent, grandparent, legal guardian, qualified driving instructor, or a driver at least 25 who has been licensed three years and has written parental permission, sitting in the front seat.
• 16 or older, drive with any licensed driver at least 21 in the front seat.
• Everyone in the car wears a seat belt. Carry the permit itself; the exam record alone is not a permit.

Step two: intermediate license (ages 16 to 18)

• Hold the permit at least 182 days (counting from the day after it was issued).
• Complete 40 hours of driving instruction, including 10 at night.
• No alcohol-related convictions in 12 months and no traffic convictions in 6 months.
• Pass the driving test.

Step three: full license (age 18)

You need a valid intermediate license, no alcohol-related offenses or traffic convictions in the past 12 months, and must pass the vision and road sign tests again.

Documents and fees

Bring proof of lawful status, identity (full legal name and date of birth), your Social Security number and Missouri residency (two documents for a REAL ID card, one otherwise). A P.O. box is not a residential address.

The four-part exam

1. Written test: 25 multiple-choice questions on traffic laws and safe driving; you need 20 right. It is not open book.
2. Vision test: at least 20/40 with either or both eyes, and side vision of 55 degrees in each eye or 85 in one.
3. Road sign test: checks that you recognize and understand traffic signs. You also take it at every renewal.
4. Driving test: with a Highway Patrol examiner, in a vehicle with current plates, working seat belts, horn and two sets of brakes, and proof of insurance.

The driving test

You will start and stop, parallel park in a space 25 feet long and 7 feet wide within 2 minutes and no more than 18 inches from the curb, back up while looking over your right shoulder, make at least two right and two left turns, park on a hill, and handle intersections and signs. Losing more than 30 points fails the test, as does causing a crash, hitting a pedestrian, dangerous driving or breaking a traffic law. You may take only one driving test a day; after three fails you need extra training and approval from the Department.

Cheating or using a recording or communication device during a test is fraud and can cost your driving privilege for up to a year.

Renewal

A license can be valid for up to six years. You can renew up to six months early, taking the vision and road sign tests each time. If your license has been expired more than six months (184 days), you must also retake the written and driving tests.