Frequently Asked Questions - General
- I’m moving to Missouri and I have a valid driver license from another state. How can I get a Missouri Driver License?
- How can I update the address on my Missouri driver license?
- I just got married/divorced. How do I change the name on my Missouri driver license?
- How old do I have to be to get my first instruction permit?
- Where do I go to get my instruction permit?
- What is the passing grade on the written test to get my instruction permit?
- What documents are required to prove who I am?
- What is the cost of an instruction permit and how long is it valid?
- Who can I practice driving with before my 16th birthday?
- What do I do if I lose my permit?
- Can I go to the license office by myself to apply for my intermediate license?
- How old do I need to be to get an intermediate license?
- What tests do I have to take to get an intermediate license?
- Does the highway patrol provide a vehicle for me to take the driving test?
- Do you have to take the driving test in a car?
- If I already have a photo ID or instruction permit issued by the Department of Revenue, do I need to show proof of identity to get my driver license?
- Can I drive as a pizza delivery employee at the age of 16?
- I have had my driver license suspended or revoked. How do I get my license back?
- What are the licensing laws for motor scooters (under 50cc)?
- How old must I be to apply for a motorcycle permit or a motorcycle endorsement on my current instruction permit?
- How can I replace my lost/stolen/destroyed Missouri driver license?
I’m moving to Missouri and I have a valid driver license from another state. How can I get a Missouri driver license?
As soon as you establish residency in Missouri, you must apply and pay for a Missouri driver license at a Missouri license office. You may surrender a valid current driver license (or one that is expired 184 days or less) from another U.S. state to the state of Missouri to waive your Missouri skills and written tests. All applicants are required to pass the Missouri road sign recognition and vision tests.
Commercial Driver License (CDL) holders must transfer their CDL within 30 days of transfer of residency.
NOTE: Effective July 1, 2005, proof of Lawful Presence, Identity, and Residency is required for all new/renewal Missouri permit/driver/nondriver license applicants. Please click here for a complete list of acceptable documents.
If you are between the ages of 21 and 69, you may apply for a 6-year Missouri driver license. If you are between the ages of 18 and 20, or you are 70 or over, you may apply for a 3-year Missouri driver license. A fee chart is included in Chapter 1 of the Missouri Driver Guide.
Please click here if you want more information about getting a HazMat endorsement on a Missouri CDL.
How can I update the address on my Missouri driver license?
If you want to update the actual driver license card that you carry in your wallet, you must apply and pay for an updated license at a Missouri license office. If you are within six months of the expiration date on your driver license, you may apply for an early renewal. If not, the transaction would be processed as a duplicate with the same expiration date as your current driver license.
Regardless of whether or not you choose to update your actual driver license, please send an email message including your full name, Missouri driver license number (or social security number), the vehicle license plate numbers of any vehicle(s) you have registered in Missouri (or a note that you have none), and your old and new mailing addresses (including the name of the county) to dlbmail@dor.mo.gov. Our staff will then forward your address change information to the appropriate driver license, motor vehicle, and taxation staff.
I just got married/divorced. How do I change the name on my Missouri driver license?
To change your name, you must take acceptable documentation of your legal name change to a Missouri license office. You may then apply and pay for a duplicate driver license with your new name. Since a new signature must be "captured", a new photo will be necessary as well. If your Missouri driver license is within 6 months (184 days) of expiring, you are eligible to renew your driver license early, saving you another trip to the license office when the contract was due to expire.
Acceptable documents for proof of name change include: U.S. passport (valid or expired), social security card, Medicare card, certified marriage license, certified divorce decree, certified court order, certified adoption papers, or certified amended birth certificate.
How old do I have to be to get my first instruction permit?
15 years of age.
Where do I go to get my instruction permit?
You must first go to a Missouri State Highway Patrol examination station to take the written, vision and road sign tests. You must then take your Driver Examination Record to a Missouri license office to apply and pay for your instruction permit. Your parent or legal guardian* must come with you to the license office.
* If the applicant is enrolled in a federal residential job training program, then a certified driver training instructor employed by that program may also fulfill the Graduated Driver License Law responsibilities of the parent/grandparent/legal guardian.
What is the passing grade on the written test to get my instruction permit?
80% (20 questions out of 25).
What documents are required to prove who I am?
Effective July 1, 2005, proof of Lawful Presence, Identity, and Residency is required for all new/renewal Missouri permit/driver/nondriver license applicants. Please click here for a complete list of acceptable documents.
What is the cost of an instruction permit and how long is it valid?
The instruction permit costs $3.50, it is valid for 12 months, and can be renewed.
Who can I practice driving with before my 16th birthday?
You may practice with your parent, grandparent, legal guardian* or a qualified driving instructor who has a valid driver license.
* If the applicant is enrolled in a federal residential job training program, then a certified driver training instructor employed by that program may also fulfill the Graduated Driver License Law responsibilities of the parent/grandparent/legal guardian.
What do I do if I lose my permit?
You should bring proof of identity and apply and pay for a duplicate permit at any Missouri license office.
Can I go to the license office by myself to apply for my intermediate license?
No. Your parent, grandparent, or legal guardian* must sign a statement on your application regarding your behind-the-wheel training.
* If the applicant is enrolled in a federal residential job training program, then a certified driver training instructor employed by that program may also fulfill the Graduated Driver License Law responsibilities of the parent/grandparent/legal guardian.
How old do I need to be to get an intermediate license?
16 years old.
What tests do I have to take to get an intermediate license?
If you already have a valid instruction permit, you need only pass the driving test with a score of 70% or better.
Does the highway patrol provide a vehicle for me to take the driving test?
No, you must provide the vehicle.
Do you have to take the driving test in a car?
No, it may be any street-legal passenger vehicle such as a van, truck or jeep with current, valid registration (license plates/tabs) and insurance.
If I already have a photo ID or instruction permit issued by the Department of Revenue, do I need to show proof of identity to get my driver license?
Yes, if you received your photo ID or instruction permit prior to July 1, 2005. Please click here for a complete list of acceptable documents.
Can I drive as a pizza delivery employee at the age of 16?
No, you must be 18 years of age and hold a valid Class E (for-hire) license.
I have had my driver license suspended or revoked. How do I get my license back?
What are the licensing laws for motor scooters (under 50cc)?
Licensing for a scooter or moped depends on whether the vehicle meets the definition of a motorized bicycle. The Missouri statute definition of a motorized bicycle is as follows:
"Any two-wheeled or three-wheeled device having an automatic transmission and a motor with a cylinder capacity of not more than fifty (50) cubic centimeters, which produces less than three (3) gross brake horsepower, and is capable of propelling the device at a maximum speed of not more than thirty (30) miles per hour on level ground."
A motorized bicycle does not have to be registered with the Missouri Department of Revenue. However, you must have a valid driver license (though no motorcycle endorsement is required).
Missouri statute does not require a helmet to be worn when operating a motorized bicycle. Please contact your local law enforcement agencies for any county/municipal codes that deal with helmets and motorized bicycles.
Keep in mind that no motorized bicycle may be operated on any public thoroughfare located within this state that has been designated as part of the federal interstate highway system.
How old must I be to apply for a motorcycle permit or a motorcycle endorsement on my current instruction permit?
You must be at least 15 1/2 years of age. Applicants under age 16 must also show proof of a completed Motorcycle Rider Training Course (MRTC). Graduated Driver License (GDL) requirements apply to motorcycle permits.
How can I replace my lost/stolen/destroyed Missouri driver license?
You may apply and pay for a replacement driver license at any Missouri license office.
- If your driver license is not due to expire within the next six months, the transaction would be processed as a duplicate with the same expiration date as your current license. One acceptable document for proof of identity is required (It is preferred, though not required, that the document include your photo; such as a work, military or student ID card. If a document with a photo is not available, other documents that may be used include, but are not limited to: a social security card; document reflecting name and date of birth; or document reflecting name and signature).
- If your driver license is due to expire within the next six months, your transaction would be processed as an early renewal, and you would be required to present acceptable documents as required by the Show Me Proof program.
However, you may obtain up to a 60-day Missouri Temporary Driving Permit (TDP) by mail after you print the Request From Record Holder (Form DOR-4681) from your computer.
You must fill out the form completely and have it notarized, then mail or fax it to our office. Under “DRIVER LICENSE RECORDS”, please write the words “Temporary Driving Permit” in the field marked “Other”. There is no fee required for this service. If you send your request by fax, the fax number to use is (573) 522-8174.