background

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you have a question about Renewing your Driver's License, Paying Reinstatement Fees or Purchasing a Motor Vehicle Report? Start by reading the Department of Public Safety’s General Questions

If you have questions about the payment process, it may be answered in the Paying Online section.

General Questions

The Department of Public Safety is located at 1900 E. Woodrow Wilson, Jackson, Mississippi, 39216. Our main office number is 601-987-1212.

For a driver's license office near you, check our website

The office hours are 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. Monday through Friday, except state holidays

The mailing address is:

PO Box 958

Jackson, MS 39205

Yes. You are able to renew a license online up to one year after the expiration date. This means that if a person's license expires on Saturday, March 18, 2023, they have until midnight Monday, March 18, 2024 to renew their license online. A surcharge will be added to those online renewals made after the expiration date.

Yes. Your license must be a Class R or Class D - Light Commercial to renew online.

A license cannot be renewed online if the user has a Restriction D. (Requires re-examination before renewal.)

For Class R renewals, the standard $24.00 renewal fee applies whether in person or online. If the license is expired, there is a late fee surcharge of $1.00. For online renewals, there is an additional convenience fee that varies based on the total purchase amount and a postage and handling fee of $1.50.

No. You can renew your license online every-other time you renew your license. If you renew your license online, you will not be able to renew online again until you have made a renewal in person.

No. You must go to the Department of Public Safety to make any changes to the information on your license. You must provide original documentation to support the requested change.

You must visit the nearest driver's license office to apply for a Mississippi license.

You must present:

  • A valid out-of state license
  • A Certified State issued long form Birth Certificate
  • An original social security card, and
  • Two proofs of residency, examples include:
    • Lease/Purchase agreement
    • Utility Bill (Lights, Water, or Gas)
    • A Mississippi Car Tag receipt
    • A Bank Statement

Written and skills tests may be waived.

No. Once a renewal has been submitted online, it enters the validation process immediately, so it cannot be cancelled.

For a driver's license office near you, check our website.

A customer can pay all reinstatement fees online as long as all other compliance items have been satisfied.

No. Paying reinstatement fees, whether online or in person, does not necessarily mean that your license is then valid. Reinstating your license is a 4 step process:

  • You must clear your record and pay the fine at the court for the county in which your ticket was issued.
  • You must pay the MDPS reinstatement fee (either in person or using this online application).
  • MDPS must receive confirmation from the court that your record has been cleared. This can take up to several weeks. To speed this process, you may mail your copy of the Court Abstract form to MDPS, Attn: Driver Records, 1900 E. Woodrow Wilson, Jackson, MS. 39216.
  • MDPS will then reinstate your license.

Once the above steps are completed, a clearance letter is mailed to the address on your current license (Note: Mail may not be forwarded or mailed to a PO Box).

No. The application requests payment after it has found an individual's record and before it displays the record to the individual. This report shows not only the moving violations on the record, but the status of the license, which is also subject to the $11.00 fee. This transaction also requires the payment of a convenience fee.

Once your Driver's License has been validated by the agency, your credential will be mailed to your residential street address on file. If you do not receive your credential in a timely manner or have any additional questions about the status of your credential, please contact the Department of Public Safety at (601) 987-1212 or (601) 987-1224. You may also try emailing drivesafe@dps.ms.gov.

The Mississippi Department of Public Safety can best assist you with your request and they can be contacted at (601) 987-1212 or (601) 987-1224. You may also email drivesafe@dps.ms.gov.

Paying Online

Making payments on-line is actually safer and more dependable than paying by mail. This system uses cutting-edge encryption technology to ensure that only those approved by you can have access to your confidential information.

Visa, Mastercard, Discover, or American Express (credit or debit cards) for online payments.

Your e-mail address will be used to send you a final confirmation of your payment; notify you of problems processing your payment; or notify you of other Department of Public Service services that may be of interest to you. The Department of Public Service will not release your e-mail address information to outside parties.

After completing the payment process, a confirmation page with a corresponding confirmation number will be displayed. You are encouraged to print this page for your records. Additionally, we will send you the same information by e-mail within one hour of your transaction.

Your personal confirmation number is very important. The confirmation number is used to track the process of your on-line payment in Payment Tracker. After making a payment with the Department of Public Safety on-line payment system, your confirmation number will appear on the final screen. You will also receive the confirmation number by e-mail within an hour after making a payment with the Department of Public Safety on-line payment system. For your records, we suggest you print the final payment page and the e-mail containing the confirmation number.