Missouri Teen Driving Laws, Insurance Requirements & Drivers License

The State of Missouri Graduated License Law

Missouri's Graduated License system is designed to help teen drivers receive the education and guidance necessary to progress into a full Missouri driver’s license. The system is based on a series of steps and the age of the teen driver and the completion of educational criteria determine if the driver moves forward to the next step in the graduated licensing system.

The State of Missouri Instruction Permit

Applicants must be a minimum of 15 years of age to be eligible for a permit in the State of Missouri. In addition, applicants for the instruction permit must pass a vision screening, road sign test and a written exam.

An applicant for an instruction permit must be accompanied by a qualified adult such as a parent or legal guardian who will need to sign a permission statement.
Once issued, the instruction permit is valid for a period of up to 12 months and may be renewed if the current permit is in good standing.
If the permit holder is under the age of 16, they may only drive when accompanied by a qualified person, grandparent or a driving instructor that sits next to the permit holder in the front seat of the vehicle.
If the teen driver is 16 years old or above they may drive when they are accompanied by a licensed adult that is a minimum of 21 years of age.
Teen drivers must always carry their permit when they are driving.

The State of Missouri Intermediate License

Teen drivers from 16 to 18 years of age who hold the Missouri Instruction Permit can graduate to an Intermediate License under the following conditions:

The permit holder must have held the permit for at least 182 days from the date of issuance.
The permit must be in good standing before moving to the Intermediate License with no alcohol related convictions in the previous 12 months and no convictions for traffic violations for the previous 6 months.
In addition to these requirements the Intermediate license applicant must have received a minimum of 40 hours of driver training, with 10 out of the 40 hours being nighttime driving with a qualified driving instructor, grandparent or other responsible adult.
Teen drivers must have their driver training hours verified by a parent, legal guardian, grandparent or other qualified adult at the contract office when applying for the Intermediate License.
Intermediate License applicants must pass the vision screening, road sign and written test if their previous tests are more than 1 year old.
Teen drivers must also pass a driving test to receive the Intermediate License.
Seat belts must be worn by all passengers while the vehicle is in motion.

Intermediate License Restrictions

The Intermediate License is valid for 2 years from the date of issuance and the holder of the license must carry the license at all time while driving.

During the first 6 months, teen driver that hold an Intermediate License are not allowed to drive with more than one passenger under the age of 19 unless the passengers are immediate family members. After the first 6 months has passed the Intermediate License holder may drive with up to 3 passengers under the age of 19 who are not immediate family members.

The Intermediate license holder may not drive between the hours of 1:00 AM and 5:00 AM unless they are accompanied by a licensed driver that is a minimum of 21 years of age except under the following conditions:

To or From a School Sanctioned Activity
To or From a Place of Employment
In Emergency Situations

State of Missouri Full Driver License Under 21 Years of Age

Applicants for the Missouri Full Driver License must meet the same requirements as the Intermediate License with no alcohol related offenses or traffic convictions within the previous 12 months.

The current holder of an Intermediate license must be in good standing with no suspensions or revocations.
Full license applicants will have to pass a vision screening and road sign recognition test.
If the applicant has already passed their written and driving test for the Intermediate License, they will not have to retest in these areas.

State of Missouri Insurance Requirements

It is against the law to drive in the State of Missouri without some type of automobile liability insurance coverage. Drivers are required to have proof of insurance when registering a vehicle. The amounts below are the minimum requirements for liability insurance.