Mississippi will require all high schools to offer driver’s education beginning in July and will require first-time driver’s license applicants to show proof of training, Commissioner of Public Safety Sean Tindell and state legislation say.
The change is part of provisions in SB 2695 from the 2024 legislative session, which directs school districts to “establish and maintain driver education and training programs for pupils” in grades 9-12, the bill says. The legislation requires the programs to be in place by July 1 and makes them available to public school students, home-school students and adults who have not previously completed driver’s education.
“Making sure our teens and new drivers are prepared, confident, and equipped with safe driving habits is a top priority. That’s why we’re bringing back driver’s education and making it mandatory,” Tindell said in a recent social media post. He and officials from the Mississippi Department of Education and the Department of Public Safety began developing the programs last year, according to the agencies.
Under the bill, students will receive classroom and behind-the-wheel instruction on topics such as distracted driving, alcohol and drug safety, litter laws, organ donation and how to respond when pulled over by law enforcement. The legislation also sets the minimum age for the course at 14; students may take instruction while enrolled and under the direct supervision of an instructor without holding a driver’s license or learner’s permit. The bill requires copies of each new driver’s certification of completion to be sent to the Department of Public Safety for record keeping.
Beginning July 1, 2027, the law requires that all new drivers complete a driver’s education course before being issued their first driver’s license, and Tindell said every new driver will also be required to pass a road test. Officials cited safety data in support of the change. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reported more than 40,000 people nationwide died in motor vehicle crashes in 2023, including 732 Mississippians, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says younger, less experienced drivers are disproportionately involved in crashes, noting that drivers 20 and under made up 5.1% of licensed drivers but 8.5% of drivers in fatal crashes and 12.6% of drivers in all crashes.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
