Mississippi Code 1972 (2023) › Title 63 - MOTOR VEHICLES AND TRAFFIC REGULATIONS (§§ 63-1-1 — 63-NEW01-NEW-014) › Chapter 1 - DRIVER'S LICENSE (§§ 63-1-1 — 63-1-311) › Article 1 - DRIVER'S LICENSE (§§ 63-1-1 — 63-1-73) › Section 63-1-47 - Duration and expiration of licenses; release of applicant's school attendance records to department of public safety; suspension of license of certain students who drop out of school

(1)
(a)
Except as otherwise provided in this section, each applicant for an original or renewal Class R or Class D license issued pursuant to this article, who is entitled to issuance of same, shall be issued a four-year license or an eight-year license, at the option of the applicant, which will expire at midnight on the licensee's birthday and may be renewed any time within six (6) months before the expiration of the license upon application and payment of the required fee, unless required to be reexamined.
(b)
The term of an ignition-interlock-restricted license issued under this article shall be four (4) years.
(2)
Any commercial driver's license issued under Article 5 of this chapter shall be issued for a five-year term to expire at midnight on the licensee's birthday.
(3)
(a)
All applications by an operator under eighteen (18) years of age must be accompanied by documentation that the applicant is in compliance with the education requirements of Section
63-1-9(1)(g)
, and the documentation used in establishing compliance must be dated no more than thirty (30) days before the date of application.
(b)
All applications by an operator under eighteen (18) years of age, if applicable, must be accompanied by documentation signed and notarized by the parent or guardian of the applicant and the appropriate school official, authorizing the release of the applicant's attendance records to the Department of Public Safety as required under Section
63-1-10
.
(c)
The commissioner shall suspend the driver's license or learner's permit of a student under eighteen (18) years of age who has been reported by the Department of Education as required by Section
63-1-10.1
, and shall give notice of the suspension to the licensee as provided in Section
63-1-52(4)
. A school superintendent or designee may request that the driver's license or learner's permit that has been suspended under the provisions of this subsection be reinstated after the student has successfully completed nine (9) weeks of school attendance without an unlawful absence.
(4)
(a)
Any original or renewal license issued under this chapter to a person who is not a United States citizen shall expire four (4) years from the date of issuance or on the expiration date of the applicant's authorized stay in the United States, whichever is the lesser period of time, and may be renewed, if the person is otherwise qualified to renew the license, within thirty (30) days of expiration. The fee for any such license and for renewal shall be as prescribed in Section
63-1-43
.
(b)
Any applicant for an original or renewal license under this subsection (4) must present valid documentary evidence documenting that the applicant:
(i)
Is a citizen or national of the United States;
(ii)
Is an alien lawfully admitted for permanent or temporary residence in the United States;
(iii)
Has conditional permanent residence status in the United States;
(iv)
Has an approved application for asylum in the United States or has entered into the United States in refugee status;
(v)
Has a valid, unexpired nonimmigrant visa or nonimmigrant visa status for entry into or lawful presence in the United States;
(vi)
Has a pending application for asylum in the United States;
(vii)
Has a pending or approved application for temporary protected status in the United States;
(viii)
Has approved deferred-action status;
(ix)
Has a pending application for adjustment of status to that of an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence in the United States or conditional permanent resident status in the United States; or
(x)
Has a valid employment authorization card issued by the United States Department of Homeland Security.
(5)
For any driver's license issued under this chapter, the Department of Public Safety shall send an email and text message notification of an upcoming driver's license expiration date to the known emails and phone numbers authorized by license holders for such notices not less than thirty (30) days before the expiration date of that license.
Codes, 1942, § 8114; Laws, 1938, ch. 143; Laws, 1940, ch. 167; Laws, 1946, ch. 420, § 8; Laws, 1948, ch. 343, § 6; Laws, 1956, ch. 378, § 5; Laws, 1958, ch. 509; Laws, 1968, ch. 541, § 1; Laws, 1981, ch. 453, § 3; Laws, 1985, ch. 376, § 19; Laws, 1989, ch. 482, § 24; Laws, 1990, ch. 310, § 1; Laws, 1994, ch. 588, § 7; Laws, 2000, ch. 624, § 5; Laws, 2002, ch. 584, § 4; Laws, 2009, ch. 488, § 4; Laws, 2009, ch. 560, § 31; Laws, 2010, ch. 423, § 2; Laws, 2011, ch. 468, § 1, eff. 10/1/2011.
Amended by Laws, 2021, ch. 464, SB 2598,§ 16, eff. 4/16/2021.
Amended by Laws, 2021, ch. 414, HB 550,§ 9, eff. 4/5/2021.
Amended by Laws, 2020, ch. 477, HB 1371,§ 7, eff. 7/8/2020.
Amended by Laws, 2014, ch. 424, SB 2794, 14, eff. 10/1/2014.
Amended by Laws, 2013, ch. 489, HB 481, 5, eff. 7/1/2014.