Reinstating a Mississippi Suspended License

By Javier Marín, Editor·Last reviewed September 2026·How we check this

A Mississippi driver license can be suspended by MS DPS for a long list of reasons — a DUI conviction, an accumulation of points, an unpaid traffic judgment, a failure to maintain insurance, a school-attendance violation under MS Code § 63-1-9, or a court-ordered suspension. The reinstatement path depends on which suspension applies, but every Mississippi reinstatement ends at the same place: a clear DPS record and a paid reinstatement fee.

Common Mississippi suspension types

DUI suspension — 90 days for a first conviction under MCA § 63-11-30; 1 year for a second; 5 years for a third or subsequent conviction.
Implied-consent refusal — 90-day suspension for refusing chemical testing on a first DUI arrest, 1 year on a second.
Point suspension — 12+ points in 12 months under the Mississippi point system.
No-insurance suspension — failure to maintain the 25/50/25 liability minimum.
Failure to appear or pay — an unaddressed traffic citation referred by the issuing court.
Civil judgment — an unsatisfied judgment from a vehicle accident.
School attendance — for under-18 drivers under MS Code § 63-1-9.
Child-support arrearage — under Mississippi Department of Human Services orders.

Step 1 — Pull the DPS driver record

Before paying any fee, every Mississippi driver in suspension status should request a current driver record from MS DPS using Form MVR-110. The record lists every active hold, the originating court, the suspension start date, and the conditions for clearance. Misreading a hold — for example, paying a court fine when the actual hold is an SR-22 lapse from an insurance carrier — is the most common reason reinstatements fail. The 3-year record is $11 uncertified or $14 certified. See the Mississippi driving records page for the request walkthrough.

Step 2 — Clear each underlying hold

Each hold has its own clearance condition:

DUI: Serve the criminal sentence, pay the fines, complete the Alcohol Safety Education Program (ASEP), contribute to the Mississippi DUI Victim's Compensation Fund, file an SR-22, install an ignition interlock device for the required period, and pay the $175 DUI reinstatement fee.
Implied-consent refusal: Same path as DUI minus the criminal sentence elements; ASEP is required.
Points: Wait out the suspension period (3 to 12 months), then pay the standard $100 reinstatement fee. No driver-improvement school is required at the state level for point suspensions.
No-insurance: File an SR-22, maintain it for 3 years, and pay a $100 reinstatement fee plus the no-insurance penalty fee ($500 first offense, $1,000 thereafter).
FTA/FTP: Pay the underlying citation through the issuing court, obtain a "compliance" affidavit, and forward it to MS DPS.
Civil judgment: Pay or settle the judgment, file an SR-22, and pay the standard reinstatement fee.
School attendance: Reenroll in school, complete the school year with adequate attendance, and submit verification from the school district.

Step 3 — Pay the reinstatement fees

Mississippi reinstatement fees vary by suspension type:

$100 standard reinstatement fee for most suspensions.
$175 for DUI-related reinstatements.
$500 first-offense no-insurance penalty (in addition to the standard fee).
$1,000 second-offense no-insurance penalty.
$25 reinstatement application processing fee.

Fees are paid online at the MS DPS website, by mail, or in person at any DPS driver service center. Suspended drivers cannot drive to the DPS center to pay — arrange a ride or pay online before going.

SR-22 financial-responsibility filing

An SR-22 in Mississippi is a financial-responsibility certificate filed by a Mississippi-licensed insurance carrier directly with MS DPS. It confirms the named driver carries the 25/50/25 minimum liability. The SR-22 must be on file for 3 consecutive years from reinstatement; any cancellation, lapse, or non-renewal during that period is reported to DPS and immediately re-suspends the license. Most national carriers and many regional carriers in Mississippi file SR-22, with non-standard markets like Direct General, Acceptance, and Mendota common for higher-risk drivers. See Mississippi car insurance for SR-22 specifics.

Hardship licenses

Mississippi offers a hardship license under MS Code § 63-1-71 for drivers serving a DUI suspension who can demonstrate the suspension causes undue hardship for getting to work, school, treatment, or providing for dependents. The hardship license is granted by the circuit court of the county where the driver resides, requires SR-22 and ignition-interlock installation, and limits driving to specific routes and hours. Application requires a court filing fee, a hearing, and proof of the underlying hardship. Hardship licenses are not granted for non-DUI suspensions.

Driving on a suspended license

Driving while suspended is a criminal misdemeanor in Mississippi under MS Code § 63-1-57 with a minimum fine of $200 (first offense) and up to 6 months in jail. The court will also extend the underlying suspension by an additional period equal to the original suspension. A second offense in five years is a felony with up to one year in prison. Pulling a current driver record before driving is the only reliable way to confirm a suspension has been fully cleared.