Mississippi DMVs will reopen starting Monday, Governor Tate Reeves announced this afternoon during his daily press briefing.
Drivers license stations have been closed since mid-March due to the ongoing pandemic, and new protocols will be in place to limit the potential spread of COVID-19. Among several other changes, license renewals can only be done online and the road test for new drivers has been suspended.
Governor Reeves noted that the DMV still has many issues to address, but he hopes these solutions will assist Mississippians in the short-term.
“Let’s be honest, they were a mess before. The pent-up demand created by the pandemic is only going to make existing problems worse. We think we’ve got a plan in place to make it run as safely and smoothly as possible, but there is a lot of structural work we’ve got to do for a real fix,” said Governor Reeves.
Additionally, Sean Tindell, the new Commissioner of the Department of Public Safety, unveiled a plan to ensure social distancing at DL stations. The plan only allows you to visit a station on the day of the week that corresponds to the first letter of your last name with the exception of Wednesdays when anyone can come.
- Monday: A-E
- Tuesday: F-L
- Wednesday: “Walk-in Wednesday”
- Thursday: M-S
- Friday: T-Z
“Mississippians have been greatly inconvenienced throughout the time our driver license stations have been closed and we appreciate their patience through this transition moving forward. We are working diligently to safely reopen while protecting our employees and the customers we serve,” said Commissioner Tindell.
Governor Reeves strongly encourages that people wear face coverings, such as cloth masks, when they are inside the stations.
Services available are also limited to reduce the number of people visiting the stations to help limit transmission. The following services will be available at permanent driver license stations:
- CDL Transactions
- Out of State Transfers
- New Credentials
- New Identification Card Credentials
- Security Guard Permits (Wednesdays only)
- Sex Offender Registration
- Permit tests for students
- Reinstatements
- Non-U.S. Citizens
- Ignition-Interlock Restricted Licenses
Providing a technology alternative to minimize person-to-person contact, Mississippians can access services such as renewal and duplicate driver licenses, ID cards, and address changes on the DPS website at driverservicebureau.dps.ms.gov.
All road tests for non-commercial drivers are waived until further notice to help reduce the risk of transmission. Minors must submit an affidavit completed by parent or guardian certifying 50 hours of supervised driving time, which are available on the DPS website.
You can view the complete listing of all permanent drivers license stations and additional information regarding the reopenings at dps.ms.gov.
