U.S. STATE · DRIVER LICENSE
Mississippi Driver License Photo Requirements
Find out whether you need to make a photo, where the state takes it, and what is known about online renewal and photo upload.
Sources reviewed: October 12, 2026 · photo law reviewed: October 18, 2026
Do you need to make a photo?
Do not prepare a separate photo unless the state agency or your transaction instructions specifically ask for one. The agency procedure below describes where a photo is captured and what is known about remote renewal.
This page covers a driver license. It does not automatically apply to learner permits, state identification cards, commercial endorsements, or every exception.
Photo law and requirements
Mississippi Code § 63-1-35(1) requires each driver license to bear a full-face color photograph of the licensee in a form that cannot be separated from the license, and says the photograph shall be replaced by the department at the time of renewal. The same subsection allows drivers' licenses, including the photographs on them, to be renewed by electronic means under rules adopted by the commissioner in conformity with § 27-104-33. The Department of Public Safety's Driver Services rules (Miss. Admin. Code Title 31, Part 1) address facial-recognition checks when a photo is taken (Rule 6.9) and when head coverings may be worn in license photos (Rule 7.6), but the rules reviewed do not set out the online-renewal photo cycle. This wording appears in § 63-1-35 as amended in 2020 (H.B. 1371, as sent to the Governor) and is unchanged in S.B. 2322 (2026) as passed by the Senate; the final enacted 2026 text, the official annotated code, and § 27-104-33 were not reviewed.
Where the photo is taken
A Driver Service station takes a new photo for in-person renewal. If no valid photo is on file, online applicants must visit a station.
Online renewal, photo reuse, and upload
Online renewal is available every other renewal for eligible applicants with a valid photo on file. The online pages describe no option to upload your own photo; if you do not have a valid photo on file, you must visit a Driver Service station to have your picture taken.
New photo upload: Only treat upload as allowed when the linked official instructions explicitly say so.
Scope and limitations
This entry reports the issuing agency’s current public procedure. It does not by itself establish the full legal rule for every permit, state ID, exception, or transaction.
Official laws, rules, and agency sources
- Mississippi DPS — Renew driver license or ID
- Mississippi Legislature — H.B. 1371 (2020), As Sent to Governor, Section 3 amending Miss. Code § 63-1-35 (photograph on license; electronic renewal)
- Mississippi Legislature — S.B. 2322 (2026), As Passed the Senate, amending Miss. Code § 63-1-35
- Mississippi Administrative Code Title 31, Part 1 — DPS Driver Services rules (Rules 6.9, 7.6, 7.7)
Check your exact application
Renewal eligibility and photo handling can depend on your record and transaction.
Open the interactive photo checker