Mississippi Reckless Driving Laws: Fines, Jail and License Rules

Mississippi makes reckless driving a misdemeanor under Miss. Code 63-3-1201: a person who "drives any vehicle in such a manner as to indicate either a wilful or a wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property is guilty of reckless driving." A first conviction carries a fine of $5 to $100, and a second or later conviction carries up to 10 days in jail, a fine of up to $500, or both.

Information last verified on 2026-10-25. This article has not been reviewed by a licensed lawyer.

Jurisdiction scope: This article covers Mississippi state statutes on reckless and careless driving (Miss. Code 63-3-1201 and 63-3-1213), racing, fleeing police, the related license consequences in Title 63, Chapter 1, and driving without a valid license. It does not cover DUI penalties (see Mississippi DUI laws), homicide offenses (see Mississippi manslaughter laws), city or county ordinances, or federal and commercial-driver rules beyond a short note. For other states, see reckless driving laws by state.

What is reckless driving in Mississippi?

Section 63-3-1201 defines the offense and ranks it against careless driving:

"Any person who drives any vehicle in such a manner as to indicate either a wilful or a wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property is guilty of reckless driving. Reckless driving shall be considered a greater offense than careless driving." Miss. Code 63-3-1201

The mental state is written in the alternative: wilful disregard or wanton disregard for safety is enough. The section lists no specific acts and names no speed.

Where the reckless driving law applies

Most Mississippi traffic rules apply only on highways. Section 63-3-5 provides that the chapter's provisions on operating vehicles "refer exclusively to the operation of vehicles upon highways except: 1. Where a different place is specifically referred to in a given section. 2. The provisions of Articles 9 and 25 shall apply upon highways and elsewhere throughout the state." Reckless driving and careless driving sit in Article 25, so the highways-only default does not limit them; the Section 63-3-1215 racing ban, by its own words, applies to driving "upon the public roads in this state."

Is reckless driving a misdemeanor in Mississippi? Penalties

Yes. Section 63-9-11(1) provides that "It is a misdemeanor for any person to violate any of the provisions of Chapter 3, 5 or 7 of this title, unless such violation is by such chapters or other law of this state declared to be a felony," and reckless driving is in Chapter 3. The penalty comes from Section 63-3-1201 itself:

"Every person convicted of reckless driving shall be punished upon a first conviction by a fine of not less than Five Dollars ($5.00) nor more than One Hundred Dollars ($100.00), and on a second or subsequent conviction he may be punished by imprisonment for not more than ten (10) days or by a fine of not exceeding Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00), or by both." Miss. Code 63-3-1201

Three features of that penalty stand out:

• A first conviction is fine-only on the face of the statute. The section sets a $5 to $100 fine for a first conviction and names jail only for a second or later conviction.
• No injury or property-damage tier. The section has no higher penalty when someone is hurt. Conduct that goes further is charged under other statutes, such as the fleeing and work-zone felonies below or the homicide laws.
• A state assessment applies. Section 99-19-73(5) lists a $10 state assessment for a reckless driving conviction under 63-3-1201 and another $10 for a careless driving conviction under 63-3-1213.

Reckless driving in a highway work zone

Section 63-3-516 governs speeding in highway work zones, and subsection (3) keeps reckless and careless driving charges available there: nothing in the section "shall preclude the prosecution or conviction for careless or reckless driving of any motor vehicle operator whose operation of a motor vehicle in a highway work zone, apart from speed," shows careless driving under 63-3-1213 or reckless driving under 63-3-1201. Under 63-3-516(5), a person who violates the work-zone section and causes a death, or mutilates, disfigures or permanently disables another person, within a highway work zone is guilty of "a separate felony for each victim," with a sentence of three to 15 years for each death or injury.

How fast is reckless driving in Mississippi?

Mississippi sets no speed at which driving becomes reckless driving by itself. Section 63-3-1201 turns on wilful or wanton disregard for safety, and the speed article of Chapter 3 (Sections 63-3-501 through 63-3-521) sets speed limits and speed duties without a rule that makes a particular speed reckless driving. Speeding is charged under the speed article, and racing under the statutes covered below.

Reckless driving and your license in Mississippi

No point system. Title 63 of the Mississippi Code, which holds the licensing and traffic laws, assigns no points to reckless driving or to other moving violations. The Department of Public Safety's driver's manual (revised January 15, 2025) describes suspension and revocation grounds without points.

Mandatory one-year revocation. Under Section 63-1-51(1), as re-enacted by Senate Bill 2314 of 2026, "The commissioner shall forthwith revoke the license of any person for a period of one (1) year" on receiving a certified record of a final conviction for listed offenses. They include "Manslaughter or negligent homicide resulting from the operation of a motor vehicle" and "Conviction, or forfeiture of bail not vacated, upon three (3) charges of reckless driving committed within a period of twelve (12) months" (63-1-51(1)(e)).

Discretionary suspension. Section 63-1-53(2) authorizes the commissioner to suspend a license "without preliminary hearing" on a showing that the licensee "Is an habitually reckless or negligent driver of a motor vehicle" or "Has been convicted with such frequency of serious offenses against traffic regulations governing the movement of vehicles as to indicate a disrespect for traffic laws and a disregard for the safety of other persons on the highways." Under 63-1-53(3), the driver is entitled on request to a hearing "as early as practicable, but not to exceed twenty (20) days after receipt of such request."

Traffic safety violator course. Section 63-9-11(3) provides that a person not covered under Section 63-1-55 who is charged with a misdemeanor under Chapter 3, 5 or 7 who meets all of the listed conditions, including having no conviction under those chapters within three years before the current offense, "shall be eligible to participate in not less than four (4) hours of a traffic safety violator course and thereby have no record of the violation on the person's driving record." Under 63-9-11(4), that provision does not apply to a commercial driver's license holder, whether the violation occurred in a commercial vehicle or another vehicle.

Minor drivers. For a minor who is dependent on and subject to the control of a parent or guardian, Section 63-1-55 allows the trial judge, in lieu of the penalties otherwise provided, to suspend the minor's license for up to 90 days for a traffic violation, except the offenses listed in 63-1-51(1)(a) through (e) and implied consent and controlled substances violations; that action "shall not constitute a conviction."

Commercial driver's licenses

Section 63-1-203(r) defines a "serious traffic violation" to include reckless driving "as defined under state or local law" and speeding 15 mph or more over the posted limit, when the conviction occurs while operating a commercial motor vehicle, or while operating a noncommercial vehicle "when the conviction results in the revocation, cancellation, or suspension of the operator's license or operating privilege." Under 63-1-216, a person is disqualified from driving a commercial motor vehicle for 60 days if convicted of two serious traffic violations, or 120 days if convicted of three, arising from separate incidents within three years. Federal rule 49 C.F.R. 384.226 bars a state from masking, deferring or diverting a CDL holder's traffic conviction so that it stays off the national CDL driver record; the reckless driving laws by state hub covers the federal layer.

Careless driving in Mississippi

Careless driving is the lower-tier offense. Section 63-3-1213 provides:

"Any person who drives any vehicle in a careless or imprudent manner, without due regard for the width, grade, curves, corner, traffic and use of the streets and highways and all other attendant circumstances is guilty of careless driving. Careless driving shall be considered a lesser offense than reckless driving. Every person convicted of careless driving shall be punished by a fine of not less than Five Dollars ($5.00) nor more than Fifty Dollars ($50.00)." Miss. Code 63-3-1213

The difference is the mental state. Careless driving is a failure of due regard for road and traffic conditions; reckless driving requires wilful or wanton disregard for safety.

Street racing and exhibitions of speed in Mississippi

Mississippi has two racing statutes, and Mississippi law contains no separate street-takeover, stunt-driving or aggressive-driving offense.

Section 63-3-1215 (public roads, including exhibitions). Subsection (1) provides that "No person shall drive any vehicle upon the public roads in this state in any race, speed competition or contest, drag race or acceleration contest, test of physical endurance, exhibition of speed or acceleration, or for the purpose of making a speed record," and that no person shall "in any manner participate" in one. A person convicted is guilty of a misdemeanor and "shall be fined not more than One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) or imprisoned not more than six (6) months, or both" (63-3-1215(4)). The prohibitions "do not apply to events sanctioned by local governing authorities" (63-3-1215(5)).

Section 63-3-502(2) (racing on a street or highway). This section reaches "Any person driving a motor vehicle or motorcycle upon a street or highway in a race," with penalties that rise with each conviction:

• First offense: a fine of $250 to $1,000, up to 48 hours in jail, or both (63-3-502(2)(a)).
• Second conviction, offenses within five years: a fine of $600 to $1,500, 5 days to one year in jail, and 10 days to one year of community service (63-3-502(2)(b)).
• Third or later conviction, offenses within five years: a felony, with a fine of $2,000 to $5,000 and one to five years in the custody of the Department of Corrections; for an offense that does not result in serious injury or death, the circuit judge may allow the sentence to be served in the county jail (63-3-502(2)(c)(i)).

Section 63-3-502(2)(c)(ii) also provides that "After a conviction under this subsection and upon receipt of the court abstract, the Commissioner of Public Safety shall suspend the driver's license and driving privileges of the person for not less than five (5) years." The sentence is placed in paragraph (c), but its words refer to "a conviction under this subsection," and subsection (2) covers first, second and later racing convictions.

Fleeing police in a vehicle

Mississippi's fleeing statute uses reckless driving language for its felony tier. Senate Bill 2101 of 2023, effective July 1, 2023, raised the penalties in Miss. Code 97-9-72:

• Misdemeanor: a driver who is given a visible or audible signal to stop by an officer "acting in the lawful performance of duty who has a reasonable suspicion to believe that the driver in question has committed a crime," and who "willfully fails to obey such direction," faces a fine of up to $1,000, up to six months in the county jail, or both (97-9-72(1)).
• Felony: if the person violates subsection (1) "by operating a motor vehicle in such a manner as to indicate a reckless or willful disregard for the safety of persons or property," or in a manner "manifesting extreme indifference to the value of human life," the penalty is a fine of up to $5,000, up to 10 years in the custody of the Department of Corrections, or both (97-9-72(2)).
• Serious bodily injury: 5 to 20 years of imprisonment (97-9-72(3)).
• Death: 7 to 40 years (97-9-72(4)).

Section 97-9-72(5) provides that it is a defense to prosecution under the section that the officer was not in uniform or no law enforcement vehicle used in the attempted stop was clearly marked, or that the driver proceeded in a safe manner to a reasonably near well-lit public place before stopping.

Is there a wet reckless in Mississippi?

The reckless driving section and the DUI chapter contain no provision for an alcohol-related reckless driving plea. Section 63-3-1201 says nothing about alcohol, and the DUI chapter (Title 63, Chapter 11) does not mention reckless driving. Section 63-11-39 provides:

"The court having jurisdiction or the prosecutor shall not reduce any charge under this chapter to a lesser charge." Miss. Code 63-11-39

For second and third DUI convictions, Section 63-11-30(2)(b) and (c) also provide that "The minimum penalties shall not be suspended or reduced by the court and no prosecutor shall offer any suspension or sentence reduction as part of a plea bargain." For DUI penalties and license rules, see Mississippi DUI laws.

Driving without a license in Mississippi

License required. Section 63-1-5(1)(a) provides that "No person shall drive or operate a motor vehicle or an autocycle as defined in Section 63-3-103 upon the highways of the State of Mississippi without first securing an operator's license to drive on the highways of the state, unless specifically exempted by Section 63-1-7." A violation is a misdemeanor punishable by "imprisonment for not less than two (2) days nor more than six (6) months, by a fine of not less than Two Hundred Dollars ($200.00) nor more than Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00), or both" (63-1-5(4)).

Carrying and handing over the license. Since July 1, 2026, Section 63-1-41, as amended by Senate Bill 2314 of 2026, requires a licensee to have the license "in his or her immediate possession at all times when operating a motor vehicle" and to "display the same by handing the license to a law enforcement officer for inspection" on demand. The section also provides that "no person charged with violating this section shall be convicted if he produces in court a license theretofore issued to him and valid at the time of his arrest."

Driving while suspended or revoked. Under Section 63-1-57, a person who drives on Mississippi highways while the license is canceled, suspended or revoked "is guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction shall be punished by imprisonment for not less than two (2) days or more than six (6) months," and "There may be imposed in addition thereto a fine of not less than Two Hundred Dollars ($200.00) nor more than Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) for each offense." Section 63-11-40, which covers driving during a suspension under the DUI and implied consent chapter, sets 48 hours to six months in jail and a fine of $200 to $500, and requires the commissioner to suspend the license "for an additional six (6) months."

Mississippi reckless driving and related offenses: penalty table

For every 63-3-502(2) racing row, Section 63-3-502(2)(c)(ii) directs the Commissioner of Public Safety to suspend the license for not less than five years "After a conviction under this subsection."

Mississippi statutes set each offense's penalty in the offense section itself. Section 63-9-11(2) supplies a default ladder only for a Chapter 3, 5 or 7 misdemeanor "for which another penalty is not provided": a fine of up to $100 or up to 10 days for a first conviction, up to $200 or 20 days (or both) for a second within one year, and up to $500 or six months (or both) for a third or later within one year of the first. For how Mississippi grades crimes generally, see Mississippi felony and misdemeanor classes.

Vehicular homicide in Mississippi

When a driver's conduct causes a death, Mississippi's homicide offenses are covered on the Mississippi manslaughter laws page.

Recent changes to Mississippi reckless driving and related laws

• 2023: fleeing penalties raised. Senate Bill 2101 of 2023 (approved April 20, 2023, effective July 1, 2023) amended 97-9-72, raising the maximum for the reckless or willful disregard felony from five to 10 years, the serious-bodily-injury minimum from three to five years, and the death minimum from five to seven years.
• 2026: carrying the license. Senate Bill 2314 of 2026 (approved April 8, 2026, effective July 1, 2026) amended 63-1-41 to require a driver to display the license by handing it to a law enforcement officer, and re-enacted the three-reckless-convictions revocation in 63-1-51(1)(e) without a change in substance.
• Bills that did not become law. Bills from 2021 through 2026 to make drag racing a felony or add vehicle forfeiture (2021 HB655, 2022 HB639, 2023 HB489, 2024 HB389, 2026 HB1272) and a 2025 bill to create aggravated reckless driving (SB2891) all died.
• Reckless driving itself. Section 63-3-1201 was last amended by Laws 1993, ch. 317.

Related Mississippi laws

• Reckless driving laws by state
• Mississippi DUI laws
• Mississippi manslaughter laws
• Mississippi felony and misdemeanor classes
• Mississippi hit-and-run laws
• Mississippi expungement laws

This article is general legal information about Mississippi law, not legal advice. For a specific situation, contact a lawyer licensed in Mississippi, or the Mississippi Department of Public Safety Driver Service Bureau for driver's license questions.

Last updated: 2026-10-25.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is reckless driving a misdemeanor in Mississippi?

Yes. Under Miss. Code 63-3-1201 and 63-9-11(1), reckless driving is a misdemeanor. A first conviction carries a fine of $5 to $100; a second or later conviction carries up to 10 days in jail, a fine of up to $500, or both.

What counts as reckless driving in Mississippi?

Driving any vehicle in such a manner as to indicate either a wilful or a wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property (Miss. Code 63-3-1201). Section 63-3-5 makes the reckless driving article apply on highways and elsewhere throughout the state.

Can you go to jail for reckless driving in Mississippi?

Section 63-3-1201 sets only a fine of $5 to $100 for a first conviction. For a second or later conviction it allows up to 10 days in jail, a fine of up to $500, or both.

How fast is reckless driving in Mississippi?

Mississippi sets no speed at which driving becomes reckless by itself. Section 63-3-1201 turns on wilful or wanton disregard for safety, and speeding is handled by the separate speed article (63-3-501 and following).

How many points is reckless driving in Mississippi?

None. Mississippi's licensing and traffic statutes contain no point system. License action comes from the three-in-12-months revocation in 63-1-51(1)(e) and the habitually reckless or negligent driver suspension in 63-1-53(2)(c).

Does reckless driving suspend your license in Mississippi?

Three reckless driving convictions (or unvacated bail forfeitures) on charges committed within 12 months require a one-year revocation under 63-1-51(1)(e). The Commissioner of Public Safety may also suspend the license of a habitually reckless or negligent driver (63-1-53(2)(c)).

What is the difference between careless and reckless driving in Mississippi?

Careless driving (63-3-1213) is driving in a careless or imprudent manner without due regard for road and traffic conditions, with a fine of $5 to $50. Reckless driving requires wilful or wanton disregard for safety, and the statutes call it the greater offense.

Does Mississippi have a wet reckless?

The reckless driving section and the DUI chapter contain no provision for one. Miss. Code 63-11-39 states that the court or the prosecutor shall not reduce any charge under the DUI chapter to a lesser charge.

Is drag racing a felony in Mississippi?

A third or later conviction under 63-3-502(2) for offenses committed within five years is a felony with a fine of $2,000 to $5,000 and one to five years. A first conviction carries a fine of $250 to $1,000, up to 48 hours, or both. Section 63-3-502(2)(c)(ii) also directs a license suspension of at least five years after a conviction under that subsection.

What is the penalty for driving without a license in Mississippi?

Driving without an operator's license is a misdemeanor punishable by 2 days to six months in jail, a fine of $200 to $500, or both (63-1-5(4)). Driving while suspended or revoked carries 2 days to six months, and a fine of $200 to $500 may be added (63-1-57).