Night Driving Rules in Mississippi

Mississippi doesn’t require a specific number of night driving hours. That doesn’t mean you should skip it. Driving after dark is a completely different experience, and you’ll want practice before your road test.

Mississippi’s Night Driving Definition

Mississippi defines night as sunset to sunrise. No fixed clock time. The sun goes down, night starts. The sun comes up, night ends.

This means night hours shift throughout the year. In December, sunset might be around 5 PM. In June, it could be past 8:30 PM. The same 7 PM drive counts as night in winter but not in summer.

If you’re tracking on paper, you need to look up your local sunset time before every drive. Most people don’t. Moda checks it automatically using your phone’s GPS location.

The Winter Shortcut

Since Mississippi uses sunset-based night hours, winter is your friend. The sun sets around 5 PM in December. A 5:30 PM drive that feels like early evening? That’s a night hour.

In June, you’d have to wait until almost 9 PM for the same drive to count. If you’re trying to finish night hours quickly, do them between November and February.

Tracking Night Hours in Mississippi

Since Mississippi’s night definition is tied to sunset, you need to know the exact sunset time for your location every time you drive. That changes daily.

Moda checks sunset and sunrise times for your GPS coordinates every session. It tags day and night automatically. You don’t look anything up, and your log is accurate when you hand it to the DMV.

For full Mississippi permit requirements, see our Mississippi permit hours guide.

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