Public Safety Matters: Mississippi Traffic Laws People Need to Know

By Chief Denis J. Borges

This week, I want to give the public a simple breakdown of a few Mississippi traffic laws. This is not about tricks or confusion. This is about knowing the law before you meet it on the roadside.

Window Tint

Mississippi Code Section 63 7 59 says window tint must allow at least twenty eight percent light transmittance, unless a lawful exception applies.

The law gives exceptions for school buses, other buses used for public transportation, certain nonprofit buses or vans, funeral home service vehicles, limousines, government owned law enforcement vehicles, government owned fire department vehicles, and volunteer fire department vehicles.

The law also treats certain factory tint differently. This includes certain rear glass and rear side windows on trucks, vans, motor homes, recreational vehicles, SUVs, and multipurpose vehicles. Some vehicles come from the factory with darker rear glass. That does not automatically make it illegal.

Medical exemptions are also allowed when properly issued and displayed. Tint added after factory delivery must meet Mississippi law, unless a lawful exception applies.  

Obscured Tags and Tag Covers

Mississippi Code Section 27 19 31 says the license tag must be plainly visible and legible.

The law says the tag, all characters, and all legally attached decals shall not be defaced, covered, or obstructed by any object, sticker, decal, paint, marking, license plate bracket, holder, or cover.

That means clear or dark, if a cover blocks, distorts, reflects, clouds, or takes away from the ability to clearly read the tag number or expiration decal, it can be a violation.

The county name may be partially or completely covered, but the tag number and expiration decal must be readable.  

Expired Tags

Mississippi Code Section 27 19 31 says the expiration decal must be properly displayed on the tag. The month and year must be visible and readable.  

Trailer Tags

Mississippi Code Section 27 19 33 says trailers and semitrailers must have a license tag and decals. The tag must be placed in a conspicuous position on the rear of the trailer under the rear light so it can be seen at night from sixty feet.

Tag Lights

Mississippi Code Section 63 7 13 says the rear registration plate must be lit by a white light and readable from fifty feet to the rear. The tag light must come on when the vehicle lights are on.  

Rear Lights

Mississippi Code Section 63 7 13 says every motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, pole trailer, and other vehicle being towed must have at least one rear lamp showing a red light visible from five hundred feet to the rear.  

Brake Lights

Mississippi Code Section 63 7 27 says stop lights must come on when the foot brake is applied and must be visible from one hundred feet to the rear in normal daylight. The stop light cannot project a glaring or dazzling light. A stop light may be part of the tail lamp.  

White Light Showing to the Rear

Mississippi Code Section 63 7 23 says no white light shall be visible from the rear of any vehicle while the vehicle is in motion, except as allowed by law.

White lights are allowed for tag lights. Backing lights are allowed when the vehicle is in reverse. Certain auxiliary white lights may be allowed only under the conditions listed in the law, but they cannot be displayed while the vehicle is moving forward on the roadway.  

Improper Color Lights

Mississippi Code Section 63 7 23 says lights visible from the front must display white or amber. Lights visible from the side must display amber. Lights visible from the rear must display red unless the light is allowed by law.  

Blue Lights

Mississippi Code Section 63 7 20 says it is unlawful for anyone other than an on duty law enforcement officer to use or display blue lights on a motor vehicle.  

Red Lights and Flashing Headlights

Mississippi Code Section 63 7 20 says red lights are restricted to vehicles allowed by law. The same section says alternating flashing headlights are only allowed on emergency vehicles as provided by law.  

Turn Signals

Mississippi Code Section 63 3 707 says a driver must signal continuously for a reasonable distance before turning right or left. The law also says a driver must signal before stopping or suddenly slowing when there is an opportunity to signal.  

Signal Lamps

Mississippi Code Section 63 7 17 says signal lamps must be visible from one hundred feet to the rear in normal sunlight and must not project a glaring or dazzling light.  

Following Too Closely

Mississippi Code Section 63 3 619 says a driver shall not follow another vehicle more closely than is reasonable and prudent, considering speed, traffic, and road conditions.  

Improper Equipment

Mississippi Code Section 63 7 7 says it is a misdemeanor to drive or move a vehicle on a highway if the vehicle is unsafe, missing required equipment, has required equipment not in proper condition, or is equipped in violation of the equipment laws.  

No Driver’s License

Mississippi Code Section 63 1 5 says a person cannot drive or operate a motor vehicle on Mississippi highways without first securing an operator’s license, unless specifically exempted by law.  

Suspended License

Mississippi Code Section 63 1 57 says a person cannot drive on Mississippi highways while that person’s license or driving privilege is canceled, suspended, or revoked.  

Insurance

Mississippi Code Section 63 15 4 says every motor vehicle operated in Mississippi shall have liability insurance, unless exempt by law. The law says that when an officer stops a vehicle at a lawful roadblock where all passing motorists are checked, or when an officer stops a vehicle for another statutory violation, the officer shall verify that the required insurance card is in the vehicle or displayed electronically.

The law also says a driver shall not be stopped or detained only to verify insurance unless the stop is part of that lawful roadblock or traffic stop.

In simple terms, insurance shall be checked after a lawful stop for another violation or at a lawful roadblock, but no one should be stopped only to check insurance.  

Seat Belts

Mississippi Code Section 63 2 1 says when a passenger motor vehicle is moving forward on a public road, the driver and every passenger must wear a properly fastened seat belt, unless an exception applies.  

Texting While Driving

Mississippi Code Section 63 33 1 says a driver of a moving motor vehicle cannot write, send, or read a text message and cannot access, read, or post to social media using a hand held mobile telephone while driving.  

Move Over Law

Mississippi Code Section 63 3 809 says drivers must yield to approaching emergency vehicles using an audible signal. It also says drivers approaching certain stopped vehicles with flashing lights must move over when safe or slow down and be prepared to stop when moving over is not safe.  

Vehicle Lights

Mississippi Code Section 63 7 11 says vehicles on the highway must have lighted front and rear lamps from sunset to sunrise and when there is not enough light to clearly see a person on the highway at five hundred feet ahead.

Why These Laws Matter

These laws matter because they are about more than tickets. They are about safety, visibility, and identifying vehicles on the road.

A working brake light tells the driver behind you that you are stopping.

A working headlight helps other drivers see you at night.

A working tag light helps officers and citizens identify a vehicle.

A visible tag and expiration decal help show that a vehicle is properly registered.

Legal tint helps officers see what they are walking up on during a traffic stop.

Turn signals tell other drivers what you are about to do.

The move over law protects officers, firefighters, tow truck drivers, utility workers, road crews, and others working on the side of the road.

Seat belts save lives.

Texting while driving causes crashes.

These may seem like small laws, but small things can create big problems. A broken light can cause a crash. A covered tag can keep a vehicle from being identified. Illegal tint can create a safety concern. Following too close can turn a simple slowdown into a wreck.

The point is simple. Traffic laws are not just rules on paper. They are there to prevent crashes, protect people, and help law enforcement do its job safely and legally.

Chief Denis J. Borges