How to Remove Points From License After Paying Fine

You can get speeding ticket points removed from your driving record even though you already pleaded guilty and paid the fine.

You Can Change Your Mind After Pleading Guilty

When you pay a speeding ticket fine, you are pleading guilty to a traffic violation. Points are added to your driving record for the violation, and if you accumulate too many points, your driver’s license will be suspended or revoked.

It’s not too late to hire a lawyer to remove old speeding ticket points from your driver’s license if:

• • You paid a speeding ticket fine but changed your mind and want to hire a lawyer to get your ticket reduced to a non-moving, no-point violation, or
  • You paid a speeding ticket fine without realizing the points for that ticket will cause your license to be suspended, and you want to hire a lawyer to get your ticket reduced to a non-moving violation.

Removal of Points Can Cancel the License Suspension

In both situations listed above, an attorney can withdraw your guilty plea and get your speeding ticket reduced to a non-moving, no-point violation. After your ticket is reduced, the Missouri Department of Revenue will remove the points from your driving record that were added when you originally paid the fine. If your license was suspended because of the added points, removal of those points will cancel the suspension.

PLEASE NOTE:  Withdrawing a guilty plea is much more difficult if you were represented by an attorney when you pleaded guilty, or if too much time has passed since the conviction date.

How to Withdraw Your Guilty Plea For a Speeding Ticket

To withdraw your guilty plea, you will need to hire an experienced traffic law attorney to file the proper motion in court. If the judge approves the motion and allows you to withdraw your guilty plea, your attorney can negotiate a plea bargain deal with the prosecutor to get your ticket reduced to a non-moving, no-point violation.

Your Fine Will be Higher After Your Ticket is Reduced to a Non-Moving Violation

Most courts charge higher fines if they agree to reduce a traffic ticket to a non-moving, no-point violation. After your attorney gets your guilty plea withdrawn and your ticket reduced to a non-moving, no-point violation, the prosecutor will assess a new fine that will be higher than the fine you already paid. You will be required to pay the difference between the original fine and the new, higher fine.

The Driver Improvement Program Won’t Keep Tickets Off Your Driving Record

You may have heard that you can get points removed from your license if you take the Missouri Driver Improvement Program (DIP). This is true in many Missouri courts, but the DIP class won’t prevent the ticket from being reported on your driving record and possibly causing your car insurance rates to increase.

If you take the DIP class instead of hiring a traffic law attorney to get your ticket reduced to a non-moving, no-point violation, the points will be removed after you pay the fine. However, the speeding ticket will show up on your driving record, and your insurance company will see it the next time they review your driving record.

For more information, click here to read my previous blog post about how to remove points from your license by completing the Missouri Driver Improvement Program.

To withdraw your guilty plea and remove points from your license after you have paid a speeding ticket fine, call St. Louis traffic law attorney Andrea Storey Rogers at (314) 724-5059 for a price quote and estimate of your fine and court costs. Or email Andrea at [email protected] or at [email protected]