How to Remove Points From Your Driving Record

To remove points from your driving record, you can hire a speeding ticket lawyer to get your ticket fixed, or you can attend traffic school.

Hire a Traffic Ticket Lawyer to Remove Points From Your Driving Record

When you get a speeding ticket or other traffic violation in Missouri, you can hire a traffic ticket lawyer to get your ticket reduced to a non-moving, no-point infraction. Some people call this “getting a speeding ticket fixed.”

Or you can just plead guilty and pay the fine. However, when you plead guilty to a speeding ticket, points are added to your driving record and your insurance company may increase your car insurance rates.

Your Driver’s License Will be Suspended if You Have Too Many Points On Your Driving Record

Some drivers don’t hire a traffic ticket lawyer until after they have accumulated so many points on their driving record that their license is in danger of being suspended.

• If you accumulate 8 points within 18 months, your Missouri driver’s license will be suspended for 30 days, if it’s your first suspension.
• Your driver’s license will be revoked for 1 year if you accumulate 12 points within 12 months.

How Much Does It Cost To Hire a Speeding Ticket Lawyer to Get Your Ticket Reduced?

A speeding ticket lawyer’s price to fix your ticket depends on the following factors:

• How fast were you driving?
• How many other speeding convictions are on your driving record?
• Which court is your case being prosecuted in? (The court name and address are listed on your ticket.)

Most speeding ticket lawyers charge a one-time flat-fee price to get your ticket reduced to a non-moving, no-point infraction such as “Illegal Parking.”

An experienced traffic law attorney can give you a price quote over the phone, along with an estimate of the fine and court costs. The fine (after getting your ticket reduced to a non-moving, no-point infraction) will be slightly higher than the original fine.

You won’t have to appear in court, and the court will give you at least 30 days to pay the fine and court costs.

A Speeding Ticket Lawyer Can Lift the Suspension of Your Driver’s License

If you have already pleaded guilty to a ticket that caused your license to be suspended or revoked, a traffic law attorney can withdraw your guilty plea and get your old ticket reduced to a non-moving, no-point violation. Removing the old ticket will reduce the number of points on your driving record, which will lift the suspension of your driver’s license.

You can call the Missouri Department of Revenue in Jefferson City, Missouri at (573) 751-4475 to ask if your license is suspended and find out how many points you have on your driving record.

How to Withdraw Your Guilty Plea For an Old Speeding Ticket

If you have an old speeding ticket that you pleaded guilty to without consulting an attorney beforehand, you can hire an attorney to withdraw your guilty plea and get the ticket reduced to a non-moving, no-point violation.

Withdrawing your plea and getting the ticket reduced will remove points from your driving record, which will lift the suspension of your driver’s license if you have accumulated too many points on your driving record.

PLEASE NOTE:  It is more difficult to withdraw a guilty plea if too much time has passed since you pleaded guilty, or if you were represented by an attorney when you pleaded guilty.

You Can Take the Missouri Driver Improvement Program To Remove Points From Your Driving Record

Another way to remove points from your driving record is to take the Missouri Driver Improvement Program (DIP) traffic school.

The Missouri DIP traffic school removes points from your driving record after you have pleaded guilty to a speeding ticket or other traffic violation.

Most people hire a traffic ticket lawyer before the court date to get their speeding ticket reduced to a non-moving, no-point violation. But if that is not an option because your ticket was issued in a county that does not allow tickets to be reduced, or because you got a ticket for a very high speed (or other traffic violation) that the court refuses to reduce, the Missouri DIP class may be an option.

What You Need to Know Before Taking the Driver Improvement Program

Before taking the Missouri DIP class, you must get the judge’s permission. Some courts automatically grant permission, while other courts require the defendant to appear in person to ask the judge for permission to take the DIP class.

You must complete the DIP class within 60 days after pleading guilty to your speeding ticket.

After you complete the DIP class, fax proof of completion to the Missouri Department of Revenue (DOR) in Jefferson City, Missouri and they will remove the points from your driving record. The DOR may not accept proof of completion of the DIP class if you don’t get the judge’s permission prior to taking the class.

Here are some other important tips you should know before taking the DIP class:

• You are not eligible to take the DIP class if you have taken it within the past 3 years.
• You are not eligible to take the DIP class if you have a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL).
• You are not eligible to take the DIP class if the traffic violation was committed while driving a commercial motor vehicle.
• Taking the DIP class removes points from your driving record but your insurance company will still be able to see the speeding ticket on your driving record, so they may use that as an excuse to increase your car insurance rates.

For more information about removing points from your Missouri driving record, read my previous blog post “How to Get a Speeding Ticket Reduced to a Non-Moving Violation in Missouri.” 

If you have a Missouri speeding ticket that you want to get reduced to a non-moving, no-point violation, call Missouri traffic law attorney Andrea Storey Rogers at (314) 724-5059 for a price quote and an estimate of your fine and court costs. Or email Andrea at [email protected]