How To Fight Your Speeding Ticket In Missouri

To fight your speeding ticket in Missouri, hire an experienced traffic law attorney to get your ticket reduced to a non-moving, no-point violation that won’t affect your driving record or car insurance rates.

What Happens If You Plead Guilty To A Speeding Ticket in Missouri

If you plead guilty to a speeding ticket, points will be added to your driving record, and your car insurance rates may increase.

Here are some common moving violations and the number of points assessed for each ticket:

• Speeding ticket (issued by a municipal police officer)  = 2 points
• Speeding ticket (issued by a state trooper) = 3 points
• Driving While Suspended = 12 points
• Driving Without Insurance = 4 points
• Driving Without a License = 2 points (first offense)
• Careless & Imprudent Driving = 2 to 4 points
• Reckless Driving = 2 to 4 points
• DWI = 8 to 12 points
• Leaving The Scene of an Accident = 6 to 12 points
• Stop Sign Violation = 2 points
• Permitting Unlicensed Driver to Drive = 4 points

Click here to see the Missouri Department of Revenue complete list of moving violations and the number of points assessed for each.

How Many Points Can I Get Before My License Is Suspended?

• In Missouri, your driver’s license will be suspended for 30 days if you accumulate 8 points within 18 months (if it’s a first-time suspension)
• If you accumulate 12 points within 12 months, your license will be revoked for 1 year

If you keep driving while your license is suspended, you risk getting a 12-point ticket for “Driving While Suspended.”

What Will Happen If You Hire An Attorney To Fight Your Speeding Ticket?

If you hire a lawyer to fight your speeding ticket, the following will happen:

• Your ticket will be reduced to a non-moving, no-point violation such as “Illegal Parking” or “Defective Equipment”
• You will pay a fine that is slightly higher than the original fine plus court costs
• You won’t have to appear in court
• There won’t be any points added to your driving record
• Your insurance company will never know that you got a speeding ticket

Of course, the outcome of your case depends on which court your case is being prosecuted in, how bad your driving record is, and the skill and experience of your attorney.

How To Remove Points From Your Driving Record By Attending Traffic School

You may be able to remove points from your driving record by taking the Missouri Driver Improvement Program (DIP) traffic school after you have pleaded guilty and paid the fine for your speeding ticket.

If the judge gives you permission to take the DIP class, the points will be removed after you complete the DIP class.

PLEASE NOTE:  Taking the DIP class will remove the points from your driving record, but your insurance company will still be able to see the speeding conviction on your record and may increase your car insurance rates.

Here is some information you need to 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) or if you were driving a commercial motor vehicle when you got the ticket
• You must ask the judge for permission to take the DIP class, or else the DOR will not accept proof of completion
• If your ticket is for a very high speed, the judge might not give permission to take the DIP class
• Most courts require you or your attorney to appear in court to ask the judge for permission to take the DIP class
• The deadline for completion of the DIP class is 60 days after pleading guilty and paying the fine for your ticket

Most people take the DIP class only if they receive a ticket in a county where the court DOES NOT allow speeding tickets to be reduced to non-moving violations. If you receive a ticket in a county where the court DOES allow speeding tickets to be reduced to non-moving violations, you can hire a traffic ticket lawyer to get your ticket reduced without having to take the DIP class.

You Can Change Your Mind And Withdraw Your Guilty Plea

If you already pleaded guilty to a speeding ticket and now regret your decision, it is possible to hire an attorney to withdraw your guilty plea and get your ticket reduced to a non-moving, no-point violation.

Your attorney will have to convince the judge to let you withdraw your plea, and then your attorney will negotiate a plea bargain deal with the Prosecutor to reduce your speeding ticket to a non-moving violation such as “Illegal Parking.”

It is more difficult to withdraw your plea if you had an attorney advising you when you pleaded guilty, or if too much time has passed since you pleaded guilty.

Most traffic law attorneys offer a free consultation and can give you an estimate of the outcome of your case, including the amount of the fines and court costs you will have to pay.

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To fight your speeding ticket, contact St. Louis traffic law attorney Andrea Storey Rogers at (314) 724-5059 or [email protected] for a free consultation.