How To Get Your Speeding Ticket Fixed

You can get your Missouri speeding ticket fixed by hiring an experienced traffic ticket lawyer to get your ticket reduced to a non-moving, no-point violation.

Why Should You Hire A Lawyer To Get Your Speeding Ticket Fixed?

If you hire a lawyer to get your speeding ticket fixed, here’s what 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
• No points will be added to your driving record
• Your insurance company won’t find out that you got a speeding ticket

The outcome of your case depends on:

• Which court your case is being prosecuted in
• How many tickets you already have on your driving record
• The skill and experience of your attorney

How Much Does It Cost To Hire An Attorney To Get Your Speeding Ticket Fixed?

Attorney rates vary depending on:

• Which court your case is being prosecuted in
• How bad your driving record is
• How fast you were driving

Most traffic ticket lawyers offer a free consultation over the phone. They will give you a flat fee price quote for how much they will charge to represent you. They will also give you an estimate of the fines and court costs you will have to pay.

It’s cheaper to plead guilty than to hire an attorney to fix your speeding ticket. However, it’s more expensive in the long run if the state suspends your license or your insurance rates increase because you pleaded guilty to a speeding ticket.

How Many Points Will Be Added To Your Driving Record 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. For example:

• Speeding ticket (issued by a municipal police officer) = 2 points
• Speeding ticket (issued by a state trooper on the highway) = 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 (state or county) (1 point if municipal violation and no accident involved)
• Permitting Unlicensed Driver to Drive = 4 points

Click here to see the Missouri Department of Revenue list of tickets and how many points are assessed for each violation.

How Many Points Can You Get Before Your Driver’s License Is Suspended?

Every time you plead guilty to a moving violation, points are added to your Missouri driving record.

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

If you continue to drive with a suspended license, you risk getting a 12-point ticket for Driving While Suspended or Revoked.

If your license is suspended, you can apply for a Limited Driving Privilege (“Hardship License”) so you can drive to and from work, school, daycare, or the grocery store. Click here for the application for a Hardship License on the Missouri Department of Revenue website.

Attend Traffic School To Remove Points From Your Driving Record

You may be able to remove points from your driving record by taking the Missouri Driver Improvement Program (DIP) traffic school.

Here’s what you need to know about taking the DIP class to remove points:

• Most courts require you or your attorney to appear in court to ask the judge for permission to take 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)
• If your ticket is for a very high speed, the judge might not give permission to take the DIP class
• You must plead guilty and pay the fine, then complete the DIP class within 60 days

PLEASE NOTE: Taking the DIP class will remove the points, but the speeding conviction will stay on your driving record. Your insurance company will see the speeding conviction on your record and may increase your car insurance rates.

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 After Pleading Guilty

When you pay the fine for a speeding ticket, you are pleading guilty. If you change your mind later, you can withdraw your guilty plea even if you have already paid the fine.

You will need to hire an attorney to withdraw your guilty plea and get your ticket reduced to a non-moving, no-point violation.

If you had an attorney representing you when you pleaded guilty, or if too much time has passed since you pleaded guilty, it will be more difficult to convince the judge to let you withdraw your plea.

You can contact a traffic law attorney for a free consultation about withdrawing your guilty plea. The attorney will give you a price quote for how much they will charge to withdraw your plea. They can also give you an estimate of the fines and court costs you will have to pay, and how long it will take to resolve your case.

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