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How To Get a Speeding Ticket Reduced To a Non-Moving Violation In Missouri

Get your Missouri speeding ticket reduced to a non-moving violation if you want to avoid points being added to your driving record.

An experienced traffic ticket lawyer can get your Missouri ticket amended to a non-moving, no-point violation that won’t affect your driving record or car insurance rates. Some people call this getting a ticket “fixed.”

How Much Does it Cost to Get a Speeding Ticket Reduced to a Non-Moving Violation?

Traffic law attorneys charge a one-time flat fee to represent you for your speeding ticket or other traffic violation. Most traffic ticket lawyers charge reasonable rates. You can call around to compare prices.

After you hire an attorney to represent you and get your ticket reduced to a non-moving, no-point violation such as “Illegal Parking,” you will have to pay a fine and court costs to the court. The fine after getting your ticket fixed will be slightly higher than what the original fine would have been if you had decided to plead guilty to the original charge.

You Won’t Have to Appear in Court For Your Speeding Ticket If You Hire a Lawyer

In most cases, you won’t have to appear in court if you hire an attorney to represent you for your speeding ticket. This is true even for more serious traffic violations such as “Leaving the Scene of an Accident,” “Careless & Imprudent Driving,” or “Driving While Suspended.”

The court usually gives defendants at least 30 days to pay the fine and court costs.

In most traffic ticket cases, everything can be taken care of by email, mail, or fax.  

Get Your Ticket Reduced to a Non-Moving Violation to Avoid Points Being Added to Your Driving Record

Pleading guilty to a speeding ticket or other traffic violation will cause points to be added to your Missouri driving record, and your insurance company may use the conviction as an excuse to increase your car insurance rates.

If you hire an attorney to get your traffic ticket amended to a non-moving violation, no points will be added to your driving record. Your insurance company will never know about the ticket, so they will have no reason to increase your car insurance rates.

How Many Points Can You Get Before Your License is Suspended?

Certain types of tickets cause points to be added to your Missouri driving record. For example:

  • Speeding ticket (city violation) = 2 points
  • Speeding ticket (state violation) = 3 points
  • Driving Without a License = 2 points (for first offense)
  • Driving While Suspended = 12 points
  • Driving With No Insurance = 4 points
  • Driving While Intoxicated = 8 points (for first offense)
  • Careless & Imprudent Driving = 2 to 4 points
  • Leaving the Scene of an Accident = 6 to 12 points (12 points if state violation; 6 points if county or municipal violation)

If you accumulate 8 points within 18 months, Missouri will suspend your driver’s license for 30 days (if it’s your first suspension).

Your license will be revoked for 1 year if you accumulate 12 points within 12 months, 18 points within 24 months, or 24 points within 36 months.

How to Find Out How Many Points Are Added to Your Driving Record For All Traffic Violations

Click here for a full list of Missouri traffic violation points.

How to Find Out How Many Points Are On Your Missouri Driving Record

To find out how many points you have on your driving record, call the Missouri Department of Revenue (Driver’s License Bureau) in Jefferson City, Missouri at (573) 526-2407.

You Can Change Your Mind Even If You Have Already Pleaded Guilty to a Speeding Ticket

In many cases, you can change your mind after pleading guilty to a speeding ticket or other traffic violation. It depends on how much time has passed since you pleaded guilty, but your attorney may be able to get the judge to withdraw your guilty plea and get your ticket amended to a non-moving, no-point violation.

For more information about changing your plea, see my previous blog post about How to Withdraw Your Guilty Plea.

Call St. Louis traffic law attorney Andrea Storey Rogers at (314) 724-5059 or email Andrea at [email protected] to get a price quote to have your Missouri speeding ticket or other traffic violation amended to a non-moving, no-point violation.

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Construction Zone Speeding Ticket Fines Increase in St. Louis

St. Louis courts are now charging higher fines for construction zone speeding tickets. When you get caught speeding in a construction zone in Missouri, an experienced traffic law attorney can get your ticket reduced to a non-moving, no-point violation that won’t cause points to be added to your driving record or an increase in your car insurance rates.

A Traffic Law Attorney Can Get Your Construction Zone Speeding Ticket “Fixed”

Hiring an attorney to get your speeding ticket reduced to a non-moving violation is sometimes called getting a ticket “fixed.” It is perfectly legal, but it does cost the driver more because courts charge higher fines when they agree to amend speeding tickets to non-moving violations.

How Much is the Fine for a Missouri Construction Zone Speeding Ticket?

Courts charge higher fines than usual when the ticket is issued in a construction zone. If workers are present in the construction zone, it may be more difficult to get your ticket reduced to a non-moving violation, and the fine may be higher than if no workers were present.

For example, if you are caught speeding 10-15 miles over the speed limit in a construction zone (no workers present) in the City of St. Louis, a traffic ticket lawyer can get your ticket reduced to a non-moving, no-point violation. In exchange for getting this ticket reduced to a non-moving violation, you would normally have to pay a fine of $150 plus $50.50 court costs. As of May 2016, the fine for speeding 10-15 miles over the speed limit in a construction zone in St. Louis City is now $300 plus $50.50 court costs.

Why Should You Get Your Speeding Ticket Reduced to a Non-Moving Violation?

Pleading guilty to a speeding ticket will cause points to be added to your driving record and it may also cause your car insurance rates to increase.

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). If you accumulate 12 points within 12 months, your driver’s license will be revoked for 1 year.

Speeding Tickets Follow You Home

If you are an out-of-state driver and you plead guilty to a Missouri speeding ticket, Missouri will report the speeding conviction to your home state. Then your home state will add the speeding conviction (or other traffic ticket conviction) to your driving record.

Getting an out-of-state speeding ticket reduced to a non-moving violation will prevent any negative effects on your home state driving record.

How Much Does It Cost To Get a Missouri Construction Zone Speeding Ticket Reduced to a Non-Moving Violation?

To get your Missouri speeding ticket reduced to a non-moving, no-point violation, you will pay a fee to a traffic law attorney to represent you. You will not have to appear in court, and the court will probably give you at least 30 days to pay the fine and court costs.

The fine after your ticket is reduced to a non-moving violation will be slightly higher than the original fine you would have paid if you had chosen to plead guilty and accept the points on your driving record (and possible increase in your car insurance rates).

What if There Are No Signs Warning You About the Construction Zone?

In many areas, there may be orange cones along the highway as you approach a construction zone but no actual signs specifically warning you of an upcoming construction zone. You can receive a construction zone speeding ticket in these construction/work zones even if there are no warning signs and no construction workers present.

If you see orange cones on the highway, slow down! Workers have been killed by drivers in construction work zones in Missouri, so courts take them very seriously.

To get your Missouri construction zone speeding ticket reduced to a non-moving, no-point violation that won’t affect your driving record or insurance rates, call St. Louis traffic law attorney Andrea Storey Rogers at (314) 724-5059 or email her at [email protected] for a price quote and estimate of your fine.

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Missouri Traffic Ticket Points

How Many Points Are Added to Your Driving Record for Traffic Tickets in Missouri?

Most Missouri speeding tickets issued by a city or county police officer will cause 2 points to be added to your driving record. If your ticket was issued by a Missouri State Highway Patrol officer, 3 points will be added to your driving record for the traffic violation. A ticket for “No Insurance” will cause 4 points to be added to your driving record. “Driving While Suspended or Revoked” will cause 12 points to be added to your driving record, and your license will be revoked for 1 year.

See this link to the Missouri Department of Revenue website that shows how many points will be added to your driving record for Missouri traffic tickets involving speeding, DWI, careless and imprudent driving, stop sign violations, and many other common traffic offenses.

Too Many Points Will Cause Your License to be Revoked or Suspended

If you accumulate too many points on your driving record within a certain period of time, your license will be revoked or suspended, so it’s important to keep track of the number of points you have on your driving record. The speeding conviction will stay on your driving record for 3 years, but the points count toward a suspension for only 18 months, so it’s also important to keep track of how long a speeding ticket conviction has been on your driving record.

See this page on my website about how to keep points off your driving record.

How to Get Old Speeding Tickets Removed From Your Driving Record

Once a year, the Missouri Department of Revenue (DOR) purges driving records of all traffic tickets that are 3 years old or older. You can call the DOR at (573) 751-4475 anytime and ask them to remove all of your old speeding tickets from your driving record.

If you want to keep points off your driving record, call St. Louis traffic law attorney Andrea Storey Rogers at (314) 724-5059 or email her at [email protected] to get a price quote for legal representation. Andrea handles traffic tickets in the St. Louis area and in most counties throughout Missouri.
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St. Ann, MO Municipal Court to Issue Warrants for Unpaid Red Light Camera Ticket Fines

St. Ann Municipal Court in St. Ann, Missouri (a suburb of St. Louis) will soon begin issuing warrants against the license plates of vehicles ticketed for red light camera violations if the vehicle owners fail to pay the fines. The vehicle will be seized and whoever is driving at the time will have to call a friend (or a taxi) to pick them up at the police station. So, before you borrow a car from a friend, you might want to confirm that they have paid any fines for red light camera tickets in St. Ann, Missouri.

Many St. Louis area municipalities have installed red light cameras, but most do not issue arrest warrants for unpaid fines. If you fail to pay the fine for a red light camera ticket in most courts in the St. Louis area, you will probably receive a demand for payment from a debt collection agency or law firm. For now, the laws allowing red light camera tickets have been upheld. See this blog post about the Missouri Court of Appeals’ recent decision to uphold a red light camera ordinance in Creve Coeur, Missouri.

A Missouri red light camera ticket is essentially a very expensive parking ticket because it is a non-moving, no-point infraction. If a vehicle enters an intersection when the traffic light is red, the red light cameras take a photograph of the vehicle and the vehicle’s license plate. Then a ticket for a red light camera violation is issued against the vehicle and is mailed to the owner of the vehicle. The owner of the vehicle is responsible for paying the $100 fine, regardless of who was driving the vehicle at the time the violation occurred.

For more information, see my previous blog post about red light camera tickets in St. Louis, Missouri.

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Some Missouri Courts Dismiss “No Insurance” Traffic Tickets if You Buy Insurance

Most courts in the St. Louis, Missouri area will dismiss a “No Insurance” ticket if you later provide proof that the car you were driving was insured at the time the police officer pulled you over, or that you purchased auto insurance afterward. You may also have to pay court costs, which can range anywhere from $25 to $60, depending on the court. (A ticket for “No Insurance” is the same as a ticket for “Failure to Maintain Financial Responsibility.”)

A “No Insurance” Traffic Ticket Causes 4 Points to be Added to Your Missouri Driving Record and It Remains on Your Driving Record Permanently

If you are unable to get a “No Insurance” traffic ticket dismissed or amended to a lesser charge, then you will have to pay the fine for the ticket and 4 points will be added to your Missouri driving record. If you accumulate 12 points within 12 months, your Missouri driver’s license will be revoked for 1 year. If you accumulate 8 points within 18 months, your driver’s license will be suspended for 30 days, if it’s your first suspension.

In addition, a conviction for “No Insurance” will stay on your Missouri driving record forever and will never be eligible for removal. In this previous blog post, I list other types of tickets that remain permanently on your driving record.

You Can Get a “No Insurance” or “Failure to Maintain Financial Responsibility” Traffic Ticket Dismissed Without Hiring a Lawyer in Most Courts in the St. Louis, Missouri Area

Some courts in the St. Louis, Missouri area will allow you to bring proof of insurance to the court clerk’s office prior to the court date, so you don’t have to appear in court. Other courts require that you go to court on the court date and show proof of insurance to the judge before the court will dismiss a “No Insurance” or “No Proof of Insurance” traffic ticket.

Whether you had insurance when the police officer pulled you over, or if you purchased insurance after the traffic stop, some Missouri courts will not allow you to request a dismissal of a “No Insurance” ticket on your own, without the assistance of an attorney. (Call the court clerk’s office ahead of time to find out.) If that is the case, you will have to hire an attorney to file a pleading and provide proof of insurance on your behalf before the prosecuting attorney will consider negotiating a plea bargain to have your “No Insurance” ticket amended or dismissed.

Procedures for Handling “No Insurance” Tickets in Some Municipal Courts in the St. Louis, Missouri Area   

In St. Louis County Municipal Court (North Division) in Hazelwood, Missouri, if you receive a traffic ticket for “No Insurance” and you did not have insurance at the time of the traffic stop, you can appear in court and ask the judge to allow you to take a driving class to get rid of the “No Insurance” ticket. You will need to buy car insurance prior to the court date so you can show proof of insurance to the judge.

In St. Louis City Municipal Court, if you receive a “No Insurance” traffic ticket and you purchased car insurance after receiving the ticket, then you can appear in court on the court date and show the judge your proof of insurance, and the judge will dismiss the ticket upon payment of court costs of $50.50. If you actually had insurance at the time of the traffic stop but you didn’t have proof of insurance with you, then bring your current insurance card to court on your court date and show it to the judge, and the judge will probably dismiss the “No Insurance” ticket, sometimes without payment of court costs.

In Ballwin Municipal Court in Ballwin, Missouri, the fine for a “No Insurance” traffic ticket is $175. If you had insurance at the time the police officer pulled you over, and there was no accident involved, then you can bring proof of insurance to the court clerk’s office and they will dismiss your “No Insurance” ticket upon payment of court costs. If you did not have insurance at the time you were pulled over but you purchased insurance afterward, then you can hire an attorney to negotiate a plea bargain with the Court to have your “No Insurance” ticket amended or dismissed. You can not bring proof of insurance to court on your own and expect the judge to dismiss your ticket if you did not have insurance at the time of the traffic stop.

In St. Ann Municipal Court in St. Ann, Missouri, the fine for a “No Insurance” ticket is $151. If you did not have insurance when you received the ticket, but afterward you purchased at least 3 months’ worth of car insurance, then you can show proof of insurance to the court and your “No Insurance” ticket will be dismissed with a fine of $101. If you did have insurance and can provide proof that your car was insured on the date the ticket was issued, then the court will dismiss the ticket upon payment of $26.50 in court costs.

In St. Peters Municipal Court in St. Peters, Missouri, if you buy insurance after you receive a “No Insurance” ticket, your attorney can negotiate a plea bargain with the prosecutor to have your ticket amended or dismissed. The total fine and court costs will be approximately $375 and no points will be added to your driving record. If you did not have insurance at the time of the traffic stop and you are unable to purchase insurance now, then you must appear in court on your court date. At that time, the judge will determine the amount of the fine that you owe plus court costs, and 4 points will be added to your Missouri driving record.

In Florissant Municipal Court in Florissant, Missouri, if you receive a traffic ticket for “No Insurance” but you had insurance on the date you received the ticket, you can bring proof of insurance to court and the judge will dismiss the ticket upon payment of court costs of $26.50. If you did not have insurance when the police officer pulled you over, you can purchase insurance afterward and bring proof to the court clerk’s office prior to the court date and pay a $125 fine. If you did not have insurance when you received a “No Insurance” ticket and you are unable to purchase insurance afterward, then you must appear in court on your court date, at which time the judge will assess your fine, but no points will be reported to the Missouri Department of Revenue. Unlike most municipal courts in the St. Louis area, Florissant Municipal Court does not report points to the Missouri Department of Revenue for “No Insurance” traffic tickets.

In University City Municipal Court in University City, Missouri, the court will not allow you to request a dismissal of a “No Insurance” ticket on your own, without the assistance of an attorney.  Therefore, you must hire an attorney to file a pleading and provide proof of insurance on your behalf before the prosecuting attorney will consider dismissing your “No Insurance” ticket.

Your Driver’s License Will be Suspended if You Cause a Car Accident While Driving Without Insurance

If you cause a car accident while driving a vehicle that is not insured, your driver’s license will be suspended. For more information, see this page of the Missouri Department of Revenue’s website regarding the consequences of a conviction for driving without insurance.

The offense of “No Insurance” or “Failure to Maintain Financial Responsibility” is a misdemeanor and is punishable by imprisonment in the county jail for a term not to exceed 15 days and/or a fine not to exceed $300. This link takes you to the Missouri law that prohibits driving without insurance.

An Attorney May be Able to Withdraw Your Guilty Plea for a “No Insurance” Ticket and Cancel the Suspension of Your Driver’s License

If you have already pleaded guilty to a “No Insurance” traffic ticket in Missouri, it is possible to hire an attorney to withdraw your guilty plea and negotiate a plea bargain with the prosecuting attorney to have your ticket dismissed or amended. If the “No Insurance” ticket is dismissed or amended to a no-point infraction, then those 4 points that were added to your driving record for the “No Insurance” ticket will be removed. If your driver’s license was suspended because of too many points, then the removal of those 4 points may be enough to cause the suspension to be cancelled or “lifted.”

You will have to provide your attorney with proof that you have purchased auto insurance, and you must act quickly; most courts will not allow the withdrawal of a guilty plea if too much time has passed since your guilty plea, or if you were represented by an attorney when you pleaded guilty.

For more information regarding Missouri traffic law, see my traffic law resources page for links to information regarding Missouri speeding tickets, points, Missouri driver’s licenses, courts, and other traffic-related issues.