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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]

 

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Missouri Driving School Removes Points From Record

If you complete the Missouri Driver Improvement Program traffic school within 60 days of pleading guilty to a speeding ticket, the points associated with that ticket will be removed from your driving record.

What is the Missouri Driver Improvement Program (DIP)?

The Missouri Driver Improvement Program (DIP) is traffic school that you can take to remove points from your driving record. Here are a few important facts about the Missouri DIP class:

  • You must take the Missouri DIP class within 60 days after you plead guilty to a speeding ticket.
  • If you have taken the Missouri DIP class within the past 3 years, you are not eligible.
  • You must get the court’s approval before taking the DIP class.
  • You must fax proof of completion of the DIP class to the Missouri Dept. of Revenue.

Many courts automatically give defendants their approval to take the DIP driving school, but some courts require you to go to court and ask the judge for permission. If you don’t want to go to court yourself, you can hire an attorney to go to court for you and ask for permission to take the DIP class.

If you don’t have the court’s approval to take the Missouri DIP class, the Missouri Dept. of Revenue will not accept your proof of completion of the class.

Take the DIP Traffic School if You Can’t Get Your Ticket Reduced to a Non-Moving Violation

The courts in most Missouri counties allow speeding tickets to be reduced to non-moving, no-point violations in exchange for paying a higher fine plus court costs. In those counties, drivers can hire a traffic ticket lawyer to get their speeding ticket amended to “Illegal Parking” or some other non-moving, no-point violation that won’t affect their driving record or insurance rates.

Unfortunately, some courts in Missouri refuse to reduce speeding tickets to non-moving violations. In that case, the driver’s only option is to either hire a traffic law attorney to negotiate a plea bargain deal that includes probation, or just plead guilty on your own without an attorney representing you.

If you decide to plead guilty to a Missouri speeding ticket, points will be added to your driving record and your car insurance rates may increase. The DIP program allows drivers to get the points removed from their driving record after pleading guilty.

The Missouri DIP Driver Improvement Program Will Not Keep the Ticket Off Your Driving Record

PLEASE NOTE:  If you take the Missouri DIP driving school class, points will be removed from your driving record. However, taking the DIP class does not prevent the ticket from showing up on your driving record and possibly causing your car insurance rates to increase.

Therefore, if at all possible, I strongly recommend hiring a traffic ticket lawyer to get your ticket reduced to a non-moving, no-point violation that won’t affect your driving record or car insurance rates.

Speeding Tickets Cause Points to be Added to Your Driving Record

In Missouri (and many other states), points are added to your driving record when you plead guilty or are convicted of a traffic violation, such as speeding, driving without insurance, driving without a license, driving while suspended, leaving the scene of an accident, careless & imprudent driving, running a stop sign, etc.

Most standard speeding tickets issued by Missouri municipal police officers are 2-point tickets, and most speeding tickets issued by Missouri State Highway Patrol officers are 3-point tickets.

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

Speeding Tickets Can Cause Your Car Insurance Rates to Increase

It is common knowledge that a speeding ticket conviction on your driving record can cause your car insurance rates to increase.

If you are having a hard time deciding whether to hire a traffic law attorney to represent you or just plead guilty, you can call your insurance agent and ask how much your car insurance rates will increase if you plead guilty to the speeding ticket. Then you can compare that amount with the price of hiring a traffic ticket lawyer to get your ticket “fixed” (reduced to a non-moving, no-point violation).

How to Withdraw Your Guilty Plea

In many cases, you can change your mind after pleading guilty to a traffic ticket or other criminal offense.

If you did not have an attorney representing you, and not much time has passed since you pleaded guilty, you may be able to withdraw your plea and get the ticket reduced to a non-moving violation, or get the criminal charge reduced to a lesser offense.

Consult an attorney to get an estimate of the probable outcome of your case.

For more information about the Missouri Driver Improvement Program, read my previous blog post “DIP Class Won’t Keep Tickets Off Driving Record.”

To get your Missouri 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 for a price quote and estimate of your fine and court costs. Or email Andrea at [email protected]

 

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Traffic School Keeps Points Off Missouri Driving Record

Traffic school keeps points off your Missouri driving record and can prevent your driver’s license from being suspended, but the speeding ticket conviction will still show up on your driving record.

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

If you accumulate too many points on your driving record, your Missouri driver’s license will be suspended or revoked. A speeding ticket is a moving violation that causes 2 points to be added to your driving record if the ticket was issued by a city or county police officer. 3 points are added if the ticket was issued by a Missouri State Highway Patrol officer.

If you accumulate 8 points on your Missouri driving record within 18 months, your driver’s license will be suspended for 30 days, if it’s your first suspension. If it’s your second suspension, then your driving privileges will be suspended for 60 days; for a third suspension, your license will be suspended for 90 days. 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.

Out-of-state speeding tickets are also reported to your home state of Missouri and points are added to your driving record, just as if you received those traffic tickets in Missouri. See my previous blog post about how out-of-state speeding tickets affect your Missouri driver’s license.

Traffic School Can Prevent Your Missouri Driver’s License From Being Suspended 

The Missouri Driver Improvement Program (DIP) is a statewide traffic school program, presented in cooperation with the Missouri Division of Highway Safety and the Missouri Department of Transportation, that drivers can attend to reduce the points on their Missouri driver’s licenses. Some people refer to this as “Traffic School,” “Driving School,” or “Defensive Driving Class.” If you search online, you will find many Missouri traffic schools that offer classes, both online and in person.

If your Missouri driver’s license is about to be suspended because of too many points, attending traffic school can prevent the suspension by reducing the amount of points that will be added to your driving record.

Your Speeding Ticket Will Not be Dismissed if You Attend Traffic School, But No Points Will be Added to Your Missouri Driving Record

After successfully completing traffic school, your speeding ticket will not be dismissed (it will still show up on your Missouri driving record), but no points will be added to your driving record. If you are pulled over for a traffic violation, the police officer will see the no-point speeding conviction on your driving record. And an insurance agent will be able to see the speeding ticket when he reviews your driving record before giving you a price quote for car insurance.

What You Need to Know Before Attending a Missouri Traffic School

Before attending a Missouri traffic school or taking an online driving school class, here are a few things you need to know:

  • Prior to attending a Missouri traffic school, you must plead guilty to the moving violation and pay the fine and court costs to the court. The traffic ticket will be reported to the Missouri Department of Revenue (DOR), but no points will be added to your driving record at that time.
  • You have 60 days from the date you pleaded guilty to complete driving school. After successful completion of the driving class, the traffic school will send a certificate to the DOR, proving that you completed the class. Then your speeding ticket will be reported on your driving record, but no points will be assessed for it.
  • Traffic school is an 8-hour class and can be taken online or in person. (Many people complete the class in less than 8 hours.)
  • You are allowed to attend traffic school to avoid point assessment only once every 36 months.
  • You must contact the court that issued the speeding ticket to confirm that they will allow you to attend traffic school.
  • Many courts (for example, municipal courts located in St. Louis County) require that you go to court and ask the judge for permission to attend traffic school.
  • Call the DOR to confirm that the court has notified the DOR that the court is allowing you to attend traffic school.
  • Confirm that the traffic school or driving class is approved by the Missouri Safety Center.
  • For violations committed while operating a motorcycle, the driver must attend an approved motorcycle-rider training course.
  • If your driver’s license was issued by a state other than Missouri, attending traffic school in Missouri may not help you. Check with your home state to determine how it will treat a speeding ticket received in Missouri, and find out if you can attend traffic school in your home state.
  • Traffic school is not available for drivers who commit a traffic violation while driving a commercial motor vehicle, or for any driver who has a commercial driver’s license (CDL) from Missouri or any other state.
  • Prices for Missouri traffic school range from $20 to $35, depending on the court and the county. Many websites advertise that they offer online traffic schools.

FCC Speeding Ticket Points Can be Removed From Your Driving Record if You Attend a Missouri Traffic School

If a Missouri State Highway Patrol officer (a state trooper) pulls you over and issues a speeding ticket to you, most likely the ticket will have “FCC” or “Fine Collection Center” written on it, and instead of a court date, it will state, “Due in 30 Days”. That is called an FCC speeding ticket. If you have received an FCC ticket, you may be able to attend a Missouri traffic school to keep the points from being added to your driving record, if the county in which you received the ticket allows it. You will have to plead guilty and pay the fine and court costs to the FCC before taking the traffic school class.

Courts in the following Missouri counties allow drivers who receive FCC speeding tickets to attend traffic school to prevent points from being added to their driving records: Adair, Andrew, Atchison, Audrain, Barton, Bollinger, Boone, Buchanan, Butler, Callaway, Cape Girardeau, Cass, Clay, Clinton, Cole, Cooper, Dade, Daviess, Franklin, Gasconade, Greene, Grundy, Harrison, Hickory, Holt, Howell, Lewis, Lincoln, Livingston, Macon, Madison, Marion, McDonald, Miller, Nodaway, Oregon, Osage, Pemiscot, Perry, Pike, Platte, Putnam, Reynolds, Ripley, Saline, Schuyler, Scott, Shannon, Shelby, St. Clair, Ste. Genevieve, Sullivan, Vernon, Wayne, Worth, and Wright.  

For All Other Missouri Speeding Tickets, Get Approval From the Court Before You Attend Traffic School

If you receive a regular (non-FCC) speeding ticket in a county not listed above, such as St. Louis City or St. Louis County, you may still be able to attend traffic school to reduce the points on your Missouri driving record, but you will have to get the court’s approval first. Contact the court that issued the ticket and ask how you can request to attend traffic school.

Most of the courts that are not on the above list require that you personally appear in court on your court date to ask the judge for permission to attend traffic school, but you should call the court clerk to confirm this before going to court.

In St. Louis County Circuit Court, you can not appear in court on your own to ask for permission from the judge to attend traffic school; you have to hire an attorney to represent you and you must appear in court with your attorney. If the judge approves your attorney’s request for traffic school, you will have to pay an additional fee that is donated to the School Fund. You can sign up for traffic school that same day while you’re at the courthouse (in the building across the street from the courthouse in Clayton), or you can enroll in a driving class offered by an online traffic school.

St. Charles County Circuit Court allows drivers to appear in court on their own (without hiring an attorney) and ask the judge for permission to attend traffic school.

In St. Louis City Municipal Court, you must come to court on your court date and ask the judge for permission to attend traffic school to keep points off your driver’s license. The judge will review your driving record and decide whether to allow you to attend traffic school. The same procedure applies to most other municipal courts in St. Louis County when requesting permission to attend traffic school. Municipal courts in St. Louis County, such as Kirkwood Municipal Court, Florissant Municipal Court, Pine Lawn Municipal Court, and Chesterfield Municipal Court all require drivers to appear in court on their court date to get approval from the judge to attend traffic school.

Even if the court that issued your speeding ticket is listed in one of the paragraphs above, you should still call the court to ask what their policy is for requesting traffic school to reduce the points on your driving record.

If the Court Does Not Offer Traffic School as an Option, You Can Hire a Lawyer to Get Your Speeding Ticket “Fixed”

If you plead guilty or are convicted of a speeding ticket in Missouri, points are added to your driving record and the speeding ticket conviction appears on your driving record. As noted previously, if you accumulate too many points within a certain period of time, your Missouri driver’s license will be suspended or revoked.

If you don’t want to attend traffic school to remove the points from your driving record, or if traffic school is not allowed in the county in which you received your speeding ticket, you can hire a traffic law attorney to negotiate a plea bargain with the court to have your speeding ticket amended to a non-moving, no-point infraction. (This is sometimes called getting a ticket “fixed.”) You will pay a higher fine after the ticket is amended, plus court costs, but no points will be added to your driving record, and there will be no record of a speeding ticket conviction on your Missouri driver’s license. 

Locations of Missouri Traffic Schools 

Click here for a list of online traffic schools approved by the Missouri Safety Center.

You can go to the Missouri Driver Improvement Program website to find out more about how traffic school can keep points off your Missouri driving record.

For more information about Missouri traffic law, points, and Missouri court information, click on the Legal Resources page of my website.

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