Dealing with a traffic ticket in Missouri might seem like a minor inconvenience at first, but the reality is its impacts can reach far beyond a simple fine. Whether you received a traffic ticket for a simple speeding ticket or fled the scene of an accident, understanding the repercussions is vital.
Traffic tickets can lead to significant financial burdens, affect your insurance premiums, and tarnish your driving record for years. Sometimes, a ticket may even require a court appearance or risk suspension of your license. By staying informed, you can better navigate the situation and make smart decisions about your next steps, especially if you’re considering legal assistance to protect your rights and future.
Types of Missouri Traffic Tickets
Before getting into the impacts of a traffic ticket, it’s essential to understand the different kinds of violations Missouri recognizes. As in several states, Missouri’s traffic laws generally divide traffic offenses into two categories based on whether the vehicle in question was moving.
Moving Violations
Traffic tickets for moving violations focus on offenses occurring while a vehicle is being driven, specifically how the vehicle’s operation affects other drivers, pedestrians, or surrounding property.
- Speeding: Addressed in RSMo §304.010, speeding is one of the most common traffic violations. Missouri’s uniform speed limits range from 70 mph for rural interstates to 60 mph for highways and expressways in urban areas, but local towns, cities, and villages can also regulate speed limits within their boundaries.
- Leaving the Scene of an Accident: Under RSMo §577.060, leaving the scene of an accident without providing the necessary information to the other party or law enforcement is a very serious offense. So much so that anyone accused of this should seek legal representation from a traffic ticket lawyer as soon as possible.
- Careless and Impudent Driving: RSMo §304.012 forbids “careless and imprudent” driving by requiring drivers to exercise a high degree of care and to prioritize the safety of others’ property and lives. Under this broad phrasing, several violations can result in a ticket, such as dangerously cutting someone off or causing an accident.
- Failure to Drive on the Right Half of the Road: As frustrating as it may be, drivers in Missouri must return to the right lane after passing slower vehicles or turning left. Anyone caught staying in the left lane without a valid reason can get a ticket for violating RSMo §304.015.
- Failure to Stop at a Stop Sign: RSMo §300.270 and §304.271 require drivers to fully stop at all designated signs, before crosswalks, or at an appropriate point where they can safely view intersecting traffic. The only exceptions for these statutes are when signs are improperly placed or illegible.
- Failure to Yield: Missouri law (RSMo §304.351) requires drivers to yield the right of way in several kinds of situations, such as while making left turns or when another car already entered an intersection. Furthermore, state and local authorities can designate stop or yield intersections and install signs identifying this.
Non-Moving Violations
Missouri’s traffic laws also address offenses where a vehicle isn’t moving, such as registration violations or not having a license.
- No Driver’s License: Operating any vehicle without a license violates RSMo §302.020, though some exceptions are allowed, such as driving with an instructional permit (§302.130). Motorcycles also have their own specific licenses, and owners can’t let someone else drive their motorcycle unless that person has a motorcycle license.
- No Insurance: RSMo §303.025 requires drivers to have insurance for their vehicles. Driving without insurance or using an uninsured vehicle is illegal, except for non-operational or stored cars.
- Failure to Display Plates: All vehicles up to 12,000 pounds must visibly display front and rear plates, 8-48 inches off the ground, with up-to-date registration tags (RSMo §303.025). Vehicles over 12,000 pounds only have to display their plates on the front end, while trailers, motorcycles, motor tricycles, autocycles, and motorscooters only have to display one on the rear.
Financial Impacts: How Much is a Traffic Ticket?
Managing traffic ticket penalties can be stressful, so one of the most important things to know beforehand is how expensive a ticket can become. In most cases, the two primary contributors to a ticket’s financial impacts are the ticket’s fines and potential increases to your auto insurance policy. Changes to insurance rates can be especially costly as they can last for years at a time, while ticket fines and fees are usually a one-time expense.
Traffic Ticket Fines
The cost of a traffic ticket often hinges on the nature and seriousness of the offense, as well as your driving history. For many common offenses, the amount can escalate if the violation is more severe. For example, in cases of speeding, the fine can range from $50 to $150 and generally increases based on how much you exceeded the speed limit. More excessive violations can lead to higher penalties, reflecting the behavior’s additional danger.
| Exceeded Speed Limit By | Fine |
| 1 – 5 MPH | $50.50 |
| 6 – 10 MPH | $60.50 |
| 11 – 15 MPH | $70.50 |
| 16 – 19 MPH | $100.50 |
| 20 – 25 MPH | $150.50 |
Additionally, courtroom fees are often applied on top of a ticket’s fine. Fines and court costs also vary based on the jurisdiction where the violation occurred. Fortunately, the state and most courts allow drivers to pay a traffic ticket online.
Insurance Rate Increases
Traffic tickets can significantly impact your car insurance premiums because insurers typically view each traffic case as a potential indicator of risky behavior. Whether a single ticket raises your premium depends on several factors, including:
- Previous driving history
- Frequency of offenses
- Severity and nature of the violation
- Insurance company’s specific policy
Moving violations usually impact insurance rates the most, as they reflect a driver’s behavior on the road and suggest a higher likelihood of future violations. The faster you were speeding or the more reckless the action, the larger the rate increase may be. For example, a minor speeding ticket for going 5 miles over the limit won’t have nearly as big of an impact as a DWI. Extreme cases, such as leaving the scene of an accident involving injuries or death, can even cause an insurance provider to cancel the policy or refuse to renew it when it expires.
Non-moving violations, on the other hand, don’t always have a direct effect on your rates. Things like parking tickets, expired registrations, or broken tail lights aren’t tied to driving ability, so they may not be reported on your driving record. Ignoring these kinds of tickets, however, can escalate into issues that indirectly affect your insurance. For example, unpaid parking tickets can put a driver’s registration on hold, which may impact your insurance costs for insuring an unregistered car.
Driving Record Impacts: How Long Does a Traffic Ticket Stay On Your Record?
Understanding the impact of a traffic ticket goes beyond the immediate financial hit of fines and potential increases in insurance premiums. Equally important is knowing how each ticket affects your permanent driving record. In Missouri, the state tracks every violation and assigns points based on the severity of the offense. Accumulating too many points can lead to official warnings and even losing your license.
Missouri Drivers License Point System
Missouri’s driving point system allows the state to monitor drivers’ behavior and promote safer roadways. Each time you’re convicted of a traffic offense, the Missouri Department of Revenue assigns points to your driving record. The number of points varies depending on the severity and nature of the violation. For example, a standard speeding ticket may result in two or three points, while more serious offenses, like leaving the scene of an accident, could result in up to 12 points and an automatic license revocation.
| Traffic Violation | Points Assigned Under State Law |
| Endangering a Highway Worker | 4 |
| Failing to Produce Insurance | 4 |
| DWI (First Offense) | 8 |
| Leaving the Scene of an Accident | 12 |
| Driving without a License (First Offense) | 2 |
| Speeding (5+ MPH Over the Limit) | 3 |
| Driving Under Influence of Drugs (First Offense) | 8 |
| Ignoring a Stop Sign | 2 |
| Felony Involving a Motor Vehicle | 12 |
| Obstructing Traffic | 2 |
Source: Missouri Department of Revenue Form 899
However, points don’t remain on your record indefinitely. Missouri law gradually reduces your point total if you maintain a clean record moving forward. After one year without new violations, your total points will be reduced by one-third. After two years, half of the points will be subtracted, and if you go three years without any additional infractions, your points will reset to zero. However, even if your point total is eventually reduced to zero, some convictions may still appear permanently on your record.
Drivers License Suspension
The consequences of accumulating points on your record can escalate quickly. If you collect four points within 12 months, you’ll receive a warning notice from the state—a signal to reassess your driving habits. Your license will be suspended if you accumulate eight or more points within 18 months.
The first suspension typically lasts 30 days, but for repeat suspensions, this can extend to 60 or even 90 days. If you accrue 12 or more points in 12 months, 18 or more points in 24 months, or 24 or more points over 36 months, your license may be revoked entirely for a full year.
If you’re facing a suspended or revoked driver’s license, acting quickly and strategically is essential, as RSMo §302.331 allows drivers to appeal that punishment within 30 days of being notified. Navigating that process, however, can be complicated, so reaching out to an experienced traffic attorney can be extremely helpful in understanding your options and building a strong defense.
Driving with a suspended license is a very serious offense and carries even more severe consequences. The punishment can be extended by at least a year, and felony charges can be incurred if the driver is caught a second or third time.
Other Traffic Ticket Impacts
Aside from distinguishing between moving and non-moving offenses, another important factor is whether the law classifies violations as misdemeanors or felonies. If statutes allow more severe instances of a crime to be treated as felonies, additional consequences such as court appearances and jail time can occur.
Required Court Appearance
Certain moving violation traffic tickets, especially those classified as a felony, require a driver to appear in court. In such situations, it’s crucial to respond to the charges and abide by the court’s requirements, as ignoring or failing to handle the ticket can worsen things.
Under RSMo §302.341, if someone misses their court date or doesn’t pay the assessed fines and costs within the approved period, the court will mail a warning notice that the driver has 30 days to resolve things before their license is suspended. This suspension will remain in place until the court informs the state the case is resolved or the driver provides evidence to the state that the charges and fees have been handled.
Licenses suspended due to failing to appear in court for a traffic violation (FACT) can be reinstated, but the driver must respond to the court’s instructions, such as paying the fine.
Imprisonment
Most moving violations in Missouri carry the possibility of jail time, but the amount of time served varies widely based on the case’s nature and the charge’s severity. Depending on whether an offense is a misdemeanor or felony, the imposed sentence can last anywhere from 15 days to several years.
For example, leaving the scene of an accident can be charged as a Class A Misdemeanor, which may come with up to one year in jail. However, if other drivers were injured in the incident, that charge can be elevated to a Class E Felony, which can mean up to four years in jail. If someone died because of the accident, it’s considered a Class D felony instead, which can come with a sentence of up to seven years in jail.
Again, this is where contacting an experienced traffic lawyer can be invaluable. Drivers facing any of the above charges stand a better chance of creating a strong defense and reducing potential punishments if they work with a legal professional instead of defending themselves.