You are late for a meeting. The kids did not move fast enough this morning and you are running behind. What is the worst thing that could happen? That’s right… You see the lights and hear the siren behind you. You are about ready to get a present from your friendly Greene County Sheriff’s Deputy.
When was that last ticket? Was it last year? Five years ago? How will this new speeding citation affect your driver’s license? Who is in charge of that? The Courts? The State? The Greene County Prosecutor? The Springfield Police Department?
Your Driver’s License is controlled by the Missouri Department of Revenue (DOR). They are the ones that issued your license when you 16 and the DOR are the ones that can take your license away.
I am not going to lie, it is not as easy as you might think it is. It is just a speeding ticket right? I can just mail in a payment, right? What’s the big deal?
The short answer is that if you plead guilty and are convicted of a speeding ticket in a State Court (say Greene County, Missouri) you will be assessed three (3) points against your driving record. If it is a Municipal Court (say Springfield Municipal Court) you will be assessed two (2) points. But the short answer is never the complete answer.
Check out DOR’s cheat sheet on points violations:
https://dor.mo.gov/forms/899.pdf
What if you have two tickets, what then? How many points do you have to lose? The Missouri DOR says:
If you accumulate a total of 4 points in 12 months, the Department of Revenue will send you a point accumulation advisory letter.
If you accumulate a total of 8 or more points in 18 months, the Department of Revenue will suspend your driving privilege.
- 1st suspension – 30 days
- 2nd suspension – 60 days
- 3rd or more suspensions – 90 days
Check out the MO DOR FAQ page:
https://dor.mo.gov/faq/drivers/points.php
Clear as mud, right? This is not the sort of thing you want to mess around with on your own. I frequently ask my clients, if you fell out of a tree and broke your arm, would you go to the Doctor or try to fix it yourself? Of course you would go to the Doctor. Why would you not go to an attorney to help you with a ticket? In either scenario there are potential consequences that could affect the rest of your life. Go to a professional.
Let us know if we can help you with this issue of navigating what issues might come up with your Driver’s License and the points that might accumulate. We can help you avoid costly points and the chance of you losing your license. We are prepared to help you handle traffic tickets.
The National and State award-winning attorneys at MRD Lawyers are ready to go to work for you. We have three decades worth of experience winning cases in Greene County, and we want to help you with your legal issues. Contact our team today.
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