Missouri Traffic Violations & Fines
If you get a ticket in Missouri, your repercussions are threefold. First, there’s the fine you probably expect. Then, you need to think about the points that will get added to your license. Finally, you should know that you might see an insurance rate hike after your traffic violation gets reported to your insurance company.
Ultimately, you want to know what to expect after a Missouri traffic violation. So here’s a quick look at the fines, points, and insurance increase you could face.
Missouri traffic violation fines
Compared to other states, Missouri is actually extremely transparent with the fines they levy after a traffic violation. It’s fairly easy for you to look up what you’d pay for various tickets.
Specifically, on this webpage from the Missouri Courts, you can download the entire state traffic fine schedule. That makes it easy to see how much you’d owe for various Missouri traffic violation fines.
Download the full spreadsheet for a deeper look, but here a few quick examples of Missouri traffic violation fines:
- Failure to register a motor vehicle: $50.50
- Speeding 1-5 mph: $50.50
- Speeding 6-10 mph: $60.50
- Speeding 11-15 mph: $70.50
- Speeding 16-19 mph: $100.50
- Speeding 20-25 mph: $155.50
- Failure to signal: $60.50
All told, Missouri traffic violation fines range from $10 to a pretty reasonable ceiling (when compared with other states) of $155.50.
The Missouri points system
The fine isn’t the only fallout you’ll face for a traffic violation in the Show-Me State. You’ll also get points added to your license. The worse your violation, the more points you’ll see. Speeding, for example, will only land you with a few points, while driving while intoxicated (a DUI) will put at least eight points on your license.
Why do Missouri license points matter? Because if you rack up too many, you risk license suspension. Get eight or more points in 18 months and your license will be suspended for:
- 30 days if it’s your first time with a suspended license
- 60 days if it’s your second suspension
- 90 days for your third+ suspension
But that’s not all. You’ll get a full year of license suspension for:
- 12+ points in 12 months
- 18+ points in 24 months
- 24+ points in 36 months
Ultimately, if you’ve had even one ticket, it’s worth keeping an eye on your points total. Here’s the state’s guide to getting your driving record so you can check.
If your points are adding up or you want to keep them as low as possible, you can request to take a driver improvement course (DIP). If the court approves, taking that course costs just $20 and you can knock it out online, so it’s well worth looking into if you just got a ticket. With court approval for a DIP, you can avoid the points for that specific violation getting added to your license altogether.
Missouri insurance increases after a traffic violation
If points go on your license, your insurance provider will see them and, in most cases, will increase your car insurance rates.
That aforementioned DIP can help you avoid this. When you complete that online program, the points don’t get added to your license. And that can help keep your auto insurance costs down.
All told, most Missouri traffic violations don’t result in crazy fines or a major headache. In many cases, you can take a DIP to avoid points and an insurance increase. That means all you’ll need to do is pay your relatively affordable fine and complete your DIP online. No sweat, right?