Missouri Traffic Violations

Traffic violations occur when drivers and other road users disobey traffic laws. These offenses, in Missouri, are addressed by the Municipal and Circuit Courts. Like many states within the U.S., the Missouri Department of Revenue (DOR) uses a point system to track convictions and trigger license suspensions. Individuals can learn to find and interpret their driving records by understanding how the traffic system works in Missouri.

What Is Considered a Traffic Violation in Missouri?

The Revised Statutes of Missouri (RSMo), particularly Chapters 302 through 304, contain the state’s rules of the road. For instance, § 303.020 prohibits and penalizes the use of a motor vehicle without a valid license. The basic speed law and speeding limits are set out in § 304.010, while the duty to obey traffic control signals, including red lights, appears in§ 304.281.

Types of Traffic Violations in Missouri

Drivers in Missouri can be arrested and penalized for several traffic offenses, including:

• Failure to yield – Section 304.351 of the Revised Statutes of Missouri outlines who must yield at intersections, when turning left, or when entering a highway from a private driveway.
• Speeding – It is a traffic violation to drive a vehicle at a speed greater than what is reasonable or established in Section 304.010.
• Running a red light/stop signal – In Missouri, drivers who run a red light or ignore a stop signal violate Section 304.281, RSMo, which requires obedience to traffic control signals.
• Driving without a license / while not properly licensed – Under Section 302.020, it is unlawful to operate a motor vehicle in Missouri without a valid or proper driver’s license.
• Driving without insurance – Driving without valid auto insurance goes against Missouri’s Financial Responsibility Law and can lead to losing driving privileges.
• Careless and imprudent driving – Anyone who drives recklessly or endangers people or property violates Missouri’s traffic law under Section 304.012.
• Hit-and-run (leaving the scene) – Missouri law, Section 577.060, RSMo, makes it a crime for a driver to flee after an accident that results in death, injury, or property damage.
• Distracted driving / handheld device ban – According to Missouri’s Siddens Bening Hands-Free Law, drivers are required to keep their attention on the road and are banned from using handheld electronic devices.

Traffic Violation Penalties in Missouri

Understanding how Missouri’s point system works prevents license suspension and helps to manage insurance costs. Within a year, if a driver accumulates a total of 4 points, they will receive a point accumulation advisory letter from the DOR. A total of 8 points or more within 18 months can lead to the suspension of an individual's license by the DOR.

It is worth noting that the duration of suspension depends on how many times a driver has been suspended for accumulating 8 points before. The first suspension lasts up to 30 days, while the second and third suspensions extend to 60 and 90 days, respectively.

Furthermore, an individual’s license can be revoked by the DOR for one year if they earn 12 points or more within a year, 18 points or more within 24 months, or 24 points or more within 36 months. Following the reinstatement of the driver’s license, the total accumulated points is reduced to 4 points. If no extra point is earned within three years, the DOR can reduce the previous points to zero.

In Missouri, the same type of traffic violation can carry different point values based on whether it is charged under state law or municipal ordinance. Leaving the scene of an accident results in 12 points when it is a state law violation, but only 6 points when prosecuted as a municipal ordinance.

Another example is driving in a manner that endangers life or property. A driver receives 4 points for careless and imprudent driving under state law, and 2 points when handled under municipal ordinance.

Driver Improvement Program (DIP)

To reduce points from a traffic ticket, Missouri drivers may be allowed by the court or the Fine Collection Center (FCC) to complete an approved Driver Improvement Program (DIP). This is a traffic safety course taken once every three years and requires court approval before enrolling.

Insurance and proof

All motor vehicle owners in Missouri must maintain some type of motor vehicle liability insurance coverage. A proof of insurance is required while renewing license plates and must be kept in the vehicle at all times. Moreover, an SR-22 form verifies that a high-risk driver has the required insurance coverage. This form must be filed by the insurance company before the driver’s license can be reinstated.

DWI/Impaired driving

There are criminal and administrative penalties for driving while intoxicated in Missouri. If it is a first-time offense, the DOR may suspend the driver’s license for 90 days. However, a second-time alcohol/drug-related offense within a five-year period, is punishable by a five-year license suspension.

How to Search for Traffic Violation Records in Missouri

A. Court dockets (tickets and case status)

Missouri residents can view public case information in municipal divisions and circuit courts through the Case.net portal. Users can search for traffic records by entering the litigant’s name, scheduled hearing, ticket number, or filing date. Although older judgments may not appear online, traffic records can be viewed in person at the appropriate courthouse.

In addition, many counties and cities in Missouri provide online portals where individuals can pay traffic fines without going to court. Nevertheless, an in-person court appearance is required for serious traffic violation cases.

Some counties also have designated Fine Collection Centers that perform administrative court functions, like accepting payments for guilty pleas and waiving trial fees for certain eligible traffic violations.

B. Driving record (MVR) from DOR

Anyone may request driving records that do not include the driver’s personal information from the DOR either online or in person at a Missouri license office. Nonetheless, personal information in driving records is closed to the public and can only be accessed by individuals or entities authorized under the federal Driver Privacy Protection Act (DPPA).

Record owners, government agencies, law enforcement officers, and other eligible requesters can acquire driving records containing personal information for $2.82 per record by submitting a request in person, by email, fax, or mail.

A court docket shows the details of how a traffic violation was addressed in court, including the case number, judgment, and hearing dates. In contrast, a Missouri driving record may contain the driver’s personal information, license status, point history, and any insurance or SR-22 requirements.

How Long Do Traffic Violations Stay on Record in Missouri?

In Missouri, points and convictions are treated as separate entries on a driver’s record. Over time, if the driver commits no further violations, their accumulated points can drop to zero. For serious offenses, such as DWI or other major violations, convictions can remain on record longer and affect licensing for five to ten years.