Whether you were caught going a little too fast or accidentally hit someone’s mailbox, anyone who gets behind the wheel of a vehicle is capable of receiving a traffic ticket. In Missouri, traffic laws and tickets can become complicated depending on the circumstances of an incident, so it’s helpful to know both the laws themselves and how to handle any tickets you might get.
The following guide will not only explore different types of traffic tickets but also the varying levels of punishments and consequences that can come with them, as well as how you can respond to them.
Traffic Ticket Basics
Traffic violations are largely governed by state and local laws, though it’s possible to receive a federal ticket if the violation occurs on federal land, such as a military base or a national park. Depending on the nature of the violation, traffic tickets can be classified as an infraction, a misdemeanor, or a felony, though the latter is usually reserved for more severe violations, such as endangering the lives of others. Conversely, infractions are minor, such as violating the speed limit by five miles per hour or less.
Moving Violations
This type of traffic ticket is for violations that occur while a vehicle is in motion or being operated by someone. They largely focus on how the vehicle is being used and whether that impacts other drivers, pedestrians, or nearby property.
Careless and Impudent Driving
In Missouri, there’s no specific law for “reckless driving,” Revised Statute section 304.012 (RSMo §304.012) addresses what the state calls “careless and imprudent” driving. Drivers are required to use a high degree of care while on the roads and focus on the safety of other people’s property and lives. This broad phrasing can include several types of violations, such as recklessly cutting someone off to directly causing an accident.
Similarly, the legal implications of a careless and impudent driving violation can vary, but they’re usually classified as a class B misdemeanor, which can come with a penalty of up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine. If, however, the violation caused an accident, it becomes a class A misdemeanor, which can include up to a year of jail time and a $2,000 fine.
The broad nature of this statute means there’s a lot of gray area as to what is or isn’t “careless and imprudent” driving, which makes legal representation even more important. Experienced traffic attorneys can navigate these charges and possibly get a reduced sentence depending on the details of the situation.
Failure to Drive on the Right Half of the Road
As irritating as it can be to change lanes to overtake slower traffic repeatedly, it’s technically illegal in Missouri to continuously drive in the left lane without returning to the right lane after passing someone or making a left-hand turn. RSMo §304.015 explains this requirement in greater detail, such as how to drive on the highway when three or more lanes are available and exceptions to the law for when the right lane is under construction or traffic directives prevent the use of the right lane.
For example, trucks with a registered weight of more than 40,000 pounds are not allowed to drive in the far left lane when three or more lanes are available, except when the right two lanes are closed or under construction or the truck’s driver needs to follow traffic control devices that use the far left lane, such as traffic cones or rubber barriers.
Violations of this statute are considered class C misdemeanors, which can escalate to class B misdemeanors if the violation poses an immediate threat of an accident or class A misdemeanors if the violation does cause an accident. Class C misdemeanors aren’t as severe as class B or class A, but they can still carry up to a $750 fine and 30 days in jail.
Failure to Stop at a Stop Sign
RSMo §300.270 and §304.271 deal not just with obeying stop signs but also failing to observe any traffic control devices unless expressly directed to do so by a law enforcement official. The only exception to these statutes is when the sign or traffic control device isn’t in the proper position or sufficiently legible for an ordinarily observant person to see it, unless the law specifically says no such sign or device is required.
Under RSMo §300.010, official traffic control devices include, “…all signs, signals, markings and devices not inconsistent with this ordinance placed or erected by authority of a public body or official having jurisdiction, for the purpose of regulating, warning or guiding traffic.”
These statutes require all drivers to fully stop at all stop signs, before all crosswalks, or at the nearest point of an intersecting roadway where they can see approaching traffic. Punishments for violating these statutes can include a fine ranging from five to 500 dollars and imprisonment in the county jail for up to one year.
Of course, the severity of this type of traffic ticket will depend on the details of the situation. Someone who rolls through a stop sign at an empty intersection probably won’t face as severe a punishment as someone who drives through a crosswalk full of people.
Failure to Yield
Traffic tickets for failing to yield deal with drivers who don’t allow other drivers or pedestrians with the right of way to act first. RSMo §304.351 outlines several scenarios where drivers must yield the right of way, including yielding to vehicles that have already entered an intersection from a different highway, yielding to the vehicle on the right when two vehicles enter an intersection simultaneously from different highways, and yielding to oncoming vehicles when making a left turn within an intersection.
Moreover, the statute allows state or local authorities to designate stop or yield intersections and install signs indicating this. Drivers must stop at marked stop lines or, in the absence of such, at a point where they can safely view intersecting traffic before proceeding. After stopping, they must yield to any vehicle in the intersection or approaching closely enough to pose an immediate danger.
Traffic tickets for failing to yield will generally be considered class C misdemeanors (up to a $750 fine and 30 days in jail) unless the violation causes physical injury, severe physical injury, or death. In those cases, additional fines of up to $1,000 can be imposed and the driver’s license can be revoked for up to six months.
Leaving the Scene of an Accident
If you are involved in a traffic accident, leaving the scene before law enforcement arrives is possibly the worst thing you can do. RSMo §577.060 requires all drivers involved in an accident to remain at the scene until they’ve given certain information (their name, address, driver’s registration or license number, and any operator’s license number) to the other drivers involved in the accident or a law enforcement official.
Traffic tickets for fleeing the scene of an accident are generally classified as Class A Misdemeanors (up to a $2,000 fine and a year in jail). They can, however, become Class E felonies if the other driver(s) received physical injuries, over $1,000 in damage occurred to someone’s property, or the perpetrator has previously been guilty of fleeing the scene of an accident. Class E felonies can come with up to four years of jail time and fines up to $10,000. If someone died because of the accident, fleeing the scene is considered a Class D felony, which can come with up to a $10,000 fine and four to 10 years in jail.
Because of the gravity of these violations and the complexity of traffic tickets in general, anyone accused of fleeing the scene of an accident should seek legal representation from a traffic ticket lawyer as soon as possible.
Speeding
Traffic tickets for speeding are one of the most common types of tickets, but the punishments for violating the speed limit can be quite severe. Under RSMo §304.010, Missouri has uniform speed limits for different types of roadways:
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- Rural interstates and Missouri freeways: 70 miles per hour
- Rural expressways in Missouri: 65 miles per hour
- Interstate highways, freeways, or expressways within Missouri’s urbanized areas: 60 miles per hour
- All other Missouri roads and highways not in an urbanized area: 60 miles per hour
- Two-lane state roads identified by a letter and not in an urbanized area: 55 miles per hour
This statute also allows local towns, cities, and villages to regulate the speed limit of these types of roadways within their boundaries but reserves the right to void unique limits made by such authorities if those limits aren’t designed to expedite the flow of traffic and are designed to provide revenue for that area.
Traffic tickets for speeding are usually deemed Class C Misdemeanors (up to $750 fine and 30 days in jail), unless the violation was by 20 miles per hour or more, in which case the ticket is a Class B Misdemeanor (up to $1,000 fine and 30 days to six months in jail). If, conversely, the violation was by five miles per hour or less, the ticket is instead considered an infraction (up to a $400 fine) under RSMo §304.009.
Non-Moving Violations
As you’ve probably guessed, non-moving tickets are for situations where a vehicle either isn’t in motion or being operated by someone. These types of violations are usually about the vehicle itself or how a vehicle is parked, such as wrongfully parking in a handicapped space or having windows tinted beyond the legal limit.
Failure to Display Plates
The law regarding Missouri license plates and how to display them is contained in RSMo §301.130. It requires vehicles up to 12,000 pounds to display issued license plates on both the front and rear of the vehicle, between eight and 48 inches off the ground. The plates must be visible and legible, with tags denoting when the current registration for the plates expires. Drivers can renew their plates, and obtain new tabs indicating this, annually or every two years.
Trucks and other vehicles weighing more than 12,000 pounds must also display their plates, but only on the front of the vehicle, unless they specifically request and are granted a second plate to display on the rear. Conversely, license plates for trailers, motorcycles, motortricycles, autocycles, and motorscooters are only required to be displayed on the rear of the vehicle.
Traffic tickets for violating these requirements are classified as an infraction and come with a fine ranging from five to 500 dollars.
No Insurance
Missouri traffic laws strictly require vehicle owners and drivers to maintain a level of “financial responsibility” for their vehicles in the form of insurance. This is codified in RSMo §303.025, which outlines the duty of residents and nonresidents to establish and maintain insurance coverage for a vehicle before it’s driven. For example, it’s illegal in Missouri for you to drive someone else’s car if you know that car doesn’t have any insurance. The only exception to this law is for cars that don’t work or cars not being used while in storage.
Traffic tickets for not insuring your car start as Class D misdemeanors (up to a $500 fine) for a first offense but can escalate if someone is guilty of violating this law more than once. Repeat offenders can receive fines for each infraction and up to 15 days in the county jail. The court can also suspend a person’s license for violating this law and require a reinstatement fee, both of which vary in severity depending on whether the person has repeated violations on their driving record.
No Drivers License
As most people know, you can’t drive a car or motorcycle without a driver’s license. RSMo §302.020 clearly states that no one without a license is allowed to drive a vehicle until they obtain said license. Motorcycles too require special licenses without which someone isn’t allowed to drive a motorcycle. Moreover, it’s illegal to allow someone to drive your motorcycle if you know they don’t have a motorcycle license.
One of the most well-known exceptions to this law is someone who has an instructional permit for learning how to drive. RSMo §302.130 goes into greater detail on temporary permits, but those who have one are allowed to drive a car for up to a year, so long as they have a licensed driver in the passenger seat next to them for instructional purposes. If the driver is under the age of 16, this passenger must be a licensed driving instructor, the grandparent, parent, or legal guardian of the driver, or a person at least 25 years old who has had a driver’s license for at least three years and has written permission to accompany the driver from the driver’s parent, grandparent, or legal guardian.
Traffic tickets for driving without a license can escalate quickly, as a first offense is treated as a Class D misdemeanor (up to $500 fine) but second and third offenses are classified as Class A misdemeanors (up to $2,000 fine and 6 months or more in jail) and Class E felonies (up to $10,000 fine and four to 10 years in jail) respectively. Allowing someone to drive a motorcycle without a license is classified as a Class D misdemeanor, though repeated violations escalate to Class C misdemeanors (up to a $750 fine and 30 days in jail).
Traffic Ticket Consequences
In addition to the criminal punishments described above, there are other repercussions involved when you receive a traffic ticket. Some, like points on your driving record, are initially less noticeable, while others, such as increased driving insurance premiums, can make a traffic violation even more costly than before.
Points on License
The state of Missouri uses a point system for each traffic ticket violation. Accumulating too many points within a certain timeframe can cause your license to be suspended for 30 to 90 days depending on whether it’s been suspended in the past. However, a suspension can be extended to a full year if you accumulate 12 or more points in 12 months, 18 or more points in 24 months, or 24 or more points in 36 months.
After receiving a traffic ticket, the points on your driving record will be removed if you don’t accumulate any more points over time. After one year, the points on your record are reduced by 1/3, while after 2 years they are reduced by half. If you go three years without getting new points, the total amount of points on your record will be reduced to 0.
Missouri Form-899 provides more information on specific point amounts based on the type of traffic violation and how they apply to those with commercial driving licenses.
Insurance Premiums
Each insurance provider handles speeding tickets differently, but a driver who receives one will probably see their insurance premiums go up. How much the premiums increase further depends on the driver’s situation (e.g., their driving history, demographics, location, etc.) but it can cost hundreds, if not thousands, of extra dollars a year compared to a driver with a clean driving record.
How to Handle a Traffic Ticket
Drivers who receive a traffic ticket are legally required to respond to the ticket by the date listed on the citation. You can choose from a couple of different options, but simply ignoring and leaving the ticket alone isn’t one of them. If you don’t respond to the ticket, your license can be suspended and the court may issue a warrant for your arrest.
Traffic Ticket Lookup
First, you’ll need to find the record of your ticket within the state’s judicial system. Thankfully, Missouri has a specific website to help with your traffic ticket search. Visit Case.net to look up your traffic ticket and find its assigned case number.
Paying Traffic Tickets
After you’ve found your case, you’ll need to decide between pleading guilty and paying the fine or appearing in court to plead not guilty. If you choose to plead guilty, you can submit payment for the fine online, via mail, or in person. If you choose to plead not guilty in court, you can still pay your traffic ticket online if the court doesn’t rule in your favor.
Hiring a Traffic Ticket Lawyer
Another option available to you is reaching out to an experienced traffic ticket lawyer to explore your case. This is especially advisable if you plan to appear in court to plead not guilty or if your case involves serious injuries, property damage, and fatalities. A traffic ticket attorney will generally be better suited to defend your case and your rights than you trying to do it yourself.
Every Missouri driver should understand the state’s traffic laws to ensure their safety and not risk a violation. Statutes regarding careless and imprudent driving, failure to drive on the right half of the road, and obeying traffic control devices like stop signs are in place to promote safe driving practices for everyone. Moreover, violations can lead to severe fines, jail time, or both. Being aware of these laws is the best way to avoid breaking them, but if you find yourself in a situation where you’ve received a traffic ticket, seeking legal counsel can be extremely helpful. Not every violation is as simple as it may seem, and an experienced traffic ticket lawyer can help you navigate any complexities in the law and craft the best possible defense.