Knowing your options and responsible driving can help you avoid financial and legal problems associated with violations of traffic law.
Traffic tickets in Missouri are about as common for drivers as speeding, running a red light, or failure to use a turn signal. Greater understanding of the various different types of traffic tickets, corresponding fines and penalties, and options will help the driver in Missouri in making an informed decision and, in some instances, minimizing the consequences.
Types of Traffic Tickets in Missouri
Generally speaking, throughout Missouri, there exist two sets of differing categories of traffic infractions: moving and non-moving. As one could imagine with that each of these varying categories will carry with it a separate set of consequences: fines, points on your driving record, and insurance rates.
Moving Violations
These are infractions where the vehicle is in motion and the driver commits a violation of the law. These include, but are not confined to the following: speeding, running a red light and reckless driving. They are usually fined harder because they are directly involved with the hazards of road safety.
Non-Moving Violation
Any form of violation involving a vehicle that is stationed or, in other circumstances unrelated to the movement of the vehicle. They include but are not limited to parking violations, expired registration, defective equipment such as broken headlamps .
Non-moving violation normally attracts lighter fines and is barely with points on one’s driving record .
Traffic Violation Fines and Penalties
Fines and penalties vary according to a multitude of different offenses, counties, and even driving records sometimes. How It Works:
Base Fines
The general rule of thumb is usually that the amount of fine one must pay for a ticket is, for the most part, determined at the local level-that is to say, by jurisdiction, city or county.
Examples of such are : Speeding tickets range between $50 and $ 300 depending on how much above the posted speed limit one was traveling.
Court Costs and Other Fees
Apart from the actual fine, court costs for motorists who decide to appeal their ticket or when the violation is serious. These vary but can be $30 – $ 100 or higher.
Administrative fees and surcharges – some states, counties even, have added to these, each of
which adds up to a whole lot of dollar cost in addition to the basic fine.
License Points and the Point System
In the State of Missouri, there is a specific point system for habitual offenders who are always under higher scrutiny. To be more specific, if any driver were to be pulled over and given a ticket regarding a specific kind of traffic violation, there is a sort of point system in which, against one’s license, a set of points are built up in accordance with the severity of the moving violation.
Too many points given within a particular time period result in suspension or revocation of licensure. Here are a few examples of point systems for traffic moving violations: adult Speeding over 5 mph over the limit: 3 points Careless and imprudent driving: 4 points Driving under the influence: 8 points Insurance Premiums Points on the driving record translate to increased insurance premiums because this represents an increased risk to the insurance agency.
Even one speeding ticket can raise premiums while having more than one infraction or serious infractions like DUI can have significantly higher rate increases and/or cancellation of policy.
What to Do If You Are Given a Ticket
In Missouri, if you are given a traffic ticket, you generally have three options: you may pay the fine, you can go to traffic school, or you can contest the ticket.
Option 1: Paying the Fine
Generally speaking, paying the fine is the easiest and quickest way to be rid of most minor matters. However, paying a fine is also considered pleading guilty, and a pre-set number of points will be assessed against your license that can increase your insurance rates.
How to Pay
Most counties of Missouri allow you to pay this fine amount online, by mail, and even in the courtroom. This is usually on the back of your ticket or by contacting the website of the courthouse mentioned on your citation by calling.
Pay the fine on time as it delays add more surcharge or worst case License Suspension or Arrest
Option 2: Traffic School
Needless to say, for certain violations of traffic in Missouri, one does have an option of attending the traffic school instead of paying the fine. It would avoid the points showing on your driving record and perhaps even prevent a hike in insurance.
Eligibility Criteria
Not all infractions allow for traffic school and when they do – different counties/cities have different requirements to be eligible. Generally those that are eligible for traffic school are minor moving violations which include speeding and failure to signal.
Check with the court for eligibility and to confirm traffic school will keep the points off of your record.
Cost and Time Commitment
Traffic school classes range from 15 to 40 dollars though there is a wide range in potential cost. The class can often be done online or in the classroom for about 4 to 8 hours.
Benefits of Traffic School
Attending traffic school will keep your record clean, avoid higher insurance rates, and thus improve and broaden your driving experience.
Option 3: Challenge the Ticket
It is always open to him to contest it in the court of law if he thinks that he is being fined on the wrong grounds. People may want to appeal if he has some type of proof to show or the ticketed consequences become costly-in other words, it increases the rate of one’s insurance or puts points resulting in license suspension.
Of course, this is not a must; but in the event that the case is very serious or complex, it would be very convenient to have a lawyer conversant with Missouri traffic laws .
The lawyers thus can evidence against you, negotiate on your behalf with the prosecution and generally defend yourself in court.
Gathering of Evidence
Bring with you whatever evidence that can be provided to prove oneself innocent. Most common evidence includes but isn’t limited to photos, eyewitnesses, and documents showing the ticket was issued for the wrong reasons.
Going to Court
Be prepared to attend the court and argue and answer all the questions that the judge may ask. If discharged or found not guilty of the citation, the citation and the fines levied upon you get acquitted .
What if You Ignore a Traffic Citation
Failure to act on the ticket within its due date may lead to but is not limited to the following items listed below; inability to pay a traffic ticket in Missouri is considered as a serious offense:
Additional Fines and Penalties
Too often, one has forgotten to attend to the ticket, the court attaches added fees and surcharges which become really expensive.
License Suspension
Failure to appear and answer the citation may result in the court suspending your driving license. Driving on a suspended license is a serious offense and may lead to even more serious penalties including being taken to jail.
Arrest Warrant
The Missouri Courts may even issue a bench warrant against you for arrest in case of more serious infractions or for non-payment of fines imposed on tickets as well.
Yes, you may even end up getting arrested and be put in jail for some time.
How to Check Your Missouri Driving Record
Needless to say, it is pretty important to know how many points are on your driving record. Too many points on your license mean suspension or even revocation. Here’s how you check your driving record in Missouri:
Go to the Missouri DOR Website
You can even order your driving record online through the Missouri DOR website. You’ll pay a small fee and you may need to provide your driver’s license number and other identifying information.
Request Record via Mail or In-Person
If that is not a way convenient for you, you can always get an application form mailed to DOR or visit one of the local offices.
How not to Get a Traffic Ticket
Of course, the best way to avoid the fines, the points and higher insurance rates is not to get the ticket in the first place. Following are a couple of tips that would keep you on the right side with regard to Missouri traffic laws:
Following the Speed Limit
The most common violation involving traffic is speeding. Staying within the limits cuts way down on your chances of getting a ticket.
Stop Lights/ Traffic Lights
Of course, one of the majors always keeps going by the colors of the traffic lights and stop signs. Failure to stop at a red light or unable to will have to be paid in fines and points taken away.
Don’t Drive Distracted
Texting, use of a phone, or other distractions while driving raise your chance of making an error for which you may be stopped and ticketed.
Keep Your Car in Good Shape
Even your car must comply with all of the safety laws from functional head and tail lights to turn signals. Broken equipment can get one ticketed even when one fails to violate any of the other laws.
Final Words
Tickets within Missouri range from fines to points on your driving record. They can run the gamut from paying a fine, traffic school, to going to court in hopes of lightening the severity of the consequence of the ticket. Knowing your options and responsible driving can help you avoid financial and legal problems associated with violations of traffic law.
Join the conversation!