Getting a speeding ticket in Missouri is intimidating, but it does not have to be. Guilty plea and fine payment, fighting the ticket, or whatever you prefer to do, but you should know your rights and obligations. This convenient guidebook contains easy, straightforward step-by-step directions on what to do for a speeding ticket in Missouri. Call a good Kansas city speeding ticket lawyer today.
Step 1: Read the Ticket Information
When you get a speeding ticket, the first thing to do is to read all that is on the ticket and verify it is correct. Double-check your name and date spelled correctly, time, location, and speed at which you were to be speeding. If there is a mistake, for instance, incorrect speed or location, this will be a likely reason to challenge the ticket.
For example, if the officer recorded the wrong speed or the wrong highway, this could lead to a dismissal. However, it’s important to note that mistakes are rare. If the details are correct, the ticket stands, and you’ll need to decide how to proceed.
If you discover that there is an error on the ticket, visit the court or issuing officer as soon as possible. They will provide you with a copy of a corrected ticket or correct it. If the ticket is error-free, then follow the following steps.
Step 2: Choose To Pay or Contest the Ticket
When you’ve read your ticket, then you need to decide what in the world you’re actually going to do in response to the violation. Here in Missouri, you pretty much have two options: pay the fine or appeal the ticket in court.
Paying the Fine
The simplest and quickest thing that you can do is simply pay the ticket. Payment of the ticket will generally have the same effect, though, of your having pleaded guilty to the offense, and the offense will be noted on your driver’s license. This, based on how fast you were going when you got the ticket for, will have the effect of points being added to your license.
If you pay the ticket, you will be paying the full price of the ticket, and that will be based on how much you were going over the speed limit. The ticket will also impact car insurance, with the insurance companies generally taking your record into account when you are comparison shopping for rates.
If you do decide to do this, make sure to pay your fine on the date indicated on your ticket. If you pay late, extra fines or penalties will be charged. Bring a copy of your proof of payment with you.
Contesting the Ticket
If you believe the ticket was unnecessary or you have a good cause to cancel the ticket, you can appeal in court. You would need to appear before a judge and argue.
If you wish us to, you have the right to a hearing. Write down the date on your calendar so you won’t forget. If you don’t appear, the court will likely find you guilty and require you to pay the fine and perhaps impose further punishment.
When you fight the ticket, you will have to gather any evidence that will help your case in the legal process. You can get pictures of where you were being ticketed, witness statements, or any other form of evidence that will help your case and disprove that you were speeding or that the officer pulled you over unjustly. The more evidence that you gather, the better case you will have in court.
Step 3: Learn the Penalty for Speeding Ticket
Missouri has a wide variety of penalties associated with a speeding ticket. Knowing them will help guide your decision as to whether or not you want to do something with your ticket.
Fines
First, you will have to pay the fine. The fine in Missouri will depend on how much over the limit you were speeding. If you were speeding 1-5 over the limit, the fine most likely will be small. But if you were speeding 15 or more over the limit, the fine most likely will be substantial.
You can literally read the fine on your ticket. The fine will also vary based on whether or not the infraction occurred in a school zone, construction zone, or special zone.
Points on Your Driver’s Record
Missouri does assign points against your driver’s record for some of these offenses, like speeding. Points are assessed based on how much you were speeding over the limit.
For example:
- 1-5 mph over: 1 point
- 6-10 mph over: 2 points
- 11-15 mph over: 3 points
- 16-19 mph over: 4 points
- 20+ mph over: 4 or more points, with additional penalties appended
Point bargaining against your driver’s license can incur penalties. Your state will suspend your license when you accumulate 8 or more points against your license within an 18-month period. In the event that you get convicted of several traffic infractions in a very short period of time, your license could be suspended by the court for an undetermined period of time.
Increased Insurance Rates
One of the worst-best-kept-secrets to getting a speeding ticket is that it will damage your car insurance. Your car insurance provider gauges their rate by the way you drive, and as soon as you acquire points on the speed gun, they increase your rate. For a slap on the hand and the price of at most five dollars, your subsequent insurance payment could cost millions.
License Suspension or Revocation
If you gain more than a certain number of points on your driver’s license, you will be suspended or even have your license revoked. That is to say that you won’t be legally permitted to drive anymore. You will need to pay a fee or attend a hearing if you are suspended in order to regain your license. A good License back lawyer in Kansas City can help to resolve the issue.
Step 4: Go to Traffic School
If you are a new driver or committed a relatively fairly minor offense, you may attend traffic school in the hopes of avoiding points on your record. It is also referred to as a “driver improvement” course and will prevent you from being a pain and in simple standing on your record.
In Missouri, you can request the court whether or not you can go to traffic school and whether or not you can go to traffic school. If you are qualified, then you will have to complete the course within a certain time frame, and the speeding ticket points will be removed from your record.
Even though traffic school is costing money out of your pocket, it will pay dividends in the end by keeping your insurance from rising and by keeping your license from being suspended or revoked.
Step 5: Attend Your Court Hearing (If You’re Disputing the Ticket)
If you do intend to contest the speeding ticket, you will have to appear in court on the day you are scheduled. That is where you will have an opportunity to plead your case to the judge. As you prepare for your hearing, be sure that you collect all of the evidence that supports you.
Some of the typical defenses are:
- You weren’t speeding and you have evidence to support that.
- The police officer made a mistake or overestimated your speed.
- You were speeding but there was an emergency.
You will need a legitimate reason for your evidence, i.e., an emergency.
Be ready to defend your evidence assertively but politely. The judge will decide based on the facts. If you get your ticket dismissed, you won’t have to pay the fine or the points on your record. But if you are guilty, you’ll pay the fine and you might be fined again as well.
FAQs
1. Is a speeding ticket in Missouri contestable?
You can appeal the speeding ticket issued in Missouri. If you are of the view that you were not speeding or that the police officer erred, then you can go to court and have your say. Ensure that you notify the court of your intent to appeal the ticket within the appropriate time.
2. What if I don’t pay my speeding ticket?
If you do not pay the speeding ticket, the court will issue a warrant of arrest or suspension of your license. It is better that the ticket should be dismissed by paying the fine or by attending the court for the hearing. If you simply do nothing, you will have to pay more money in fines and you may face other stiff punishments.
3. How expensive will a Missouri speeding ticket be for me?
The cost of a Missouri speeding ticket will differ depending on the number of miles per hour more than the limit you were speeding when you passed through. To illustrate, you’d pay $30 if you were traveling between 1 and 5 miles per hour faster than the speed limit. But if you were driving 16 to 19 over, the fine is a minimum of $100. The fine will be listed on your ticket, but the fine may differ depending on where you got into trouble.
4. Will a Missouri speeding ticket increase my insurance?
Yes, the speeding ticket will increase your auto insurance. The insurance providers consider your motor vehicle record, and two or three speeding tickets will increase you. How much of what the violation will increase you will have to do with how badly you performed at accomplishing what you were attempting to do and how well the company insuring you conducts itself.
5. Will traffic school prevent points from being placed on my driving record?
Yes, in some cases you can take traffic school or a driver improvement course so the points will not be charged against you. This is usually for smaller tickets or first-time offenders. Contact the court and ask if you qualify to do this. If you take the course, the points on the ticket may be taken off your record.
It ain’t no picnic to handle a Missouri speeding ticket. You don’t have to go off the deep end, however, if you understand your options and what you can do. Pay the ticket, contest the citation, or attend traffic school, knowing it is the magic wand that will get you through it without getting hurt and won’t allow you to fall into another penalty.
