A police officer blares a siren behind you. Your stomach lurches as you pull over and wait for the officer to approach your window, looking for your license to present.
The officer shines a flashlight into your car as you nervously answer the questions. A few minutes later, you hesitantly pull back onto the road with a speeding ticket on the seat beside you.
Many of us have been at a point in our lives where the siren and the flashing lights were meant for us. The shaking hands that pull out the driver’s license are felt by thousands of Missourians every year. You are not alone.
If you have been in this position, don’t worry! You have come to the correct place. This page is here for people like you to discover the help that’s available to you. At Missouri Traffic Tickets, we give you all the essential information necessary to fight traffic violation tickets, and we advocate for you in court if that’s what you choose.
Our firm provides you with direct representation through the best. Our team is comprised of experienced Missouri traffic ticket lawyers who have put in the work, and have the law school degrees to prove it!
Be sure to contact Missouri Traffic Tickets at 417-501-0653 for a free consultation. Rest assured—any information that you provide is confidential. We respond to all requests promptly.
Speeding Laws
in Missouri
What are the speeding laws in Missouri? Our state has two kinds of speeding laws:
Basic Speeding Law
Missouri’s general speeding law requires that all drivers drive “at a rate of speed s as not to endanger the property of another or the life or limb of any person.”
Basically, that translates to driving at a safe speed. This can be dependent on the area and the local driving conditions. For example, if there’s heavy rain, fog, or extra dark outside, you will want to take extra care and drive slower. Simply driving below or at the speed limit isn’t always enough to be considered safe driving.
Weaving through bumper-to-bumper at 60 miles an hour (even if that’s the limit) isn’t likely to be very safe. Unsafe driving could result in a ticket for careless and imprudent driving, which is a Class B misdemeanor and could land you up to six months in jail or $1,000 in fines.
Absolute Speed Limits
It’s obvious that you shouldn’t exceed posted speed limits on any road at any point during any conditions. Specifically, these are the absolute speed limits unless different signs are posted:
- 60 mph on urban interstate freeways and highways
- 65 mph on rural expressways
- 70 mph on rural interstates and freeways
If you choose to violate an absolute speed limit, you could get charged with a Class C misdemeanor which has a maximum penalty of 15 days in jail or $750 in fines. The exact amount of the fine depends on how many miles per hour over the limit you were going. Going 5 mph over will get you different consequences than going 25 mph over.
Missouri Speeding Tickets
You can choose not to contest your ticket, and that will result in an admission of guilt and you having to pay the full fine. Here’s how it breaks down.
- 1-5 mph in excess: $73 fine
- 6-10 mph in excess: $83 fine
- 11-15 mph in excess: $108 fine
- 16-20 mph in excess: $133 fine
- 20-25 mph in excess: You must appear in court and may receive criminal charges and additional fines and points on your record.
Just like with the fines, how many points you get is somewhat dependent on the situation. Typically, when you get a ticket for a traffic violation, you receive points on your driver’s license, which is a negative thing. It does tend to be true that if you were driving less than 5 mph over, you might not receive any points at all!
However, if you were caught going more than 5 miles per hour over the speed limit, you will get three points on your record if a state trooper or highway officer stops you, and two points if a local police officer pulls you over.
If you don’t know how many points are on your license, you might want to get your points assessed.
You don’t ever have to just pay the fine for a ticket. You can instead choose to fight the charge. You can do that on your own, or you can hire a lawyer to stand in your place. Keep in mind that fighting a ticket on your own can sometimes make the situation worse if you don’t have knowledge of your local laws and processes. A local traffic ticket attorney is your best bet for getting charges reduced or entirely removed.
Hire Top-Rated
Traffic Lawyers in Missouri
If you’re wondering if a speeding ticket is worth hiring someone who has studied criminal defense law, the answer is that it absolutely is. If you’re planning on contesting the ticket, your best bet for success is to hire a lawyer to advocate for you. We will stand between you and the judge and put your best case forward.
Speeding tickets are one of the fastest ways to accrue points on your driving record. Too many points could mean license suspensions and increased insurance rates. Eventually, it could mean getting your license entirely revoked! What you need is a credible, licensed traffic ticket attorney who can present your case in such a way that you will get the most favorable ruling possible.
These points stay on your driving record for years. They can lead to higher insurance rates, as you read above, but they can also potentially cause trouble getting a job or finding a new insurance company. Your traffic lawyer can help you keep these points off your record and protect your future as well as your present.
Traffic attorneys can also protect your “Safe Diver” status. This status is how many insurance companies choose your rates. If you’re considered a “Risky Driver” or an “Unsafe Driver” many companies won’t take you on or they’ll charge you obscene rates.
Call Missouri Traffic Tickets Today
With more than 20 years of combined experience serving Missouri, our team is highly adept at protecting Missouri drivers from damaged records and hefty fines. In many cases, you won’t even need to leave the house! We’ll handle everything, from the paperwork to appearing in court for you.
Call Missouri Traffic Tickets at 417-501-0653 to get help from licensed traffic lawyers in Missouri. Our office hours are Monday through Friday between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
