Police officers hand down traffic tickets in Missouri for a wide variety of traffic violations. Drivers who do not provide their payment and those that do not initiate the process to contest the issue in court, in due may be punished with additional fines and penalties. For instance, if you do not complete the procedure of paying driving fines within 30 days of receiving the ticket, you may receive an additional fine of up to $1,000 or a jail sentence of no more than one year.

Depending on the nature of the offense, you may also incur a warrant for your arrest and a suspended driver’s license. Keep reading to learn how to pay tickets and find out more about the procedure to appeal your traffic offense in the court.

Fighting a Missouri Ticket

Fighting traffic tickets in Missouri is a process that can be initiated by filling out the Not Guilty Plea Form and sending it to the office of the Fine Collection Center (FCC) in Jefferson City by mail or by fax. Drivers who choose to dispute traffic tickets in MO through the presiding county court must also send their ticket or a copy of their ticket, along with the plea document.

After receiving the driver’s decision to fight traffic tickets in MO, the center will forward the traffic citation to the corresponding court, which will schedule the upcoming court date. After listening to your ticket defense the judge will rule on your case.

If you are found not guilty, then you will not be required to pay the fine and you will not incur any points on your driving record. If you lose your case, then you will be required to pay all applicable fines and costs. In such cases, the conviction will also be reported on your record, which may lead to an increase in your car insurance rates.

Paying a Missouri Ticket

The process of paying driving fines in Missouri can be completed by filling out your traffic ticket and mailing it along with the ticket violation payment to the Missouri FCC within 30 days of receiving it. Drivers can also provide the payment for the traffic fine via alternative methods.

For instance, you can pay by using a valid credit card. If you do not have internet access, you can also call the FCC and provide your payment details by phone, or you can deliver your payment in person.

Lost Tickets in Missouri

When settling a traffic ticket in Missouri, motorists must often have the information contained within the ticket information at their disposal. If you do not have your ticket number, for example, you will be unable to complete the procedure to pay traffic ticket online or by phone.

Drivers who lose their tickets can still recover the data contained within via several methods. The most convenient option to retrieve your citation information in MO is to call the state FCC and provide your personal information to a customer service agent. Motorists may also be able to recover their lost traffic tickets in MO by contacting the court that is handling their case.

Missouri Fines and Penalties

Drivers who are unable to dispute traffic tickets in Missouri by preparing a traffic ticket defense will be required to pay the fine associated with the ticket. Depending on the method you choose to pay your fines and the nature of the offense, the payable amount will vary.

Particularly, if you commit a DUI, you will face substantial fees and possible jail time. Motorists who are paying driving fines through the state court system may also be required to provide payment for additional court-set costs. The following list outlines several traffic violations in MO and the resulting fine penalties:

• Failure to display license plates on a motor vehicle: $30.50
• Failure to yield to an emergency vehicle: $80.50
• Following a bus or a truck closer than 300 feet: $130.50
• Exceeding the posted speed limit by 20 to 25 mph: $155.50

Apart from providing traffic tickets payments in MO, drivers who commit certain traffic offenses may also be subject to additional penalties such as driving license suspensions or revocations.

Points in Missouri

When a driver commits a traffic violation in Missouri, he or she generally receives a certain amount of demerit points on his or her driving transcript. As the fine amount varies based on the nature of the offense, the number of points assigned to your record varies as well.

More serious offenses result in a larger amount of penalty points. Review several examples of offenses punishable by traffic tickets in MO and their corresponding point penalties in the following list:

• Speeding over the posted limit: 3 points
• Reckless driving: 4 points
• Committing a felony while operating a motor vehicle: 12 points
• Driving while suspended: 12 points

Note: Certain drivers may also be able to reduce their total point count by completing an MO improvement program (DIP) under authorization by the state Fine Collections Center or the court that is handling their case. An MO traffic lawyer may be helpful in helping you to negotiate a deal such as this.

How Tickets Affect a Missouri Drivers License

In addition to paying a specific ticket violation payment in Missouri, drivers who were issued an MO traffic ticket may also lose their driving privileges. For instance, the state Department of Revenue administers license suspensions or revocations to drivers who accrue a specific amount of points within a certain time period.

Since traffic violations result in a specific number of demerit points, motorists who commit multiple offenses are at risk of adverse actions against their credentials. For example, if you accumulate eight points within an 18-month period, your license will be suspended for the duration of 30 to 90 days. If you receive a citation that leads to 12 points within a 12-month period, on the other hand, you will incur a license revocation of one year.

Missouri Car Insurance Fines and Violations

Missouri traffic tickets may also be incurred by drivers who fail to provide the necessary proof of car liability insurance coverage upon request from a police officer. To avoid a traffic citation in MO for a non-insurance offense, drivers will be required to maintain a minimum coverage of $10,000 for property damages, $25,000 for bodily injury or death or one individual and $50,000 for all participants in the accident.

Note: Missouri vehicle insurance providers often raise the insurance premiums of drivers who commit several offenses within a certain time period.

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