Traffic tickets in Missouri: points, fines and traffic school
How Missouri treats a traffic ticket: whether the points stick, whether a course can clear it, what the fine really costs, and which court or agency actually handles it. Prefer your own city? Jump to the 1 Missouri city guides below.
1Do points matter in Missouri?
Missouri's Department of Revenue sends you an advisory letter at 4 points in 12 months and suspends your driving privilege at 8 or more points in 18 months (30 days the first time, 60 the second, 90 after that). 12 points in 12 months means a one-year revocation. Points fall by a third for each clean year and reach zero after three.2Can you keep it off your record?
Missouri's route is the Driver Improvement Program, a state course aimed at stopping points from reaching your record and at reducing what is already there. Eligibility and the court's willingness vary, so confirm with the court or the Department of Revenue before you pay for it.Compare how traffic school works in every state we cover →
3What will it cost?
A fine in Missouri is set by statute or by the court named on your citation — never by the officer who wrote it. Here is where the real number comes from:
Kansas City publishes a payable-violations fine schedule and a separate court-costs table. Check your violation against the schedule before you pay, because payable and non-payable cases are treated completely differently.4Who handles your ticket in Missouri?
Missouri tickets go to the municipal court for city tickets and the circuit court for county tickets (Kansas City Municipal Court inside Kansas City). Almost every case can be looked up in Case.net.Check your licence status and driving record with Missouri Department of Revenue - driver licensing and points.
Pick your city in Missouri
Same six questions on every page, in the same order: where to pay, whether to fight it, traffic school, and when a lawyer is worth it.
Common questions
What is the Driver Improvement Program in Missouri?
It is a state course aimed at stopping points from reaching your record and at reducing what is already there. Eligibility and the court's willingness vary, so confirm with the court or the Department of Revenue before you pay for it.
How many points suspend a Missouri licence?
The Department of Revenue sends an advisory letter at 4 points in 12 months and suspends at 8 or more points in 18 months (30 days the first time, 60 the second, 90 after that). 12 points in 12 months means a one-year revocation. Points fall by a third for each clean year and reach zero after three.
How much is a Missouri ticket?
Missouri courts publish a payable-violations fine schedule and a separate court-costs table. Check your violation against the schedule first, because payable and non-payable cases are treated completely differently.
Informational only, not legal advice. Rules, deadlines and fine schedules change — always confirm the detail with the court or agency named on your ticket. Last checked 2026-10-12.