A speeding ticket can raise your insurance rates by an average of 21% in Missouri. Shopping for new rates should be your first step after paying your fine.

Written by Sarah Gray

Edited by Jessica Barrett

Reviewed by Brice Regling

Updated on Jan 31, 2024

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How to deal with a speeding ticket in Missouri
Calculate your Missouri speeding ticket penalties
Your insurance will go up after a speeding ticket—here’s how to lower it
Cheapest car insurance companies after a speeding ticket in Missouri
FAQs

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If you get hit with a speeding ticket in

Missouri

, you can either plead guilty and pay the fine or appear in court to plead not guilty. Speeding tickets will set you back at least $73 after court costs, but the average 21% increase in

car insurance

rates may be the hardest hit.

How to deal with a speeding ticket in Missouri

Step 1: Check your traffic ticket to determine if you’re required to make a court appearance

A Missouri speeding ticket is considered a criminal offense, but court is only required if you’re traveling more than 25 mph over the posted speed limit. If this is the case, you could be ticketed for

reckless driving

, a Class B misdemeanor that includes a mandatory court appearance.

Step 2: Decide whether to pay your ticket or fight it

If you choose to fight your ticket, you’ll have to appear in court—but if you choose to plead guilty and pay your fine, the infraction will be added to your driving record and you’ll see your insurance increase at your next renewal.

Step 3: Shop for car insurance before your next renewal

When your insurer learns of your speeding ticket, you’ll face rate increases averaging around 21%.

Learn more:

Car insurance renewal—are you ready for your new rate?

How to pay your ticket

If you choose not to fight your ticket, you’ll need to pay your fine. The easiest way to do this, and avoid a court appearance, is to use the Missouri courts system’s Plead and Pay feature by looking up your ticket on

Case.net

Step 1: If you know your court, choose it from the drop-down menu; otherwise, leave “all courts” selected.

Step 2: Find your citation number in the upper left-hand corner of your ticket and enter it in the “case number” field.

Step 3: Make full payment, including court fees.

You can also pay your fine by mail or by phone. Visit the

State of Missouri Fine Collection Center (FCC)

for complete instructions.1

You must respond to your ticket within 30 days with a plea of guilty and fine payment or by submitting a not guilty plea. Failure to respond could result in increased fines, license suspension, and even jail time.

How to get your ticket dismissed

To get a ticket dismissed, you must plead not guilty and appear in court.

To plead not guilty, mail the completed and signed Plead Not Guilty form provided with your ticket to

Missouri FCC

P.O. Box 104540

Jefferson City, Missouri, 65110-4540

You can also fax it to 573-522-8504. The FCC will forward your plea to the county prosecutor and the court will notify you of your court date by mail.2

In court, you’ll have the opportunity to plead your case for getting your ticket dismissed. Effective arguments for getting your speeding ticket dismissed include:

Defective equipment or officer error: If you can prove the radar detector used to clock your speed was not working correctly or that the officer made an error, you may be able to get your ticket dismissed.

Defective vehicle equipment: If you can prove that your speedometer wasn’t working properly and that you were unaware of the fact, you may have grounds for ticket dismissal.

Medical emergencies: If you can prove you were speeding in response to a medical emergency, the court may dismiss your ticket.

Drivers with a

clean driving record

will have a better chance of getting a ticket dismissed than those with previous traffic violations.

Ignorance of Missouri’s speeding laws or of the posted speed limit is not an effective defense. Whether you live in the Show Me State or you’re just passing through, don’t try to fight your speeding ticket by claiming ignorance.

Learn more:

How to get a clean driving record (and save on insurance)

Calculate your Missouri speeding ticket penalties

Missouri Revised Statutes (MRS) 304.010

defines speeding as a Class C misdemeanor.3 Convicted motorists face three main types of penalties:

Fines and fees: Missouri assigns a minimum $73 to $208 fine for speeding up to 25 mph over the limit with additional fees added for speeding in construction and work zones.4 If you’re caught driving more than 25 mph over the posted speed limit, you’ll face a Class B misdemeanor charge and fines up to $1,000.5

Demerit points: You’ll have two to three points added to your driving record according to the Missouri driver’s license points system. These points will remain on your license for three years.

Jail Time: Conviction of a Class C misdemeanor in Missouri carries the potential for up to fifteen days in jail. Class B misdemeanor convictions can result in up to six months in jail.6

Below is a breakdown of the schedule of costs and penalties associated with speeding violations and excessive speeding in Missouri.

The Missouri speeding ticket fines schedule

Speeding offense	Base fine	Court Costs	Additional fines and fees	Additional penalties
Exceeding posted speed limit by 1-5 mph	$50.50	$22.50	Construction/work zone: $108 Work zone w/ workers present: $323	Class C misdemeanor conviction
Exceeding posted speed limit by 6-10 mph	$60.50	$22.50	Construction/work zone: $118 Work zone w/ workers present: $333	Demerit points and Class C misdemeanor conviction
Exceeding posted speed limit by 11-15 mph	$70.50	$37.50	Construction/work zone: $143 Work zone w/ workers present: $358	Demerit points and Class C misdemeanor conviction
Exceeding posted speed limit by 16-19 mph	$100.50	$32.50	Construction/work zone: $168 Work zone w/ workers present: $383	Demerit points and Class C misdemeanor conviction
Exceeding posted speed limit by 20-25 mph	$155.50	$52.50	Construction/work zone: $243 Work zone w/ workers present: $458	Demerit points and Class B misdemeanor conviction

Drivers caught speeding have points added to their

driving record

based on whether they’re breaking a state law (3 points) or a county or municipal ordinance (2 points).7 Drivers who accumulate eight or more points in 18 months will have their

license suspended

by the Missouri Department of Revenue (DOR).

How to remove points for speeding from your Missouri driving record

In some cases, the court will allow a driver convicted of speeding to attend an approved

Driver Improvement Program (DIP) course

to avoid having points assigned to their driving record. But once the points are on your record, the only way to get them off is to wait.

Note that drivers with a commercial driver’s license (CDL) are not eligible to avoid points through Missouri’s DIP.

Earn safe driving perks

Even if you’re not approved to take a DIP course to avoid license points, you can still earn perks for safe driving.

By using a telematics tool like

Jerry’s

DriveShield to track driving habits like speeding, phone use, and more, you can learn to drive more safely and avoid future traffic violations.

Plus, drivers who use the Jerry app to track their driving habits earn an average safe driving discount of 12% from their insurance provider.

Your insurance will go up after a speeding ticket—here’s how to lower it

A speeding ticket in Missouri will cost you a lot in fines and fees, but it’ll cost you even more over the next few years thanks to increased insurance costs. Missouri drivers with a speeding ticket see their rates increase by an average of 21%.

Here’s what you can do to help keep your Missouri insurance affordable, even after a speeding ticket:

Step 1. Check your renewal date

Your provider can’t raise your rates until your policy comes up for renewal. That’s when they’ll run your most recent

motor vehicle report (MVR)

—which will have your speeding ticket listed.

Step 2: Wait for your renewal notice

You’ll receive a renewal notice about a month before your policy is up for renewal. This will include your new policy terms, plus the surcharge and new rate resulting from your speeding ticket.

Step 3: Compare rates from other providers

Armed with your new rate, it’s time to start

comparing quotes

to see if you can save money by switching providers. Since each provider uses its own algorithm to

calculate your rates

, you may be able to find one that offers a more affordable policy even with a ticket on your record.

A simple way to compare rates from multiple providers based on your current record is to use the

Jerry

app.

You’ll be able to build a profile that allows you to search for rates based on real quotes from a variety of providers based on your current record.

For drivers actively working toward a clean driving record, Jerry offers automatic reshops. With this feature activated, you'll instantly get new quotes when your policy is up for renewal, plus you’ll get notifications if a new provider in your area might be able to offer lower premiums.

Cheapest car insurance companies after a speeding ticket in Missouri

Here’s how major insurance companies tend to handle rate renewals after a speeding ticket:

Insurance company	Average rate increase after a speeding ticket
Allstate	15%
USAA	17%
American Family	22%
Nationwide	26%
State Farm	26%
Farmers	31%
Auto-Owners	36%
Travelers	37%
GEICO	38%
Progressive	43%

Remember: Every car insurance company calculates rates differently—and that includes how they deal with traffic offenses. Your rate may increase by less or more than shown in this table based on the time you’ve been with your provider, your existing record, and whether or not you plead guilty to your ticket.

Where'd we get these numbers?
Jerry’s editorial team researched the average rate increase after a speeding ticket for these 10 insurance companies using expert sources from Forbes, NerdWallet, ValuePenguin, WalletHub, Liberty Mutual, The Zebra, and CarInsurance.com. Our data shows the average of the data shared by these sources.

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FAQs

How much is a 20 over speeding ticket in Missouri?

The fine for speeding at 20 miles over the posted limit in Missouri is at least $208 ($155.50 plus court costs). If you’re ticketed in a construction or work zone, you could have up to $458 added to that base fine.

Is it worth fighting a speeding ticket in Missouri?

Maybe. If you have a legitimate reason to believe you shouldn’t be cited for speeding, you should enter a not guilty plea and take your case to court. That said, fighting a case on your own is tough, so you may wind up spending just as much in lawyer’s fees as you would for the fine.

Unless your speeding ticket also includes a more serious violation, like reckless driving or a DUI/DWI, it might make more financial sense to skip court and pay the fine.

How many points is a speeding ticket in Missouri?

Speeding tickets add two to three points to your Missouri driving record depending on whether you’re on a state road or a county or municipal road.

How long does it take for a speeding ticket to fall off in Missouri?

Speeding tickets remain on your Missouri driving record for at least three years. If the ticket results in a suspension or revocation of driving privileges, though, it will remain for five years.

Is 20 over the speed limit a felony in Missouri?

No. Traveling at 20 miles per hour over the posted speed limit in Missouri is considered a Class C misdemeanor.

How do you get a speeding ticket dropped in Missouri?

To get a Missouri speeding ticket dismissed you can either attend a court date and plead your case for dismissal, or request permission to enroll in Missouri’s Driver Improvement Program (DIP).

Should you get a lawyer for a speeding ticket in Missouri?

A speeding ticket can result in fines, fees, driver’s license points, and increased insurance rates. If you think you have a strong case for dismissal or you might qualify to complete Missouri’s DIP, getting a traffic lawyer to defend you may be worth the cost.

Do you have to appear in court for a speeding ticket in Missouri?

Generally no—court is only mandated for tickets issued for traveling at speeds in excess of 25 miles per hour over the limit. That said, to be sure your ticket is eligible for Pay and Plead to avoid a court appearance, look up your citation on

Case.net