St. Louis Traffic Ticket Lawyers
In Missouri, paying a traffic ticket is a guilty plea. Before you pay, it's worth knowing what that conviction will do to your driving record, and whether there's another way to resolve it.
Traffic Tickets & License Problems
Why not just pay the ticket?
Most traffic tickets can be paid by mail or online, and it's tempting to pay and move on. But in Missouri, paying is not a neutral step. Under the Missouri Supreme Court's rules for municipal courts, paying the full fine and costs before your court date counts as a guilty plea and a waiver of trial. Once you're convicted, the Department of Revenue (DOR) adds points to your driving record.
A single ticket can matter more than the fine:
- Points. Most moving violations carry 2 points. Speeding more than 5 mph over the limit carries 3 points under state law, or 2 under a city or county ordinance. Some offenses, such as driving while suspended or leaving the scene of an accident, carry 12 points (RSMo 302.302).
- Suspension and revocation. DOR suspends your license at 8 points in 18 months. It revokes your license at 12 points in 12 months, 18 points in 24 months, or 24 points in 36 months (RSMo 302.304).
- Insurance. Convictions go on your driving record, and insurance companies commonly review driving records when they set rates.
- Commercial drivers. If you hold a CDL, federal rules bar courts from "masking" most traffic convictions. Two serious violations within three years can take you out of a commercial vehicle for 60 days.
What we do
When you bring us a ticket, we:
- Review the ticket and your driving record before anything is paid, so you know what a conviction would mean for your points and your license.
- Appear in court for you where the court allows it. Missouri's rules let a plea be entered without the defendant present when the court, the prosecutor and the defendant all agree. Each court sets its own practice, and we'll tell you whether you need to be there.
- Talk with the prosecutor. In many cases, prosecutors are willing to discuss resolving a ticket in a way that carries fewer points or none. Whether that's offered depends on the court, the charge and your record, so we can't promise a particular result.
- Deal with the license side, including suspension notices, reinstatement and limited driving privileges.
We have offices in St. Charles and Brentwood and handle tickets across St. Louis County, St. Louis City, St. Charles County and Jefferson County. Call 314-827-6222 or contact us before your court date.
Traffic ticket guides
- Speeding tickets: points by speed and by type of charge, work zones, and what paying the ticket really means.
- Driving while suspended or revoked: when it's a misdemeanor, when it becomes a felony, and how to get a limited driving privilege.
- Missouri points and license suspension: the point schedule, suspension and revocation thresholds, and how points come off.
- Municipal court: how city courts work, the limits on fines and jail, missed court dates, and your right to a new trial.
- CDL tickets: the masking ban, serious traffic violations and disqualification periods.
- Careless and imprudent driving: tickets after a crash, leaving the scene, and driving without insurance.
Charged with driving while intoxicated? That's a criminal case with its own license consequences. See our DWI defense page.