GOT A DWI OR DUI? LET US HELP!

Yes, you have the option to simply pay the ticket which will quickly dispose of the matter. However, by paying the fine you are also pleading guilty to the charge which results in a conviction. The main downfall of simply paying a ticket is that the charge will appear on your driving record, as well as whatever number of points are assessed for the violation. Perhaps the worst consequence of having points on your driving record is that your insurance company will likely raise your car insurance rates a significant amount. In addition, an accumulation of too many points will result in your license being suspended.

In most cases an attorney will be able to keep your ticket and the points associated with the ticket, off your record. If this happens your insurance rates will remain the same. If you are unable to appear in court either because of work or any other reason we will be able to appear for you. In most cases, we can take care of a ticket without you ever having to appear in court.

While an attorney cannot guarantee any definite outcome with your case, here are some possibilities:

The violation may be amended to a non-moving violation, such as illegal parking, which prevents any points from appearing on your driving record.

The original violation may be amended to another charge that reduces the number of points that appear on your driving record.

The court may grant you a suspended imposition of sentence (SIS). In this case, you are placed on probation (normally unsupervised) and if you receive no further violations during the probationary period, you will not be convicted of the offense and no fines or points will be assessed.

Your case could be dismissed outright for any number of reasons.

These are some of the most common ways that traffic tickets may be taken care of, however there are many other options available as well.

Missouri Traffic Violations and Points Assessed

Major Violations Resulting in Suspension or Revocation:

Aggravated Endangering a Highway Worker 12

Aggravated Endangering an Emergency Responder 12

Obtain License by Misrepresentation 12

Drive Under the Influence of Drugs 8 (1st Offense) 12 (Subsequent Offenses)

Drive While Suspended/Revoked 12

Driving While Intoxicated 8 (1st Offense) 12 (Subsequent Offenses)

DWI – Assault – Felony 12

DWI – Fatality – Felony 12

Excess Blood Alcohol Content 8 (1st Offense) 12 (Subsequent Offenses)

Felony Involving Motor Vehicle 12

Leaving Scene of Accident 12

Murder 2nd Vehicular/Intoxicated 12

Negligent Homicide – Commercial Vehicle 12

Negligent Operation of Commercial Vehicle – Fatal 12

Vehicular Homicide 12

Vehicular Manslaughter 12

Common Violations Resulting in Points:

Careless & Imprudent 2

Careless & Imprudent w/ Accident 4

Endangering an Emergency Responder 4

Endangering a Highway Worker 4

Excessive Speeding 3

Fail to Produce Insurance ID 4

No Driver License 2 (1st); 4 (2nd); 6 (3rd)

No Motorcycle Qualification 2

Permit Unlicensed Driver to Drive 4

Speeding (More than 5 MPH over) 3

Stop Sign 2

These Miscellaneous Violations are Assessed 2 Points:

Activate Red Light for Non-Emergency

Aggressive Driving

Altered/Counterfeit Insurance ID Cards

Alter Driver License

Assault-3rd Degree Involving Motor Vehicle

Attempted DWI

Attempted Leaving Scene of Accident

Coast with Gears Disengaged

Collide with Vehicle or Property

Cruising

Disobey Emergency Vehicle Ordinance

Disobey Funeral Procession Ordinance

Disobey Traffic Device Railroad

Disobey Traffic Control Device

Disobey Traffic Officer

Drive w/Child on Lap

Driving Under Min Speed Limit

Driving While Impaired

Drive CMV w/o Obtaining a CDL

Drive Motorcycle Between Vehicles

Drive Motor Vehicle w/o Owners Consent

Drive Too Fast for Condition

Drive While Disqualified

Drive While Out of Service

Driver’s View Obstructed

Driving Across Fire Hose

Driving on Shoulder

Driving Through Barricade

Driving Wrong Side of Road

Eluding Police Officer

Endangering Welfare of Child

Engage in Speed Competition

Erratic Speed

Excess Vehicle Noise – Squeal Tires

Excessive Passenger Violation

Fail to Remain in Moving Vehicle

Fail to Report an Accident

Fail to Stop at RR Crossing

Fail to Stop for School Bus

Fail to Yield Right of Way

Fail to Yield – Collide with Pedestrian

Failed to Reduce Speed

Failure to Dim Lights

Failure to Keep Right

Failure to Sound Horn

Failure to Stay on Pavement

Fishtailing

Following too Close

Gave False Info to Officer

Hit & Run

Hot-Rodding

Improper Signal

Improper Start from Parked Position

Impeding Traffic Movement

Improper Backing

Improper Lane

Improper Passing

Improper Turn

Increased Speed When Passed

Leave Main Portion of Roadway

Minor in Possession

Miscellaneous Conviction

Motor Fuel Theft Obstructing Traffic

Not Permit Vehicle to Pass

Operate ATV Under Influence Alcohol/Drugs

Operate ATV with Passenger

Operate CMV w/Hand-Held Phone

Operate Commercial Vehicle While Texting

Operate Off-Road Vehicle on Roadway

Operate w/o Proper Endorsement

Operate w/o School Bus Permit

Open Car Door into Traffic

Operated ATV-Under Age of 16

Operating Motor Vehicle without Headlights

Operating Where Prohibited

Present Another’s License as Own

Prohibited U Turn

Not Permit Vehicle to Pass

Strike a Legally Stopped Car

Tamper with Ignition Interlock Device

Tampering with Motor Vehicle

Texting While Driving

Traffic Turn/Signal Violation

Unauthorized Lane Use

Violation of Ignition Interlock

Violation of Instruction Permit

Viol of Restricted License

Violate Open Container Law

Warning of Radar

Weaving

Wrong Direction on Divided Street

Wrong Direction on One Way Street

FCC is an acronym for Fine Collection Center. This is a central agency in Missouri which processes tickets primarily written by the Missouri State Highway Patrol, although there are exceptions. If you received an FCC ticket you probably also received a fine schedule with it detailing the cost of the ticket you received, as well as instructions on how to pay the fine by mail. Although this may seem like a convenient way to take care of your ticket, remember, by mailing in the fine amount you are pleading guilty to the charge and points will be assessed on your driving record. An attorney can have FCC tickets sent back to the county prosecutor’s office where a deal can be worked out and in many cases, avoid points on your driver’s license.

Every ticket that we handle is different and therefore fees vary depending on the circumstances. Some factors that we consider in determining fees are (1) the seriousness of the violation you are charged with, (2) the number of tickets you received, (3) your past driving record, (4) the difficulty of working with the jurisdiction in which you are charged, as well as other factors.

In addition to attorney fees, fines on traffic tickets vary widely by jurisdiction. The amount of the fine assessed will be dependent upon the seriousness of the violation, prior violations in the same jurisdiction, your prior driving history, and other factors. Also, in addition to a fine, all courts assess court costs, which also vary widely by jurisdiction. Many courts will allow you to make monthly payments toward the amount of fines and costs you owe. However, other courts may require payment in full of all fines and costs upfront in order to get whatever deal is offered.

We handle tickets in most Missouri and Illinois courts. However, if you have received a ticket in some other state it would probably be in your best interest to contact a local attorney. Most states are signatories to the Driver’s License Compact. This means that if you receive a traffic ticket in another state, that state will send the information to Missouri. Your home state will then apply a corresponding penalty as if you received the violation there. Many times, failure to pay an out of state ticket will result in suspension of your Missouri driving privilege.

To be eligible for a full license, an intermediate driver’s license holder must have had no traffic convictions for which points are assessed, during the preceding 12-month period. If you do receive a ticket, please contact us for help in avoiding points that will prevent you from obtaining your full license when you turn 18. For more information please visit our page on Missouri’s Graduated Driver’s License Law.

Missouri’s Graduated Driver License law requires that all first-time drivers between 15 and 18 years old complete a period of driving with a licensed driver (instruction permit), and restricted driving (intermediate license), before getting a full driver license.

If the permit holder is under age 16, the licensed driver occupying the seat beside the permit holder for the purpose of giving instruction while driving must be a qualified person, grandparent, qualified driving instructor, a qualified driver at least 25 years of age who has been licensed for a minimum of 3 years and has received written permission from the parent or legal guardian, or in case of disability (of the parent, grandparent or guardian), their designee.

At age 16, the driver may apply for an intermediate license. The intermediate license allows the driver to drive alone except during a late night curfew (1 a.m. to 5 a.m.). The driver and passengers must use seat belts, be free of alcohol and drugs, and obey the traffic laws.

At age 18, or within the 30 days immediately preceding his/her 18th birthday, the intermediate license holder may apply for a full driver license.

Definitions

Immediate family shall include parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, stepbrothers, stepsisters, and adopted or foster children residing in the driver’s household. Parent shall include a foster parent, stepparent or adoptive parent. Grandparent shall include a foster grandparent, step-grandparent or adoptive grandparent.

Qualified driving instructor is defined as an instructor who has a valid driver education endorsement on a teaching certificate issued by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, or a driver training instructor employed by a private driver education program.

Qualified person is a parent, legal guardian, or a certified trainer with a federal residential job training program with a valid driver license.

STEP ONE: Instruction Permit

Eligible Age: 15 Cost: $3.50 Valid for: 0-12 Months

To Obtain:

You must pass the vision, and written tests.

A qualified person must accompany you to the license office to sign a permission statement.

Permit Notes:

Under age 16, you may drive only when accompanied in the front seat by a licensed driver who is:

a qualified person;

a grandparent;

a qualified driving instructor;

a qualified driver at least 25 years of age who has been licensed for a minimum of 3 years and has received written permission from the parent or legal guardian; or a qualified driver designated by the disabled parent or guardian of the permit holder.

At age 16 or older, you may drive when accompanied in the front seat by a licensed driver who is at least 21 years old and has a valid driver license.

Seat belts must be worn by the driver and all passengers.

Your test paper alone is not legal for driving. Be sure to carry your permit with you.

You may renew your instruction permit.

To Graduate to an Intermediate License:

You must have an instruction permit for a minimum of 182 days (beginning the day after issuance).

You may not have any alcohol-related convictions in the last 12 months and no traffic convictions within the last 6 months.

You must have received 40 hours of driving instruction, including a minimum of 10 hours of nighttime driving instruction between sunset and sunrise, with a qualified person, grandparent, or qualified driving instructor.

STEP TWO: INTERMEDIATE LICENSE

To Obtain:

You must hold the instruction permit for at least 182 days (beginning the day after issuance).

You may not have any alcohol-related offenses in the last 12 months and no traffic convictions in the last 6 months.

A qualified person or grandparent must accompany you to the license office to verify you have received 40 hours of driving instruction, including a minimum of 10 hours of nighttime driving instruction between sunset and sunrise.

You must pass the vision, and written tests if previous results are more than one year old.

You must pass the driving test.

License Notes:

Your test paper alone is not legal for driving. Be sure to carry your intermediate license with you.

Seat belts must be worn by the driver and all passengers.

Driving Restrictions:

During the first 6 months, you may not operate a motor vehicle with more than one passenger who is under 19 years old and who is not a member of your immediate family.

After the first 6 months, you may not operate a motor vehicle with more than three passengers who are under 19 years old and who are not members of your immediate family.

You may not drive alone between 1 a.m. – 5 a.m. except to and from a school activity, job, or for an emergency, unless accompanied by a licensed driver 21 years old or older.

To Graduate to an Under-21 Full Driver License:

Your driving privilege cannot be suspended, revoked, or denied at the time of application.

You may not have any alcohol related offenses or traffic convictions within the last 12 months.

STEP THREE: UNDER 21 FULL DRIVER LICENSE

Eligible Age: 18 Cost: $10 Valid for: 0-3 Years

To Obtain:

You must satisfy the requirements for an Intermediate License, including having no alcohol-related offenses or traffic convictions in the last 12 months.

You must have a valid intermediate license. 

Your driving privilege cannot be suspended, revoked, or denied when you apply for a full license.

You must pass the vision and road sign recognition tests. (You are not required to pass the written and driving tests if already completed.)

Do I need to schedule an appointment for you to take care of a ticket?

Not usually. Most tickets can be handled over the phone. If the charges are more serious, such as driving while suspended, or a DWI, please call us to schedule a consultation. Otherwise, feel free to call us for a fee quote to handle your traffic ticket.