Missouri Driving Penalties You Might Not Know About

Rules, regulations and laws when it comes to driving vary between states, cities, and even counties. For instance, in Missouri, if you get cited in St. Joseph for a prohibited u-turn, the cost won’t translate the same in Columbia. Refresh your mind on these driving rules, regulations, and penalties to avoid those pesky fines! Double check the regulations in place where you drive most often, so you can be sure to follow them!

 
• Missouri runs on a points system. Every traffic violation gets a certain number of points—the more serious the offense, the higher the points go. These are not points you want to collect. If you accumulate eight or more within 18 months, your license will be suspended for an assigned amount of days, months, or years.
  

 

• Other actions that can result in the suspension of your license include: driving under the influence, refusing an alcohol or drug test, providing false information on your driver’s license, failing to file an accident report, fleeing the scene of an accident, and driving without car insurance.

 

• Missouri does not have a law that specifically prohibits reckless driving. However, “careless and imprudent driving penalties” are in place. The consequences for careless and imprudent driving are subjective to the circumstances. However, it’s imperative to be aware of the general penalties:
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  • Careless and imprudent driving is usually considered a class B misdemeanor. If convicted, you can face jail time and a maximum of $1,000 in fines.
  • If involving an accident, the consequences increase and become a class A misdemeanor with possible jail time and a maximum of $2,000 in fines.
  • Careless and imprudent driving offenses can add up to four points to your driving record.

 

• Missouri requires that your bumper must be at least 4.5 inches tall. As long as your bumper is within the legal limit, residents are free to modify their vehicle in other fashions.

 

• Your car is required to be equipped with a muffler in Missouri. Exhaust cutouts and bypasses are not permitted to be installed.
  

 

Were you aware of all of these regulations that are in place? Have you ever gotten penalized for a driving regulation you were not aware of? Let me know about it in the comments below!