Missouri Driver Improvement Program Points: What It Does

Updated October 2026 · Reviewed by Billy Forte

The Missouri Driver Improvement Program points rule is narrow: when a court orders the DIP, the DOR does not assess the points for that one ticket. It cannot take away points you already have, remove the ticket from your record or dismiss it. Points that are already on your record go down with clean time instead.

Key Facts

What it can do: keep the points from one court-ordered ticket off your record. See what the DIP can do.
What it cannot do: remove old points, remove the ticket or dismiss it. See what the DIP cannot do.
Which tickets: speeding, careless and imprudent driving, and other unlisted moving violations. See covered points.
Limits: once in any 36-month period, finished within 60 days of the conviction date. See the limits.
Old points: they drop by one-third, then one-half, then to zero over three clean years. See how old points go down.

Missouri Driver Improvement Program Points: What the DIP Can Do

The DIP does one thing for points. It stops the points from one ticket from being added.

The rule is in RSMo 302.302, subsection 5. It sets up “a system for staying the assessment of points.” A finished program “shall be accepted by the director in lieu of the assessment of points.”

“In lieu of” means “in place of.” The Missouri Department of Revenue (DOR) takes the finished DIP instead of the points for that ticket.

That result needs three things:

A court order. The court with jurisdiction over the ticket must order the DIP and verify it.
The right timing. You must finish within 60 days of the conviction date.
No recent use. The DIP cannot count more than once in any 36-month period.

When Points Would Be Added

Points do not start at the traffic stop. Under RSMo 302.302, the DOR assesses points only after a conviction or a forfeited bond.

Courts must report convictions to the DOR within 7 days under RSMo 302.225. Points then count from the conviction date under RSMo 302.304.

The DIP fits into that gap. The conviction is still reported, but a completed, court-ordered DIP is accepted in place of the points for it. The law sets the 60-day clock from the conviction date (RSMo 302.302.5).

Which Points the DIP Covers

The statute names the kinds of tickets the DIP can cover. Each one has its own point value on DOR Form 899 and in RSMo 302.302.1:

Speeding: 3 points under state law, or 2 under a city or county ordinance.
Careless and imprudent driving: Form 899 lists “Careless & Imprudent” at 2 points and “Careless & Imprudent 304.016” at 4 points.
Other moving violations not listed: 2 points, such as following too closely.
A city stop-sign ticket with no accident: 1 point.
Injury or damage: the 2 extra points a court can certify under RSMo 302.302.3.

The point value does not change with the speed or with who wrote the ticket. Our speeding ticket and DIP guide covers speeding tickets in detail.

What the DIP Cannot Do

The limits matter as much as the benefit. The DIP cannot do these things:

Remove points you already have. It works only on the points for the ordered ticket.
Remove the ticket. The Safety Center process sheet says the program “WILL NOT remove the ticket from the drivers record.”
Dismiss the ticket. The conviction stays.
Lower the fine. Fines and court costs are a separate matter.
Cover a second ticket inside 36 months. The law allows one use in any 36-month period.
Count if you finish late. Completion must come within 60 days of the conviction date.

It also does not reach every kind of ticket. The DIP does not cover DWI, driving while suspended or revoked, leaving the scene, failure to maintain insurance or felonies.

Drivers the DIP Never Covers

Some drivers cannot use the DIP for points at all:

Anyone who has a CDL or must have one, for any ticket. The DOR’s commercial driver page says this holds “whether the offenses are committed in a noncommercial or commercial motor vehicle.”
Any driver ticketed in a commercial motor vehicle.
Motorcycle riders, who need an approved motorcycle-rider training course instead.

Our eligibility guide lists each rule in one place.

Can and Cannot at a Glance

This table sums up the answers above. Each answer rests on RSMo 302.302.5 or the Safety Center process sheet.

Question about points	Answer
Keep points off the ticket the court ordered it for?	Yes, when finished within 60 days of conviction
Take points off older tickets?	No
Take the ticket off the driving record?	No
Dismiss the ticket or cut the fine?	No
Cover a second ticket within 36 months?	No
Cover a DWI or driving while suspended?	No

Why One Ticket’s Points Matter

A few points can push a record over a line. The DOR FAQ and RSMo 302.304 set these levels:

4 points in 12 months: an advisory letter from the DOR.
8 or more points in 18 months: a suspension. It lasts 30 days the first time, 60 the second and 90 after that, if proof of insurance is filed. Otherwise it lasts 2 years.
12 in 12, 18 in 24 or 24 in 36 months: a one-year revocation, or 2 years without proof of insurance.

Here is simple math. A record with 6 points gets a new 3-point ticket in the same 18 months. That makes 9 points, which passes the 8-point line.

If a court orders the DIP for the new ticket and you finish on time, those 3 points are not assessed. The total stays at 6. The 6 old points stay too.

The same math works at the lower level. A record with 2 points that gets a 2-point ordinance speeding ticket within 12 months reaches 4 points, the advisory letter level. A court-ordered DIP for that ticket keeps the total at 2.

Our suspension and revocation guide explains what happens at each level.

Point math for one Missouri record: 6 old points, a new 3-point ticket, a court-ordered DIP and three clean years

How Old Points Go Down

Since the DIP cannot touch old points, time does that work. RSMo 302.306 and the DOR FAQ set the schedule for years with no moving-violation conviction:

After 1 year: the remaining points drop by one-third.
After 2 years: the remaining points drop by one-half.
After 3 years: the points drop to zero.

So 6 points become 4 after one clean year, 2 after two and zero after three. Points do not drop during a suspension, a revocation or a limited driving privilege.

There is one more rule. When a license is reinstated after a point suspension or revocation, the DOR sets the total to 4 points.

The DOR Tickets and Points FAQ adds a caution. Even at zero points, “certain types of convictions must remain listed permanently” on the record. Our guide to every way Missouri points go down covers each option.

The Limits That Apply Every Time

Every DIP use runs on the same clock and the same paperwork rules:

60 days to finish, counted from the conviction date.
15 days for the court to forward a record of completion to the DOR after you finish.
36 months between uses that count.

The DOR FAQ also says “you or the program may mail the completion form” to the DOR. To check your total, call the DOR at 573-526-2407 or email [email protected].

If the 60 days pass, the law does not let the DOR accept the DIP in place of points. Read what happens after a missed deadline for more.

Checking Your Point Total

You can check where you stand before and after a DIP. The DOR FAQ says to call 573-526-2407 or email [email protected] to find out how many points you have.

You can also order your driving record. The DOR’s Driving Records page lists a fee of $2.82, plus a $2 processing fee at a license office. The DOR takes orders online, at a license office or with Form 4681.

Some people search for a “Missouri DMV” record. The agency that keeps the record is the Missouri Department of Revenue (DOR). Our guide on how to check points on your license walks through each option.

What We Found on the Official Pages

We read the Missouri DOR FAQ, Form 899 and the Safety Center process sheet on October 27, 2026. Three details stood out for points.

First, the Safety Center sheet says the program “WILL NOT remove the ticket from the drivers record, only the points from the license.” The statute puts it another way: the course is accepted “in lieu of the assessment of points,” so the points for that ticket are never assessed. Where the two differ, the statute controls.

Second, Form 899 (Revised 08-2026) lists two careless and imprudent lines, at 2 and 4 points. Third, the DOR FAQ’s clean-year schedule matched RSMo 302.306.

What the Missouri DIP covers and does not cover, shown with the point value for each kind of ticket

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Every point below rests on a Missouri statute, a DOR page or the Safety Center sheet:

Taking the DIP to clear old points. It only covers the ticket the court ordered it for.
Thinking the ticket disappears. The conviction stays on the record.
Planning two uses close together. One use counts in any 36-month period.
Waiting too long. Finish within 60 days of the conviction date.
Assuming every ticket qualifies. DWI, driving while suspended and no-insurance tickets are not covered.
Expecting points to drop during a suspension. The clean-year cuts do not run then.

How Requirements Can Vary

Missouri’s point values, suspension levels and Driver Improvement Program rules come from Missouri law (RSMo 302.302 and 302.304) and apply statewide. Whether a court orders the DIP for your ticket, and how your case is handled, is up to the court on your ticket. Fines and court costs depend on the court and the charge.

Laws, forms and court practice can change. Check your ticket, any court order, the Missouri DOR website and the Missouri Revised Statutes before you enroll or pay.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the Missouri DIP remove points?

No. It keeps the points for one court-ordered ticket from being assessed. Points already on your record stay until clean time lowers them.

Will the DIP take the ticket off my record?

No. The Missouri Safety Center process sheet says the program “WILL NOT remove the ticket from the drivers record.” The conviction stays.

How many points can one DIP keep off?

The points for that one ticket. That is 3 or 2 for speeding, 4 or 2 for careless and imprudent driving, or 2 for other unlisted moving violations (1 for a city stop-sign ticket with no accident), plus any 2 injury or damage points.

Can I use the DIP for two tickets?

Not within 36 months. The law says it cannot count more than once in any 36-month period.

How long until my old points go away?

With no moving-violation conviction, points drop by one-third after one year, by one-half after two years and to zero after three. Some convictions stay listed on the record permanently.

Does the DIP help with a DWI or driving while suspended?

No. The DIP covers speeding, careless and imprudent driving and other unlisted moving violations. It does not cover DWI, driving while suspended or revoked, leaving the scene or no insurance.

Do my points go back to zero after a reinstatement?

No. When a license is reinstated after a point suspension or revocation, the DOR sets the total to 4 points. Clean-year cuts then lower it over time.

Does the DIP lower my fine?

No. The DIP deals only with points for the ordered ticket. Fines and court costs are set by the court and the law, not by the program.

Conclusion

The DIP can keep the points from one court-ordered ticket off your Missouri record, and that is all it does for points. Older points fade with clean time, and the ticket stays on your record. If your court has ordered the DIP and you finish within 60 days of your conviction date, you can take the Missouri Driver Improvement Program online.

Sources

Billy Forte is the owner of Driving Logic, a driver improvement course provider serving Missouri and other U.S. states.

This article is general information, not legal advice. Driver Improvement Program rules, point values, fines and penalties depend on your ticket, court and case facts, and they can change. Use official Missouri DOR, Missouri Revised Statutes and court sources, and consult a qualified Missouri attorney for advice about your own case.