Updated October 2026 · Reviewed by Billy Forte
Yes, the Missouri Driver Improvement Program for a speeding ticket can help in one way: if the court on your ticket orders it, the DOR does not add the 2 or 3 points for that ticket. You must finish the program within 60 days of your conviction date. The ticket itself stays on your driving record, and the fine is not lowered.
Key Facts
- Court order first: the DIP counts only when the court handling your ticket orders it and verifies it. See who decides.
- Points at stake: 3 points for speeding under state law, or 2 under a city or county ordinance. See speeding points.
- Deadline: finish within 60 days of the conviction date. See the steps.
- Limits: once in any 36-month period, and never for anyone who has or must have a CDL. See who cannot use it.
- What stays: the conviction stays on your record. See what the DIP does not change.
How the Missouri Driver Improvement Program for a Speeding Ticket Works
The Driver Improvement Program (DIP) comes from one Missouri law. RSMo 302.302, subsection 5, tells the Director of Revenue to run “a system for staying the assessment of points.”
Under that system, a finished DIP “shall be accepted by the director in lieu of the assessment of points.” In plain words, the Missouri Department of Revenue (DOR) does not put the points from that one ticket on your record.
Three conditions come with that result:
- A court order. The court must order the program and verify that you finished it.
- One ticket. The DIP covers only the ticket the court ordered it for.
- A clean window. It cannot count more than once in any 36-month period.
The DOR adds points only after a conviction or a forfeited bond. Points count from the conviction date under RSMo 302.304.
Speeding Points at Stake
Missouri sets two point values for speeding. A speeding charge under state law carries 3 points. A charge under a county or city ordinance carries 2 points.
The DOR’s Form 899 lists the same values. The points do not change with how fast you were going. They also do not change with who wrote the ticket.
Those 2 or 3 points matter because Missouri adds up points over time:
- 4 points in 12 months: the DOR mails a point accumulation advisory letter.
- 8 or more points in 18 months: the DOR suspends your driving privilege.
- 12 points in 12 months: the DOR revokes your driving privilege for one year.
Here is simple math. Three 3-point speeding tickets inside 18 months add up to 9 points, which passes the 8-point line. If a court-ordered DIP covers one of them, that ticket adds no points.
For the full rules on speeding points, see how many points a speeding ticket adds. The Missouri point system guide covers the rest.
The Charge and the Fine
The DIP deals only with points. Under RSMo 304.010, state-law speeding is a class C misdemeanor, or class B at 20 mph or more over. Our guide to speeding ticket costs and points covers fines and court costs.
The Court Decides, Not the Driver
The DIP is not automatic. RSMo 302.302.5 says it counts “when so ordered and verified by any court having jurisdiction” over the ticket.
The Missouri Safety Center DIP page, which the DOR links to, says the same thing another way. It says “this decision is made by the court on a case by case basis.”
A court that uses a centralized violation bureau may have the bureau order and verify the DIP. Under RSMo 476.385, paying through that bureau also counts as consent to any DIP the court orders.
What Happened to the Fine Collection Center
The DOR FAQ still says “the court or the Fine Collections Center may authorize” the DIP. But the Missouri courts say the Fine Collection Center “stopped accepting new citations” on May 1, 2019.
Each county now has a circuit violations bureau under Supreme Court Rule 38.10. Our Fine Collection Center guide explains who handles tickets now. For what an order means, read about court-ordered driver improvement.
Paying the Ticket Is a Guilty Plea
Rule 38.10(d) says full payment before the court date “constitutes a guilty plea” and a waiver of trial. RSMo 476.385 says payment through the bureau is a plea of guilty, a waiver of trial and a conviction.
The courts’ ticket response page says “You MUST respond to your ticket by the court date shown on the citation.” If you want to ask about the DIP, ask the court first, before any payment.
Whether to pay, contest or ask for the DIP is your choice. The court on your ticket or a Missouri attorney can speak to your own case. Our guide to paying, contesting or asking about the DIP lays out each path.
Steps From Ticket to Completion
Each step below comes from the statute, the DOR FAQ or the Safety Center process sheet:
- Find the court and the court date on your ticket.
- Ask that court about the DIP before the court date.
- Note your conviction date. The Safety Center process sheet says “You must have a conviction date before you can enroll.”
- Pick a program from the Safety Center list that the DOR FAQ links to. You may take it online or in person.
- Finish within 60 days of the conviction date.
- Let the record reach the DOR. The court must forward a record of completion within 15 days after you finish.
- Check your points with the DOR at 573-526-2407 or [email protected].
The program must “meet or exceed” the National Safety Council’s eight-hour “Defensive Driving Course” standards. That rule is part of the Driver Improvement Program statute. No official source sets an exact course length.
Who Does What for a Speeding Ticket DIP
Four parties each have a set job:
| Party | Its job for your speeding ticket |
|---|---|
| The court on your ticket | Decides whether to order the DIP, verifies it and forwards a completion record to the DOR within 15 days |
| You | Finish an approved program within 60 days of the conviction date |
| The program | Meets the National Safety Council eight-hour standard and appears on the Safety Center list |
| The Missouri DOR | Accepts the DIP in lieu of points for that ticket and keeps the conviction on the record |
The DOR FAQ also says “you or the program may mail the completion form” to the DOR. Our guide on how completion reaches the DOR covers the address and how to confirm receipt.
Who Cannot Use the DIP for Speeding
The law and the official pages shut some drivers out. The DIP is not available in these cases:
- Anyone who has a CDL or must have one. The DOR’s commercial driver page says this applies “whether the offenses are committed in a noncommercial or commercial motor vehicle.”
- A ticket in a commercial motor vehicle. RSMo 302.302.5 excludes these for every driver.
- A motorcycle ticket. The law calls for an approved motorcycle-rider training course instead.
- A second use inside 36 months. The DIP cannot count more than once in any 36-month period.
- A course finished late. The law requires completion within 60 days of the conviction date.
The Safety Center process sheet also says the DIP “does not apply to out-of-state licensed drivers receiving a Missouri ticket.” The statute does not address this.
Our eligibility guide has the full list. Commercial drivers can read why CDL holders cannot use the DIP. Drivers licensed in another state can read about out-of-state licenses.
What the DIP Does Not Change
The DIP has one effect, so it helps to know its limits:
- The conviction stays. The Safety Center sheet says the program “WILL NOT remove the ticket from the drivers record.”
- The fine stays. The DIP does not lower the fine or court costs.
- Old points stay. The DIP does not remove points already on your record.
- The ticket is not dismissed. A guilty plea or finding still stands.
Old points go down with clean time instead, under RSMo 302.306. Our guide to what the DIP can and cannot do for points goes deeper.
What We Found on the Official Pages
On the Missouri DOR, court and Safety Center pages we checked on October 27, 2026, the wording did not always match the statute.
The DOR FAQ says the DIP is used “to reduce the points on your driver record for a ticket.” The statute says the DIP is accepted “in lieu of the assessment of points.” Where the two differ, the statute controls.
The DOR FAQ also still names the Fine Collections Center. The courts’ fine schedule page says it stopped taking new citations in 2019. The version of RSMo 302.302 in effect since Aug. 28, 2026 keeps the same DIP rules as the version before it.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Each item below comes from Missouri law or an official Missouri page:
- Enrolling before the court orders the DIP. It counts only when the court orders and verifies it.
- Counting 60 days from the wrong date. The clock starts at the conviction date, not when you enroll or finish. See a missed deadline.
- Expecting a dismissal. The conviction stays on the record.
- Expecting a lower fine. The DIP only deals with points.
- Using it twice in 36 months. The law allows one use in any 36-month period.
- Using it with a CDL. It is not allowed for CDL holders in any vehicle.
Guides in the Speeding Ticket and DIP Series
Each guide answers one question in depth:
- What the DIP can and cannot do for points: the one-ticket rule and its limits.
- How completion reaches the DOR: the 15-day court record and the mailing address.
- Eligibility: who can and cannot use the DIP.
- Court-ordered driver improvement: what a court order means.
- The Fine Collection Center: what changed in 2019.
- CDL holders: why the DIP does not apply.
- A missed deadline: the 60-day rule.
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
Can the DIP get my speeding ticket dismissed?
No. The DIP does not dismiss the ticket or lower the fine. When a court orders it and you finish on time, the DOR does not add points for that ticket, but the conviction stays.
How many points can the DIP keep off a speeding ticket?
The points for that one ticket: 3 for speeding under state law, or 2 under a city or county ordinance.
Do I need the court’s permission to take the DIP?
Yes. RSMo 302.302.5 says the DIP counts only when a court with jurisdiction over the ticket orders and verifies it. Ask the court on your ticket before you enroll.
When do I have to finish the course?
Within 60 days of your conviction date. The court then forwards a record of completion to the DOR within 15 days after you finish.
Can I take the Missouri DIP online for a speeding ticket?
Yes. The law gives you the choice of an online or in-person program. It must meet or exceed the National Safety Council’s eight-hour standards.
Does the DIP work for a motorcycle speeding ticket?
No. For a ticket on a motorcycle, the law calls for an approved motorcycle-rider training course instead of the DIP.
Conclusion
The DIP can keep the points from one speeding ticket off your Missouri record, but only when the court on your ticket orders it. Finish within 60 days of your conviction date, and check with the DOR that the record arrived. If your court has ordered the DIP for your ticket, you can take the Missouri Driver Improvement Program online.
Related Articles
- Missouri Driver Improvement Program and Points: What It Can and Cannot Do
- Missouri Form 4444: How DIP Completion Reaches the DOR
- Missouri Driver Improvement Program Eligibility: Who Can Use the DIP?
- Missouri Court-Ordered Driver Improvement: What It Means and What to Do
- Missouri Fine Collection Center: What Changed for the DIP
- Missouri CDL Holders and the Driver Improvement Program: What to Know
- What Happens If You Miss the Missouri DIP Deadline?
Sources
- Missouri Revised Statutes 302.302 — Point system
- Missouri Revised Statutes 302.304 — Points, suspension and revocation
- Missouri Revised Statutes 302.306 — Reduction of points after safe driving
- Missouri Revised Statutes 304.010 — Speed limits
- Missouri Revised Statutes 476.385 — Centralized violations bureau and schedule of fines
- Missouri DOR — Tickets and Points FAQs
- Missouri DOR — Form 899, Violation Descriptions and Points Assessed (PDF)
- Missouri DOR — Commercial Motor Vehicle Operators and the Law
- Missouri Safety Center — Driver Improvement Program
- Missouri Safety Center — Driver Improvement Program Process (PDF)
- Missouri Supreme Court Rule 38.10 — Circuit Violations Bureau
- Missouri Courts — Statewide Fine Schedule
- Missouri Courts — Responding to Your Ticket
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.