How Much Is a Speeding Ticket in Missouri? Fines Explained

Updated October 2026 · Reviewed by Billy Forte

If you searched how much is a speeding ticket in missouri, the answer is a fine from the court’s schedule plus court costs. Your ticket or the court shows your exact total. State law sets the highest fines: $750 for a class C misdemeanor and $1,000 for a class B misdemeanor.

Key Facts

Your amount: the fine plus court costs, shown on your ticket or by the court. See where to find your total.
Legal limits: up to $750 under 20 mph over, and up to $1,000 at 20 mph or more over. See limits by class.
Small-ticket cap: $225 for fine plus costs on a minor traffic violation. See the cap.
Work zones: $35 on top of the fine, or $250 instead when a worker was there and signs were posted. See work-zone add-ons.
The DIP: it does not lower the fine. See the DIP and your cost.

How Much Is a Speeding Ticket in Missouri?

There is no single price for every speeding ticket. Your total depends on the charge, the court and whether you pay or go to court.

Two pieces make up the bill:

The fine. It comes from a fine schedule or from the judge.
Court costs. They are added on top of the fine.

This guide does not list schedule amounts. For the full picture of points and options, see our Missouri speeding ticket guide.

The Uniform Fine Schedule

Missouri courts use a statewide fine schedule. The Missouri Courts Statewide Fine Schedule page says a Uniform Fine Schedule Committee was set up in November 2018 to write it. The committee works under Supreme Court Rules 37.495 and 38.09.

The page lists a State Traffic Fine Schedule that took effect on Aug. 28, 2021. Under RSMo 476.385, the bureau’s schedule of fines rises “in proportion to the severity of the violation.” Not every charge is on the schedule. Your ticket or court lists your amount.

The same statute adds one more rule. Paying through the centralized violations bureau set up under that section counts as consent to any DIP the court orders, online or in person.

Court Costs Come on Top

The fine is not the whole bill. The uniform fine schedule questions page says, “Court costs will be added in addition to the uniform fine assessed.”

The court on your ticket can tell you its costs.

Fine Limits by Offense Class

State law makes speeding a misdemeanor. RSMo 304.010 sets the class, and RSMo 558.002 sets the highest fine for each class. RSMo 558.011 sets the longest jail term.

Offense class	When it applies to speeding	Highest fine	Longest jail term
Class C misdemeanor	Less than 20 mph over the limit	$750	15 days
Class B misdemeanor	20 mph or more over the limit	$1,000	6 months
Class A misdemeanor	Not a speeding class (shown for comparison)	$2,000	1 year

These are ceilings. A judge can set a fine at or below the limit, and a schedule fine is set by the committee.

State Tickets and City Tickets

The law named on your ticket changes more than the points. A ticket can be written under state law or under a city or county ordinance.

Here is how the two compare on cost rules:

State-law ticket. The misdemeanor class and its limit apply: $750 or $1,000. The $225 cap does not apply, because the cap covers only ordinance tickets.
City or county ticket. If it meets every test for a minor traffic violation, the fine plus costs stop at $225. If it fails a test, the cap does not apply.

Points differ too. A state speeding charge is 3 points, and an ordinance charge is 2 points.

Our 20-plus over guide covers the class B charge in detail.

The $225 Cap for Minor Violations

Some small tickets have a hard cap. Under RSMo 479.353, the fine plus court costs for a “minor traffic violation” cannot be more than $225.

RSMo 479.350 says a minor traffic violation is a ticket that:

is under a city or county ordinance, not state law;
involves no accident or injury;
does not involve a commercial motor vehicle;
carries 0 to 4 points;
is 19 mph or less over the limit;
did not happen in a construction zone or school zone.

A ticket that fails any one of these tests is not a minor traffic violation. The cap then does not apply.

Work-Zone Add-Ons

A work zone can push the bill higher. RSMo 304.582 sets two added fines, and the court applies one or the other.

Where it happened	Added fine	Second or later one
Moving violation in a construction or work zone	$35	$75
Speeding or passing when a highway worker was there and the required signs were posted	$250 instead of the $35	$300

Each is added “in addition to any other fine.” Without the required signs, the $250 is not assessed. The section says these add-ons do not raise court costs or points.

Reading the Limits: Three Examples

These examples only apply the rules above. They are not quotes for any real case.

A city ticket in a personal car, 10 mph over, no crash or injury, outside any construction or school zone. It meets the minor traffic violation tests. The fine plus court costs cannot pass $225.
A state-law ticket, 12 mph over. It is a class C misdemeanor. The fine can be up to $750, with court costs added.
A first state-law ticket, 22 mph over, in a work zone with a worker there and the signs posted. It is a class B misdemeanor. The fine can be up to $1,000, the $250 add-on applies instead of the $35, and court costs come on top.

Your court sets the real figure inside these limits.

Summary card of what moves the price of a Missouri speeding ticket: schedule, court costs, court, cap and the DIP

Going to Court Can Change the Fine

The schedule applies when you pay through the violations bureau. If you go to court instead, the rule is different.

The courts’ Q&A page says, “If the defendant does not pay via the VB and appears in court, the judge is free to assess any fine within the statutory limits.” So the fine could be lower or higher than the schedule. It still cannot pass the legal maximum for the class.

Deciding between paying and going to court is a separate question. Our options guide explains what each path means.

Five steps to find the cost of a Missouri speeding ticket, from reading the charge to checking the court's total

The DIP and Your Cost

The Driver Improvement Program (DIP) is about points, not money. Under RSMo 302.302.5, a DIP that the court orders and verifies is accepted in place of points for one ticket.

It does not lower, cancel or replace the fine. You still owe the fine and court costs.

We found no official Missouri source that sets a DIP course price. Our guide to DIP cost explains what to ask before you pay.

Costs That Can Follow a Ticket

Some costs come later, not on the ticket itself:

Points. A conviction adds 3 points under state law or 2 under a city or county ordinance, under RSMo 302.302.
Reinstatement. If points lead to a suspension, the DOR reinstatement page lists a $20 fee and proof of insurance for 2 years.
Insurance. The Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance (DCI) says a moving violation can raise your premium.

Unpaid tickets. Under RSMo 302.341, a moving violation left unresolved and unpaid 30 days after the court’s notice leads to a DOR suspension. This does not apply to minor traffic violations. The DOR failure to appear FAQ lists the court’s compliance receipt and a $20 fee to reinstate.
Checking your record. A DOR driver record costs $2.82, plus a $2 processing fee at a license office.

A suspension comes at 8 points in 18 months under RSMo 302.304. Three state-law speeding tickets in that window add 9 points.

Where to Find Your Total

The exact number is on record with the court. You can find it in these places:

The ticket. It names the charge, the court and the court date.
The court. The clerk can give the fine and the costs.
Online payment. Missouri Courts’ pay tickets online page links to Plead and Pay for eligible tickets.

That same payment page says clicking Plead and Pay to see your fine is “NOT pleading guilty.” Finishing the payment is a guilty plea.

Paying in full before the court date also counts as a guilty plea under Rule 38.10. Our failure to appear guide explains what happens if a ticket goes unpaid.

What We Found on the Official Pages

On the Missouri Courts pages we checked on October 27, 2026, the Statewide Fine Schedule page named the State Traffic Fine Schedule, effective Aug. 28, 2021. The same page said the Fine Collection Center “stopped accepting new citations” on May 1, 2019.

Citations from that date on go to the local violations bureau. That is why this guide points you to the court on your ticket for your amount.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Each item comes from a statute or a Missouri Courts page:

Treating the fine as the full cost. Court costs are added on top.
Assuming the $225 cap applies. It covers only minor traffic violations.
Forgetting the 20 mph line. At 20 or more over, the limit rises to $1,000.
Missing a work-zone add-on. It adds $35, or $250 instead when a worker was there and signs were posted.
Expecting the DIP to cut the fine. It affects points only.
Paying without reading the plea rule. Completing payment is a guilty plea.

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

What is the most a Missouri speeding ticket can cost?

The highest fine is $750 for a class C misdemeanor and $1,000 for a class B misdemeanor. Speeding at 20 mph or more over is class B. Court costs are added, and work-zone add-ons can apply.

Does Missouri have a set fine for each speed?

Courts use a statewide fine schedule, but not every charge is on it. Your ticket or court shows the amount for your charge.

Are court costs included in the fine?

No. Missouri Courts say court costs are added on top of the uniform fine. Ask the court on your ticket for the total.

What is a minor traffic violation?

It is a city or county ticket with no accident, no injury and no commercial vehicle, worth 0 to 4 points. It must be 19 mph or less over and outside a construction or school zone. For these, fine plus costs cannot pass $225.

Can a judge charge more than the schedule?

Yes, if you go to court. The judge may set any fine within the statutory limits for the offense class.

Does the DIP lower my fine?

No. The DIP affects points only, and only when the court orders it. You still pay the fine and court costs.

Does a work-zone fine add points?

No. RSMo 304.582 says its work-zone add-ons do not raise points or court costs. They only add to the fine.

Can I pay a Missouri speeding ticket online?

Some eligible tickets can be paid online through Plead and Pay. Completing the payment is a guilty plea, so read the ticket first.

Conclusion

A Missouri speeding fine depends on the charge, the court and the path you take, and court costs come on top. State law caps the fine at $750 or $1,000, and some city or county tickets at $225 total. Once your court orders the DIP, and if you qualify, 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.