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Can a defensive driving course keep points off my Missouri license?

In Missouri, a court can order a driver-improvement program in lieu of points for certain violations, once in any thirty-six months. Finish it within sixty days of being convicted. The court must verify it. It excludes commercial-vehicle violations and anyone who has or must get a commercial driver's license. We haven't confirmed whether a court dismisses a ticket or an insurer gives a discount.

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The rule, fact by fact

Points route
Replaces points for some violations if a court orders and verifies it, with no CDL casesAsk your court whether it will order one.
Verified. revisor.mo.gov (opens state website) · checked Nov 13, 2026
Online accepted
You must be given the option of an online or an in-person courseSay which you want when the court orders it.
Same source and date as above
Rule
Meets or exceeds the NSC eight-hour course, and motorcycle cases use state standardsAsk the provider whether the course meets that standard.
Same source and date as above
Use limit and deadline
Accepted once in any thirty-six-month period, finished within sixty days of convictionFinish late and it is not accepted in lieu of points.
Same source and date as above

How to get it done

  1. Step 1. Find out whether you qualify. The program only counts for certain violations, and a court has to order it and verify it. It can't be used for a violation committed in a commercial motor vehicle, or by someone who holds or must obtain a commercial driver's license.

  2. Step 2. Pick a program that meets or exceeds the National Safety Council's eight-hour Defensive Driving Course. For a motorcycle violation, the program must meet the standards of the state highways and transportation commission. You must be given the option to take it online or in person.

  3. Step 3. Finish the program within sixty days of the date you were convicted. It is not accepted in lieu of points more than one time in any thirty-six-month period.

Before you pay

Ask your court, not the provider, whether it will order a driver-improvement program for your ticket.

Check the date you were convicted. You have sixty days.

Check that you have not used the credit in the last thirty-six months.

Ask the provider whether the course meets the National Safety Council's eight-hour standard.

Questions

Who tells the state I finished?

The court does. Within fifteen days after you complete the program, it must forward a record of the completion to the director.

Does an accident add points?

It can. Two more points are assessed when personal injury or property damage results from certain violations, if found to be warranted and certified by the reporting court.

Who runs the system for staying points?

The director of revenue. State law says the director must put into effect a system for staying the assessment of points against an operator.

What to do next

Ask your court before you pay. Then read the Missouri law on the point system and staying points.

revisor.mo.gov

Sources we read