Does the Missouri Driver Improvement Program remove points?
By Road Ready Safety · Checked against Missouri law on
Short answer
It keeps the points from one new ticket off your license, if the court approves it and you finish within 60 days. It can't take off points that are already on your record. Those come off with time: a third after one clean year, half of what's left after two, and the rest after three.
- New ticket
- Points are not added
- Points already on your record
- Not affected
- The ticket itself
- Stays on your record
- How old points come off
- Over three years without a new conviction
Does the course take points off your license?
No. It stops points from being added. Missouri law has the Department of Revenue accept a completed course "in lieu of the assessment of points" for the ticket the court approved (RSMo 302.302.5). Points from earlier tickets stay where they are.
Can I take the course on my own to lower my points?
You can take it, but it won't change your record. The statute only counts a course that was "ordered and verified" by a court for a specific ticket. A course you take without a court's approval isn't reported to the Department of Revenue as a point stay.
We'd rather you know that before you pay us $24.99.
How do points already on my record come off?
They come off as you drive without a new moving-violation conviction (RSMo 302.306):
| Time without a new conviction | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1 year | Your total drops by one third |
| 2 years | What's left drops by half |
| 3 years | The rest is removed |
Say you have 6 points. After one clean year you have 4. After two you have 2. After three you have none.
Does the ticket disappear?
No. The Missouri Safety Center says the program "will not remove the ticket from the drivers record, only the points from the license." The Department of Revenue says a ticket conviction may be removed three years after the conviction date. More in how long points stay on your license.
When does keeping the points off matter most?
When you're close to a threshold. The Department of Revenue sends a warning letter at 4 points in 12 months and suspends your license at 8 points in 18 months.
A state speeding ticket is 3 points. If you already have 5, that ticket suspends your license. With the program approved and finished on time, you stay at 5.
What should I do first?
- Check how many points you have. The phone line is free and open all night.
- If a new ticket is pending, ask the court about the program before you pay.
- Once the court says yes, take the course and send in the form inside your 60 days.
Quick answers
Does the Missouri Driver Improvement Program remove points already on my license?
No. It only keeps the points from a new, court-approved ticket from being added. Existing points come off over three years without a new conviction.
Can I take a driver improvement course voluntarily to reduce points in Missouri?
A voluntary course does not reduce points. Missouri only accepts a course that a court ordered and verified for a specific ticket.
How do points come off a Missouri license?
By one third after one year without a new moving-violation conviction, by half of the remainder after two years, and to zero after three years.
Sources
- Missouri Revised Statutes 302.302: point system and the driver-improvement program
- Missouri Revised Statutes 302.306: point reduction after safe driving
- Missouri Department of Revenue: Tickets and Points FAQ
- Missouri Safety Center: Driver Improvement Program Process
We read each source on September 29, 2026. This guide is general information, not legal advice. Your court decides whether you can use the Missouri Driver Improvement Program. See a mistake? Email info@roadreadysafety.com.
More Missouri guides
- How long do points stay on your license in Missouri?
- How to check the points on your Missouri driving record
- Missouri points: what 4, 8 and 12 points do to your license
- Missouri Driver Improvement Program (DIP): how it works