A following too closely ticket after an accident in Missouri is a Class C misdemeanor that puts two points on your license, carries a fine that typically runs well over the base amount once court costs are added, and creates a legal presumption you caused the crash that shapes every insurance and liability question that follows.1Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code 304.017 – Distance at Which Vehicle Must Follow, Penalty2Missouri Department of Revenue. Missouri Driver Record Traffic Violation Descriptions and Points Assessed The ticket is the small part. The civil exposure behind it is the part that costs real money.
The Fine and the Criminal Charge
Section 304.017 classifies following too closely as a Class C misdemeanor.1Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code 304.017 – Distance at Which Vehicle Must Follow, Penalty On paper that allows up to 15 days in jail and a fine of up to $750. In practice, jail is essentially unheard of for this offense and base fines typically land around $60 to $75. Court costs and surcharges often double or triple what you actually pay, and the total varies by the county or municipality where the crash happened.
Here is the trap: paying the ticket is a guilty plea. Once you mail the check, the conviction is on your record and cannot be undone. If you have any interest in reducing the charge, protecting your points, or limiting what you owe the other driver, you need to show up in court rather than paying.
Two Points and Your License
A conviction adds two points to your Missouri driving record.2Missouri Department of Revenue. Missouri Driver Record Traffic Violation Descriptions and Points Assessed Two points on their own won’t suspend anyone, but Missouri’s thresholds come up fast when a ticket stacks on top of other recent violations:
- 4 points in 12 months triggers an advisory letter from the Department of Revenue.
- 8 points in 18 months suspends your license for 30 days on a first suspension, 60 days on a second, and 90 days on a third.3Missouri Department of Revenue. Tickets and Points FAQs
- 12 points in 12 months, 18 in 24 months, or 24 in 36 months revokes your license for a full year.3Missouri Department of Revenue. Tickets and Points FAQs
Points fade with time if you stay clean. One year without a new conviction knocks a third off your total, two years cuts half of what remains, and three clean years zeroes the record out.
Who Pays for the Crash
This is where a tailgating ticket turns expensive. Missouri courts recognize a presumption that the trailing driver in a rear-end collision was negligent. To overcome it, you would need to show you were exercising the highest degree of care or that the lead driver did something sudden and unforeseeable, like braking hard with no warning on an open highway or cutting in front of you at the last moment.
Insurance adjusters know this doctrine, and a following-too-closely citation in the claims file makes shifting blame nearly impossible. Even where the ticket itself is not directly admissible in a civil proceeding, the officer’s observations and the facts behind the citation are. The practical result is that the driver who got the ticket almost always ends up paying for the other vehicle’s repairs and the occupants’ medical bills.
Comparative Fault Can Still Help
Missouri follows pure comparative fault. Even if you bear most of the blame, the lead driver’s own negligence reduces what you owe. If a court finds you 80% at fault and the other driver 20% at fault for driving with broken brake lights, your share of their damages drops by 20%; on $50,000 in damages, you would owe $40,000 rather than the full amount. The same rule works in your favor if you were injured or your car was damaged: you can still recover for the share of fault that belongs to the other driver. The ticket makes that harder, not impossible.
What This Does to Your Insurance
Two points plus a rear-end claim on the same incident is close to the worst-case combination for your premium. The violation signals risky driving, and the accompanying claim means your insurer actually paid out. Most drivers see a noticeable increase at the next renewal, and the higher rate can persist for three to five years depending on the carrier’s surcharge schedule. Prior violations or claims make the jump steeper.
Shopping around once the conviction posts is sometimes the only way to keep the cost manageable. Different insurers weigh a two-point violation differently, and quotes can spread widely.
CDL Holders: Serious Federal Consequences
If you hold a commercial driver’s license, this ticket carries stakes that go well past two points. Federal law classifies following too closely as a “serious traffic violation” for CDL purposes.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 49 USC 31301 – Definitions The disqualification schedule is unforgiving:
- A second serious violation within three years brings a 60-day disqualification from operating a commercial motor vehicle.5eCFR. 49 CFR 383.51 – Disqualification of Drivers
- A third or subsequent serious violation within three years brings a 120-day disqualification.5eCFR. 49 CFR 383.51 – Disqualification of Drivers
The “serious” category also covers speeding 15 mph or more over the limit, improper lane changes, and running a red light. A CDL holder with one of those already on record who then picks up a following-too-closely ticket faces a mandatory 60-day disqualification, meaning two months without income from any job requiring a CDL. For a professional driver, fighting the ticket or negotiating it down to a non-serious violation is almost always worth the effort.
Ways to Keep It Off Your Record
Several options exist, and most courts will consider them if you ask through counsel or at your first appearance.
Amended Charges
Prosecutors sometimes agree to amend a following-too-closely charge to a non-moving violation such as defective equipment. A non-moving violation carries zero points and does not trigger the rear-end presumption of negligence in a civil case. Whether a prosecutor will agree depends on the severity of the accident, your prior record, and the strength of the evidence. A local attorney can usually tell you quickly whether this is realistic in the court handling your ticket.
Suspended Imposition of Sentence
A Suspended Imposition of Sentence, or SIS, puts you on probation for a set period. Complete probation without a new violation and the conviction never appears on your record and no points are assessed. SIS is a common resolution for Missouri traffic cases, though it sits in the judge’s discretion. Probation is typically unsupervised for routine traffic offenses, meaning you simply need to stay out of trouble.
Driver Improvement Program
Some courts allow you to attend Missouri’s Driver Improvement Program in exchange for keeping points off your record. The option is discretionary and not guaranteed. Ask about it at your first court appearance or have your attorney raise it in negotiations.
Trial
You have the right to contest the charge. The prosecution must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that you violated Section 304.017. If the officer’s testimony is inconsistent with the crash report, if the other driver changed lanes suddenly, or if the physical evidence does not support the charge, an acquittal is possible. Traffic trials are brief but require preparation. Showing up without having read the crash report and the officer’s narrative is a reliable way to lose.
What To Do Now
Note your court date and treat it as mandatory. Missing it on a misdemeanor can produce a bench warrant and additional charges for failure to appear. If you lost the ticket, look up your case on Missouri’s Case.net or the courts’ Track My Ticket portal.6Missouri Courts. Make a Payment
Get the Missouri Uniform Crash Report as soon as you can. If the Missouri State Highway Patrol investigated, you can request the report directly from MSHP for $6.00.7Missouri State Highway Patrol. Traffic Crash Reports If a local agency handled it, contact that department. The report contains the officer’s narrative, a diagram, and the facts that will drive both the criminal case and the insurance claim. Read it before your court date whether you intend to fight the ticket, negotiate a plea, or simply understand what you are facing.
If you are considering pleading guilty without appearing, know that Missouri’s online Plead and Pay system doesn’t accept every citation, and tickets tied to accidents often require an in-person appearance.6Missouri Courts. Make a Payment Confirm with the court clerk before you assume you can resolve it remotely, and think hard before you do: a guilty plea here is also an admission that locks in your civil exposure for the crash.