The rules of the road in Missouri cover speed, lane discipline, right-of-way, phone use, seat belts, impaired driving, and a points system that can suspend your license. Some of these rules changed recently, most importantly the hands-free phone law. Here is what every driver in the state needs to know to stay legal and avoid fines, points, or worse.
Speed Limits by Road Type
Missouri does not use a single statewide speed limit. The cap depends on the road:
- Rural interstates and freeways: 70 mph
- Interstates and freeways in urbanized areas: 60 mph
- Rural expressways: 65 mph
- Other state highways outside urbanized areas: 60 mph
- Lettered two-lane state routes: 55 mph unless MoDOT posts higher, and never above 60 mph
Residential and business district limits are set locally, which is why you see 25 or 30 mph signs in town. Follow the posted number. Missouri law treats the posted speed as presumptively the legal speed.1Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code 304.010 – Definitions, Maximum Speed Limits
Work Zones and School Zones
Speeding through a construction or work zone adds a mandatory $35 to whatever fine the court sets for the underlying violation. If a highway worker was actually present, the add-on jumps to $250 for a first offense and $300 for a repeat.2Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code 304.582 – Fines for Moving Violations in Work or Construction Zones School zones get similar treatment under the hands-free rules described below.
Lane Use and Passing
On any road with two or more lanes going your way, stay right. The left lane is for passing, preparing to turn left, or following signs that route you there. Slower vehicles must keep right.3Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code 304.015 – Drive on Right of Highway, Traffic Lanes
Passing on the left requires clear visibility of oncoming traffic for enough distance to finish the pass, and you must return to the right lane once you have safely cleared the vehicle you passed. Passing on the right is legal only in narrow situations: when the other vehicle is turning left, on a city street wide enough for two lanes each way, on a one-way street, or on a highway clearly marked for four or more lanes. You cannot cross into the oncoming lane near a hill crest, a blind curve, or within 100 feet of a bridge, tunnel, intersection, or railroad crossing.4Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code 304.016 – Passing Regulations
Right-of-Way
Intersections
At a stop sign, come to a complete stop at the stop line, or before the crosswalk, or at the nearest point where you can see traffic if no line exists. After stopping, yield to any vehicle already in the intersection or close enough to be a hazard. When two drivers reach an uncontrolled intersection from different roads at about the same time, the driver on the left yields to the driver on the right.5Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code 304.351 – Right-of-Way at Intersection
Pedestrians
Where no signal controls the intersection, you must slow down or stop for a pedestrian in a crosswalk if the pedestrian is on your half of the road or close enough to be in danger. This covers both marked and unmarked crosswalks. If another vehicle has stopped at a crosswalk for a pedestrian, you cannot pass it. Pedestrians, for their part, cannot suddenly step off the curb into the path of a vehicle that is too close to stop.6Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code 300.375 – Pedestrians Right-of-Way in Crosswalks
Emergency Vehicles
When an emergency vehicle approaches with siren and red or blue flashing lights, pull as far right as possible and stop until it passes.7Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code 304.022 – Emergency and Stationary Vehicles, Right-of-Way, Penalty
The Move Over Law
When you approach a stopped vehicle showing red, blue, amber, or white flashing lights on a road with at least four lanes (two in your direction), you must change lanes away from that vehicle if it is safe to do so. If it is not, slow down and pass with caution. The rule covers police, fire, tow trucks, utility crews, and any other vehicle with the required warning lights.7Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code 304.022 – Emergency and Stationary Vehicles, Right-of-Way, Penalty
A violation is a class A misdemeanor, punishable by up to a year in jail. That makes it one of the more serious routine driving offenses in the state.
Hands-Free Phone Use
The Siddens Bening Hands-Free Law prohibits all drivers from physically holding a phone or other electronic device while operating a vehicle on any public road. Texting, calls, browsing, video, social media, and any manual interaction are banned. Bluetooth, voice commands, and a dashboard mount remain legal as long as you are not touching the device.8Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code 304.822 – Electronic Communication Device, Use of While Driving Prohibited
You can still use a handheld device to report an emergency, and the law does not apply to law enforcement or emergency operators on duty. Navigation and audio playback are permitted, though setting your route before you pull out is the safer habit.
Fines and Escalation
Fines rise with repeat offenses within a rolling 24-month window:
- First offense: up to $150
- Second offense: up to $250
- Third or later offense: up to $500
- Any offense in a work zone or school zone: up to $500, regardless of prior history
Consequences climb sharply when distracted driving causes harm. Property damage over $5,000 is a class D misdemeanor. Serious physical injury is a class B misdemeanor. A death makes it a class D felony.8Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code 304.822 – Electronic Communication Device, Use of While Driving Prohibited
One catch surprises many drivers: this is a secondary offense. An officer cannot pull you over solely for holding your phone; they need another reason for the stop first. If you are stopped for something else and the officer sees the device in your hand, expect the citation to be added.
Seat Belts and Child Restraints
Drivers and front-seat passengers must wear a seat belt whenever the vehicle is moving. Passengers under 18 must buckle up in any seat. Seat belt enforcement is also secondary, and the fine is capped at $10 with no court costs and no points.9Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code 307.178 – Seat Belts Required for Passenger Cars
Children Under 16
The driver is responsible for properly restraining every child under 16. Requirements turn on age, weight, and height:
- Under age 4, any weight: child passenger restraint system (car seat)
- Under 40 pounds, any age: child passenger restraint system
- Ages 4 through 7, 40 to 80 pounds, and under 4 feet 9 inches: booster seat
A child who has aged and grown out of all three categories can use a regular seat belt. A violation carries a fine of up to $50 plus court costs, but the court can dismiss it if the driver shows up with proof of the correct seat or booster.10Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code 307.179 – Transporting Children Under Sixteen, Restraint Systems, Penalty
Driving While Intoxicated
A first-offense DWI is a class B misdemeanor, with a maximum of six months in jail and a $500 fine.11Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code 577.010 – Driving While Intoxicated, Sentencing Restrictions12Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code 558.011 – Imprisonment Terms A judge cannot grant a suspended imposition of sentence unless the driver is placed on probation for at least two years. If blood alcohol was 0.15% or higher, the court must impose a minimum jail sentence of 48 hours; above 0.20%, the minimum is five days.
Repeat offenses bring longer suspensions, mandatory ignition interlock, and felony charges by the third conviction. A DWI that causes serious injury or death can carry years of imprisonment.
Implied Consent
Driving on Missouri roads carries implied consent to a breath, blood, or urine test when an officer has probable cause to believe you are intoxicated. Refusing the test triggers an automatic one-year license revocation, separate from the criminal case, and that revocation stands even if the DWI charge is later dismissed. Drivers with prior alcohol-related contacts on their record also face a six-month ignition interlock requirement once the revocation period ends.13Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code 577.020 – Implied Consent
Points and License Suspension
The Department of Revenue tracks convictions through a points system. Each offense adds points based on severity: two points for a minor speeding ticket, up to 12 points for offenses like DWI or leaving the scene of an accident.14Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code 302.302 – Point System
Eight or more points within 18 months triggers a suspension:
- First suspension: 30 days
- Second suspension: 60 days
- Third or later suspension: 90 days
If you do not file proof of financial responsibility (an SR-22) with the Department of Revenue, the suspension runs for two years from the effective date. Filing that proof starts the clock toward reinstatement.15Missouri Department of Revenue. How Do I Learn About the Driver License Point System
Points fall off your record over time, and completing a state-approved driver improvement program can reduce your total. Keeping the record clean in the first place is cheaper than dealing with a suspension after the fact.