Missouri Reckless, Careless and Imprudent Driving Laws (RSMo 304.012)

Missouri has no statute named reckless driving. The state offense that covers dangerous driving is RSMo 304.012, "Motorists to exercise highest degree of care," which requires every driver to drive "in a careful and prudent manner" and makes a violation a class B misdemeanor, or a class A misdemeanor if an accident is involved. Speeding 20 mph or more over the posted limit is a class B misdemeanor under RSMo 304.010, and since August 28, 2025, stunt driving and street takeovers are crimes under RSMo 304.145.

Information last verified on 2026-10-25. This article has not been reviewed by a licensed lawyer.

Jurisdiction scope: This article covers Missouri state statutes on careful driving (RSMo 304.012), speeding (304.010), stunt driving and street takeovers (304.145), the license point system (302.302 and 302.304), fleeing a stop, and driving without a valid license or while revoked. It does not cover DWI penalties (see Missouri DUI and DWI laws), homicide offenses (see Missouri manslaughter laws), leaving the scene of a crash (see Missouri hit-and-run laws), city or county ordinances, or federal and commercial-driver rules beyond a short note. For other states, see reckless driving laws by state.

Is there a reckless driving law in Missouri?

Not under that name. None of the section headings in Chapter 304, Missouri's traffic regulations, names reckless driving, racing, exhibitions of speed or aggressive driving; the two sections that come closest are 304.012 (the highest degree of care) and 304.145 (stunt driving). City and county ordinances are outside this article.

RSMo 304.012 provides:

"1. Every person operating a motor vehicle on the roads and highways of this state shall drive the vehicle in a careful and prudent manner and at a rate of speed so as not to endanger the property of another or the life or limb of any person and shall exercise the highest degree of care. 2. No person operating a motor vehicle on the roads and highways of this state shall perform stunt driving, as such term is defined in section 304.145. 3. Any person who violates the provisions of this section is guilty of a class B misdemeanor, unless an accident is involved then it shall be a class A misdemeanor." RSMo 304.012

The section has three duties: drive in a careful and prudent manner, drive at a speed that does not endanger another's property or anyone's life or limb, and exercise "the highest degree of care." It does not use the words "reckless," "wilful" or "wanton." Subsection 2, added by H.B. 495 in 2025, separately bars stunt driving on the roads and highways of the state.

The section reaches persons operating a motor vehicle "on the roads and highways of this state."

Penalties for a 304.012 violation

The grade turns on one fact, whether an accident is involved:

• No accident: class B misdemeanor. RSMo 558.011.1(7) sets a term "not to exceed six months," and RSMo 558.002.1(3) sets a maximum fine of $1,000.
• Accident involved: class A misdemeanor, with a term "not to exceed one year" (558.011.1(6)) and a maximum fine of $2,000 (558.002.1(2)).

Section 304.012 has no repeat-offense tier and no felony tier. For Chapter 304 violations that carry no specific punishment, RSMo 304.570 sets a general penalty: "a fine of not less than five dollars nor more than five hundred dollars or by imprisonment in the county jail for a term not exceeding one year, or by both." Section 304.012 has its own penalty, so that general clause does not set its grade.

Careless and imprudent driving in Missouri

The phrase "careless and imprudent driving" appears in several of Missouri's driver statutes (302.302, 302.700, 304.351 and 304.585), and none of them ties it to Section 304.012 by number.

The points law. RSMo 302.302.1(4) assigns 4 points to "Careless and imprudent driving in violation of subsection 4 of section 304.016." That subsection bars driving on the left side of the roadway in two situations:

"(1) When approaching the crest of a grade or upon a curve of the highway where the driver's view is obstructed within such distance as to create a hazard in the event another vehicle might approach from the opposite direction; (2) When the view is obstructed upon approaching within one hundred feet of any bridge, viaduct, tunnel or when approaching within one hundred feet of or at any intersection or railroad grade crossing." RSMo 304.016.4

Under RSMo 304.016.5, "Violation of this section shall be deemed a class C misdemeanor," which carries a term not to exceed 15 days (558.011.1(8)) and a fine up to $750 (558.002.1(4)).

The commercial driver's license law. RSMo 302.700(42)(b) lists "Careless, reckless or imprudent driving" as a serious traffic violation, covered in the commercial-driver section below.

Construction and work zones. Under RSMo 304.351.7, driving faster than a speed limit posted for a construction or major maintenance area "shall be deemed prima facie evidence of careless and imprudent driving and a violation of section 304.010." RSMo 304.585.1(7)(b) lists careless and imprudent driving in violation of subsection 4 of section 304.016 among the offenses that make up endangerment of a highway worker.

Other lane and following rules

Several other Chapter 304 rules punish unsafe driving without the 304.012 label:

• Lane use (RSMo 304.015): a violation is a class C misdemeanor "unless such violation causes an immediate threat of an accident, in which case such violation shall be deemed a class B misdemeanor, or unless an accident results from such violation, in which case such violation shall be deemed a class A misdemeanor" (304.015.9). For how Missouri's lane rules apply to motorcycles, see Missouri lane splitting laws.
• Following too closely (RSMo 304.017): a driver "shall not follow another vehicle more closely than is reasonably safe and prudent"; a violation is a class C misdemeanor.
• Move over (RSMo 304.022): approaching a stationary vehicle displaying lighted red, red and blue, amber, or amber and white lights, a driver must change to a non-adjacent lane where the road has at least four lanes with two or more in the same direction, or slow down if a lane change would be unsafe or impossible. Under 304.022.7, "Violation of this section shall be deemed a class A misdemeanor."
• School buses (RSMo 304.070): violating subsections 1, 3 or 7 of RSMo 304.050 is a class A misdemeanor; a violation of subsection 1 that physically injures a child is a class E felony, and one that causes a child's serious physical injury or death is a class D felony. Since August 28, 2026 (S.B. 1421), a violation of 304.050.1 also carries a fine of $500 to $1,000 for a first offense, $1,000 to $2,000 for a second within five years and $1,500 to $3,000 for a third or later within five years (304.070.2); a first offense may bring a suspension at the court's discretion, and a second or a third or later offense within five years brings a mandatory 90-day or 180-day suspension (304.070.4); and the conviction carries 5 points (302.302.1(19)).

How fast is reckless driving in Missouri?

Because Chapter 304 has no reckless driving offense, no speed is reckless driving by itself under it. Speed becomes a more serious offense in three ways.

Speeding 20 mph or more over. RSMo 304.010 provides: "Any person violating the provisions of this section is guilty of a class C misdemeanor, unless such person was exceeding the posted speed limit by twenty miles per hour or more then it is a class B misdemeanor." A class C misdemeanor carries up to 15 days and $750; a class B misdemeanor up to 6 months and $1,000.

Small overages. Under RSMo 304.009, a speeding violation of 304.010 "which is over the posted speed limit by five miles per hour or less is an infraction," and "No points shall be assessed pursuant to section 302.302" for it. The maximum fine for an infraction is $400 (558.002.1(6)).

Work zones and emergency zones. Exceeding the posted limit by 15 mph or more in a construction or work zone is one of the convictions that make up "endangerment of a highway worker" (RSMo 304.585.1(1)). If no highway worker is injured or killed, the person "shall be subject to a fine of not more than one thousand dollars and shall have four points assessed" under 304.585.2. RSMo 304.894 sets the same structure for exceeding the limit by 15 mph or more in an active emergency zone: with no injury or death to an emergency responder, the court "shall assess a fine of not more than one thousand dollars, and four points shall be assessed" on conviction.

Endangerment of a highway worker through the speeding prong applies only when one or more highway workers were in the construction or work zone (304.585.4), and the emergency-responder offense only when one or more emergency responders were responding to an active emergency (304.894.4). If the offense injures or kills a highway worker in the zone, it is aggravated endangerment: a fine of not more than $5,000 for injury or $10,000 for death, plus 12 points (304.585.3). RSMo 304.894.3 sets the same $5,000 and $10,000 fines and 12 points when an emergency responder is injured or killed. Under 304.585.6 and 304.894.6, the Director of Revenue must order revocation of the license of a driver involved in a physical accident whose negligent acts or omissions contributed (for an emergency responder, substantially contributed) to the vehicle striking a highway worker or emergency responder in a properly marked zone.

Missouri's maximum on rural interstates and freeways is 75 mph (RSMo 304.010.2(1)), raised from 70 mph by S.B. 1408 effective August 28, 2026.

Points and license consequences in Missouri

RSMo 302.302.1 directs the Director of Revenue to run a point system for the suspension and revocation of licenses, and provides that "Points shall be assessed only after a conviction or forfeiture of collateral." The schedule includes these initial values:

Section 302.302 does not list Section 304.012 by number. The Department of Revenue's point schedule, Form 899, lists "Careless & Imprudent" at 2 points (state law, county ordinance or municipal ordinance) and, as a separate entry, "Careless & Imprudent 304.016" at 4 points. Under 302.302.3, "An additional two points shall be assessed when personal injury or property damage results from any violation listed in subdivisions (1) to (13) of subsection 1 of this section and if found to be warranted and certified by the reporting court."

RSMo 302.304 sets what the points trigger:

• Notice: the Director notifies a driver by mail when the record "shows four or more points have been accumulated in a twelve-month period" (302.304.1).
• Suspension: the Director "shall suspend the license and driving privileges of any person whose driving record shows the driver has accumulated eight points in eighteen months" (302.304.3).
• Revocation: the Director "shall revoke the license and driving privilege" of a person with "twelve points in twelve months or eighteen points in twenty-four months or twenty-four points in thirty-six months" (302.304.7).
• Length: for a points suspension, a driver who files proof of financial responsibility and is otherwise eligible is reinstated 30 days after a first suspension, 60 days after a second and 90 days after a third or later; without that proof, a suspension continues for two years (302.304.4). A revocation ends after one year with proof of financial responsibility, otherwise it generally remains in effect for two years, and the person must pass the complete driver examination before driving again (302.304.7).

Points accumulate on the date of conviction (302.304.2). Chapter 302 contains no habitual-traffic-offender statute that counts careless or reckless driving convictions; the point thresholds are how the license law treats repeat violations.

Stunt driving and street takeovers

H.B. 495, effective August 28, 2025, created RSMo 304.145. It defines the conduct:

"(12) 'Street takeover', the act of disrupting the regular flow of traffic for the purpose of performing, facilitating, or spectating stunt driving; (13) 'Stunt driving', to operate a motor vehicle performing a race, a drag race, a burnout, a donut, a wheelie, or drifting" RSMo 304.145.1

Subsection 2 provides that, "Except as otherwise permitted by law, no person shall: (1) Perform stunt driving in connection with a street takeover; or (2) Perform or participate in a street takeover." Under subsection 3, a violation "shall be a class B misdemeanor for a first offense, a class A misdemeanor for a second offense, and a class E felony for a third or subsequent offense." A class E felony carries a term of years not to exceed four years (558.011.1(5)) and a fine up to $10,000 (558.002.1(1)).

For this section, "Highway" means "any public thoroughfare for vehicles, including state roads, county roads and public streets, avenues, boulevards, parkways, or alleys in any municipality" (304.145.1(8)).

Subsections 4 through 7 limit sentencing for repeat offenders:

• A defendant alleged and proven to be a prior, persistent, aggravated, chronic or habitual offender may not be granted a suspended imposition of sentence or be sentenced to pay a fine in lieu of imprisonment.
• A prior offender may not be granted probation or parole until serving at least ten days of imprisonment, "unless as a condition of such probation or parole the person performs at least thirty days of community service" under court supervision in a jurisdiction with a recognized community-service program.
• An aggravated offender must serve at least 30 days, and a chronic or habitual offender at least one year, before becoming eligible for probation or parole.

Under subsection 9, the section "shall not apply to events sanctioned by a political subdivision or private entity with responsibility for maintenance and control of the portion of highway or private property on which the motor vehicle operation occurs."

Stunt driving outside a street takeover is still barred by RSMo 304.012.2, punished under 304.012.3 as a class B misdemeanor, or class A if an accident is involved.

Wet reckless in Missouri

Chapter 577, Missouri's DWI chapter, contains no provision on an alcohol-related reckless driving plea, and its sections do not treat a reckless driving conviction as a prior offense; the prior-offender section, RSMo 577.023, does not mention reckless driving. For DWI penalties and the alcohol-related license rules, see Missouri DUI and DWI laws.

Fleeing a vehicle stop

RSMo 575.150 makes resisting an arrest, detention or stop by fleeing a class A misdemeanor, "unless the person fleeing creates a substantial risk of serious physical injury or death to any person, in which case it is a class E felony." A driver "is presumed to be fleeing a vehicle stop if he or she continues to operate a motor vehicle after he or she has seen or should have seen clearly visible emergency lights or has heard or should have heard an audible signal" from the pursuing police vehicle (575.150.3). Since August 28, 2025 (H.B. 495), when a conviction or guilty plea under 575.150 is subject to punishment as a class E felony, any vehicle used in the violation may be impounded and forfeited (575.150.6).

RSMo 575.151, Valentine's Law, creates aggravated fleeing a stop or detention of a motor vehicle. Under 575.151.5:

• fleeing while operating "at a high speed or in any manner which creates a substantial risk of serious physical injury or death to any person" is a class D felony, with no eligibility for probation, parole or conditional release until the defendant has served at least one year;
• flight that causes physical injury to another person is a class B felony; and
• flight that causes the death of another person is a class A felony.

Driving without a valid license or while revoked

No valid license. RSMo 302.020.1(1) makes it unlawful, unless otherwise provided by law and except for persons exempted by section 302.080, to "Operate any vehicle upon any highway in this state unless the person has a valid license." Under 302.020.3, a first violation "shall be punishable as a class D misdemeanor," a second as a class A misdemeanor, and a third or subsequent conviction is a class E felony. A class D misdemeanor carries a fine up to $500 (558.002.1(5)); Section 558.011 lists no imprisonment term for it. A conviction under 302.020.1(1) or (2) carries 2 points for a first conviction, 4 for a second and 6 for a third (302.302.1(5)). Under 302.181.3, a license must be carried while driving and displayed on an officer's demand, and failure to exhibit it "shall be presumptive evidence that such person is not a duly licensed operator."

Driving while revoked. Under RSMo 302.321.1, a person commits driving while revoked by operating a motor vehicle on a highway while the license or driving privilege is cancelled, suspended or revoked, and acting "with criminal negligence with respect to knowledge" of that fact. Under 302.321.2:

• a first violation is a class D misdemeanor;
• a second or third violation is a class A misdemeanor; and
• a fourth or later conviction is a class E felony for a person with no prior alcohol-related enforcement contacts (as defined in 302.525) when the three prior driving-while-revoked offenses occurred within ten years and the defendant was represented by, or waived in writing, an attorney; for a person with a prior alcohol-related enforcement contact, a third or later conviction is a class E felony when the two prior offenses occurred within ten years, the same attorney condition is met, and the person received and served a sentence of ten days or more on the previous offenses.

Section 302.321.2 also provides that, except on a first conviction, the court may not suspend imposition of sentence or impose a fine in lieu of imprisonment, and the person is not eligible for parole or probation until serving at least 48 consecutive hours of imprisonment, unless, as a condition, the person performs at least ten days involving at least forty hours of supervised community service in a jurisdiction with a recognized program. It also states that "Driving while revoked is a class E felony on the second or subsequent conviction pursuant to section 577.010 or a fourth or subsequent conviction for any other offense."

Missouri offense table

The terms of imprisonment come from RSMo 558.011.1 (class A misdemeanor up to one year, class B up to six months, class C up to 15 days; class E felony up to four years, class D up to seven, class C three to ten, class B five to fifteen, class A ten to thirty years or life), and the maximum fines from RSMo 558.002.1 ($2,000 class A misdemeanor, $1,000 class B, $750 class C, $500 class D, $400 infraction, $10,000 class C, D or E felony). The revisor lists a new version of Section 558.011 taking effect January 1, 2028; the terms above are from the version in force. For the full class table, see Missouri felony and misdemeanor classes.

A death caused by reckless driving falls under Missouri's homicide statutes, including involuntary manslaughter under RSMo 565.024.1 (a person who "recklessly causes the death of another person"); see Missouri manslaughter laws.

Commercial drivers

Missouri's CDL law defines "serious traffic violation" in RSMo 302.700(42) to include "(b) Careless, reckless or imprudent driving which includes, but shall not be limited to, any violation of section 304.016, any violation of section 304.010, or any other violation of federal or state law, or any county or municipal ordinance while driving a commercial motor vehicle in a willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property, or improper or erratic traffic lane changes, or following the vehicle ahead too closely, but shall not include careless and imprudent driving by excessive speed." A conviction while driving a noncommercial vehicle counts only when it "results in the suspension or revocation of the driver's license or noncommercial motor vehicle driving privilege."

Under RSMo 302.755.5, a person is disqualified from operating a commercial motor vehicle "for a period of not less than sixty days if convicted of two serious traffic violations or one hundred twenty days if convicted of three serious traffic violations, arising from separate incidents occurring within a three-year period." The federal rule in 49 C.F.R. 383.51 sets the same 60-day and 120-day periods; the reckless driving laws by state hub covers the federal layer.

Recent changes

• 2025: stunt driving and street takeovers. H.B. 495, effective August 28, 2025, added subsection 2 (stunt driving) to RSMo 304.012 and created RSMo 304.145. It also added subsection 6 to RSMo 575.150, allowing impoundment and forfeiture of a vehicle used in a resisting or fleeing offense subject to punishment as a class E felony.
• 2026: rural interstate speed limit. S.B. 1408, effective August 28, 2026, raised the rural interstate and freeway limit in RSMo 304.010 from 70 to 75 mph and re-enacted the 20 mph class B rule.
• 2026: school buses. S.B. 1421, effective August 28, 2026, rewrote RSMo 304.070 to add fines and suspensions for passing a stopped school bus and added a 5-point entry for failing to stop for a school bus to RSMo 302.302.
• 2026: points and license sections. The current texts of RSMo 302.302 (effective August 28, 2026, last amended by S.B. 1421) and RSMo 302.304 (effective August 28, 2026, last amended by H.B. 1740) are the versions described on this page.
• 2028: sentencing terms. A new version of RSMo 558.011 takes effect January 1, 2028.

Related Missouri laws

• Reckless driving laws by state
• Missouri DUI and DWI laws
• Missouri manslaughter laws
• Missouri felony and misdemeanor classes
• Missouri lane splitting laws
• Missouri hit-and-run laws
• Missouri expungement laws

This article is general legal information about Missouri law, not legal advice. For a specific situation, contact a lawyer licensed in Missouri, or the Missouri Department of Revenue for driver's license questions.

Last updated: 2026-10-25.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a reckless driving law in Missouri?

Missouri state law has no offense named reckless driving. The general dangerous-driving statute is RSMo 304.012, which requires drivers to drive in a careful and prudent manner and exercise the highest degree of care.

Is a 304.012 violation a misdemeanor in Missouri?

Yes. Under RSMo 304.012.3 it is a class B misdemeanor, punishable by up to 6 months and a fine up to $1,000, or a class A misdemeanor, up to 1 year and $2,000, if an accident is involved.

How many points is careless and imprudent driving in Missouri?

RSMo 302.302.1(4) assigns 4 points to careless and imprudent driving in violation of subsection 4 of section 304.016. The schedule does not list 304.012 by number; its catch-all line gives 2 points for a moving violation of state law not listed in the section, and the Department of Revenue's Form 899 lists a separate careless and imprudent entry at 2 points.

How fast is reckless driving in Missouri?

Missouri state law has no reckless driving offense, so no speed is reckless driving by itself. Under RSMo 304.010, speeding is a class C misdemeanor, or a class B misdemeanor when the driver exceeds the posted limit by 20 mph or more.

When does Missouri suspend a license for points?

Under RSMo 302.304, the Director of Revenue suspends a license at 8 points in 18 months and revokes it at 12 points in 12 months, 18 points in 24 months or 24 points in 36 months.

Is a street takeover illegal in Missouri?

Yes, since August 28, 2025. RSMo 304.145 bars stunt driving in connection with a street takeover and performing or participating in one: a class B misdemeanor for a first offense, class A for a second and a class E felony for a third or later.

Does Missouri have a wet reckless?

Chapter 577, the DWI chapter, contains no provision on an alcohol-related reckless driving plea and does not treat a reckless driving conviction as a prior offense.

What is the penalty for driving without a license in Missouri?

Under RSMo 302.020.3, a first violation is a class D misdemeanor (fine up to $500), a second is a class A misdemeanor, and a third or later is a class E felony.

Does a 304.012 conviction affect a Missouri CDL?

Missouri's CDL law treats careless, reckless or imprudent driving as a serious traffic violation (RSMo 302.700(42)). Two from separate incidents within three years disqualify a driver for at least 60 days, and three for 120 days (RSMo 302.755.5).