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Missouri DWI Lawyers & DWI Laws

90 DWI attorneys across 82 cities in Missouri, with the license deadline, the penalty tiers, and the courts that hear these cases.

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A city appears here once we can tell you which court hears its cases and who practices there. A page without both would waste your time at the worst possible moment.

DWI Lawyers Serving Missouri

Look for someone who takes cases in the county you were arrested in.

Brandon Kane

Kane Law Office · Kansas City · Admitted 2005 · Board certified · English

Office in Kansas City

  • Clay
  • Cass
  • Jackson
  • Platte

816-229-2708

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Christopher Yotz

Waldo Lawyer / Law Office of Christopher Yotz · Kansas City · Admitted 1999 · Board certified · English

Office in Kansas City

  • Clay
  • Cass
  • Jackson
  • Platte

816-822-3625

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J. Denise Carter

Carter & Putnam, LLC · Kansas City · Admitted 1992 · Board certified · English

Office in Kansas City

  • Clay
  • Cass
  • Jackson
  • Platte

816-898-8856

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Steve Schanker

Law Offices of Steve Schanker · Kansas City · Admitted 1994 · English

Office in Kansas City

  • Clay
  • Cass
  • Jackson
  • Platte

816-726-7887

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James P. Feely Jr.

Feely Law · St. Louis · Admitted 1993 · Board certified · English

Office in St. Louis

  • St. Louis city

314-569-9882

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John M. Lynch

Lynch Law · St. Louis · Admitted 2004 · Board certified · English

Office in St. Louis

  • St. Louis city

314-726-9999

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Matt Fry

Rosenblum Schwartz Fry & Johnson, P.C. · St. Louis · Admitted 2005 · English

Office in St. Louis

  • St. Louis city

314-680-2420

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Travis L. Noble Jr.

Travis Noble, P.C. · St. Louis · Admitted 1998 · English

Office in St. Louis

  • St. Louis city
  • St. Louis

314-450-7849

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Cole, Christopher Ryan

Cole & Martin Attorneys at Law, · Springfield · Admitted 2022 · NCDD · English

Office in Springfield

  • Greene

417-882-3333

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Jason Fallen

Law Office of Jason Fallen / Traffic Ticket Terminator · Springfield · Admitted 2008 · English

Office in Springfield

  • Greene

417-942-1800

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Two cases, three license actions

The case about your license

Secs. 302.520, 302.525, 302.530 RSMo

The suspension or revocation takes effect automatically at the end of the fifteen-day period. Requesting the hearing in time stays that effective date until a final order issues after the hearing.

Missouri Department of Revenue, Driver License Bureau

Programs that can change the outcome

Restricted driving privilege after an administrative suspension

Restricted driving privilege

Sec. 302.525.2 RSMo

Lasts
3 months
Where
Statewide
Read the full requirement

Where the driving record shows no prior alcohol-related enforcement contacts in the immediately preceding five years, the suspension runs thirty days followed by sixty days of restricted driving privilege requiring a functioning certified ignition interlock device, and proof of financial responsibility under chapter 303 must be filed first. Alternatively, filing proof that every vehicle operated is fitted with a certified interlock removes the suspension entirely and substitutes a ninety-day restricted privilege; a confirmed reading above the setpoint, or tampering, during that period adds a further thirty days. Where the record shows one or more prior alcohol-related enforcement contacts in the preceding five years, the period is a one-year revocation instead.

Ignition interlock on reinstatement

Restricted driving privilege

Sec. 302.525.5 RSMo

Lasts
6 months
Where
Statewide
Read the full requirement

Where a license was revoked, or suspended with one or more prior alcohol-related enforcement contacts, or where the blood alcohol content was fifteen-hundredths of one percent or more, or where the person caused property damage or personal injury, proof of a functioning certified interlock on every vehicle operated is a condition of reinstatement. It must be maintained for at least six months from reinstatement. A confirmed reading above the setpoint, or tampering, in the final three months extends the requirement until three consecutive clean months are completed. Failing to maintain proof suspends or revokes the license again and is itself a class A misdemeanor.

Hardship driving privilege after a refusal revocation

Restricted driving privilege

Secs. 577.041, 302.309 RSMo

Lasts
1 year
Where
Statewide
Read the full requirement

Refusing chemical testing carries a one-year revocation of driving privilege. After the first ninety days a driver may apply, at a judge's discretion, for a hardship privilege covering the remainder of the year for work, school, treatment, transporting children, banking, groceries and medical care. A driver with a prior refusal on record who refuses again faces the same one-year revocation but is NOT eligible for a hardship privilege.

Penalties by offense tier

TierClassificationLookback
Driving while intoxicated (base offense)
Sec. 577.010 RSMo		Class B misdemeanorNot recorded
Prior offender
Secs. 577.001, 577.010 RSMo		Class A misdemeanor5 years
Persistent offender
Secs. 577.001, 577.010 RSMo		Class E felony (felony)No time limit
Aggravated offender
Secs. 577.001, 577.010 RSMo		Class D felony (felony)No time limit
Chronic offender
Secs. 577.001, 577.010 RSMo		Class C felony (felony)No time limit
Habitual offender
Secs. 577.001, 577.010 RSMo		Class B felony (felony)No time limit
Driving with excessive blood alcohol content (base offense)
Sec. 577.012 RSMo		Not recorded
Excessive BAC, commercial motor vehicle
Sec. 577.012.1(2) RSMo		Not recorded

Common questions

Do I have two separate cases after a DWI arrest?
Yes. One is the criminal case, which runs through the courts and takes months. The other is an administrative case about your license, which runs at the state agency on its own timetable and starts straight away. Winning one does not settle the other.
What happens if I miss the hearing request deadline?
The suspension takes effect on its own, without anyone reviewing whether it should. This is the step people miss most often, because the court date feels like the official one and the license notice looks like paperwork.
Does the criminal charge being dropped save my license?
Not by itself. The agency applies a lower standard than a criminal court and answers a different question, so the license action can stand even where the charge does not.
Do I need a lawyer for a first DWI arrest in Missouri?
Not everyone does, and the cost is worth weighing honestly. What compresses the decision is the license deadline, which falls long before the criminal case gets going. Decide within the first week rather than waiting for a court date.

Sources

Sec. 302.525.2 RSMo · Sec. 302.525.5 RSMo · Sec. 577.010 RSMo · Sec. 577.012 RSMo · Sec. 577.012.1(2) RSMo · Secs. 302.520, 302.525, 302.530 RSMo · Secs. 577.001, 577.010 RSMo · Secs. 577.041, 302.309 RSMo

This page is general information, not legal advice. Statutes change. Confirm anything you rely on with a licensed Missouri attorney.