Municipal regulations
Cities and towns in Missouri are allowed to make their own traffic rules, like setting speed limits, creating one-way streets, regulating parking meters, and more. But those local rules cannot go against state traffic law. If a car is leased or rented and gets a ticket, the owner is not responsible as long as they give the renter's information to the city within three business days of being asked. Also, no city can block all routes in town from being used by large commercial trucks, and no city can ticket a driver for being in an intersection when the light turns red if that driver entered on a yellow light.
304.120. s — owner or not for violations, when. — 1. Municipalities, by , may establish reasonable speed regulations for motor vehicles within the limits of such municipalities. No person who is not a resident of such and who has not been within the limits thereof for a continuous period of more than forty-eight hours shall be of a violation of such , unless it is shown by that there was posted at the place where the boundary of such municipality joins or crosses any a displaying in black letters not less than four inches high and one inch wide on a white background the speed by such municipality so that such sign may be clearly seen by s and drivers from their vehicles upon entering such municipality.
2. Municipalities, by ordinance, may:
(1) Make additional rules of the road or traffic regulations to meet their needs and traffic conditions;
(2) Establish one-way streets and provide for the regulation of vehicles thereon;
(3) Require vehicles to stop before crossing certain streets and s;
(4) Limit the use of certain designated streets and boulevards to passenger vehicles, except that each municipality shall allow at least one route, with lawful traffic movement and access from both directions, to be available for use by commercial motor vehicles to access any roads in the state highway system. Under no circumstances shall the of this be to authorize a municipality to limit the use of all routes in the municipality. The use by commercial motor vehicles of a municipality-designated route for such vehicles in with any ordinances of the designating municipality shall not be a or evidence of a nuisance. Nothing contained in this subdivision is intended to or limit recovery for any that is of a nuisance claim;
(5) Prohibit the use of certain designated streets to vehicles with metal tires, or solid rubber tires;
(6) Regulate the parking of vehicles on streets by the installation of parking meters for limiting the time of parking and exacting a fee therefor or by the adoption of any other regulatory method that is reasonable and practical, and prohibit or control left-hand turns of vehicles;
(7) Require the use of signaling devices on all motor vehicles; and
(8) Prohibit sound-producing warning devices, except horns directed forward.
3. No ordinance shall be valid which contains provisions contrary to or in conflict with this chapter, except as herein provided.
4. No ordinance shall impose on the of a motor vehicle when the vehicle is being by a and is illegally parked or operated if the -lessor of such vehicle furnishes the name, address and of the person renting or leasing the vehicle at the time the violation occurred to the proper municipal within three working days from the time of receipt of written request for such . Any registered owner-lessor who fails or refuses to provide such information within the period required by this shall be liable for the imposition of any fine established by municipal ordinance for the violation. Provided, however, if a leased motor vehicle is illegally parked due to a defect in such vehicle, which renders it , not caused by the or of the lessee, then the lessor shall be liable on any violation for illegal parking of such vehicle.
5. No ordinance shall deny the use of commercial motor vehicles on all routes within the municipality. For purposes of this section, the term "route" shall mean any state road, county road, or public street, avenue, boulevard, or .
6. No ordinance shall prohibit the operator of a motor vehicle from being in an while a red signal is being displayed if the operator of the motor vehicle entered the intersection during a yellow signal interval. The provisions of this subsection shall any local laws, ordinances, orders, rules, or regulations enacted by a county, municipality, or other that are to the contrary.
(RSMo 1939 § 8395, A.L. 1943 p. 659, A. 1949 S.B. 1113, A.L. 1975 H.B. 83, A.L. 2012 H.B. 1251 merged with H.B. 1402 merged with S.B. 470 merged with S.B. 480, A.L. 2013 H.B. 103, A.L. 2017 S.B. 8 merged with S.B. 283)
Prior revisions: 1929 § 7780; 1919 § 7596
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Legal information, not legal advice. Always confirm with the official source at revisor.mo.gov.