How long a DWI stays on your record in Missouri
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Two records, two answers. On the driving record: 10 years for the conviction; points come off sooner. On the criminal record: permanent unless a court expunges it.
Missouri keeps two files. The Department of Revenue records the conviction on the driving record and adds points, and the points fade — a third after twelve clean months, half after twenty-four, gone after thirty-six — while the conviction itself stays visible. The court file is separate, and it is the one that shows up in an ordinary background check.
| Question | Answer in Missouri |
|---|---|
| On the driving record | 10 years for the conviction; points come off sooner |
| On the criminal record | Permanent unless a court expunges it |
| Expungement or sealing | Only in limited circumstances |
| Counts against a later offence | Missouri counts a second alcohol-related conviction within five years for a five-year licence denial, and three or more intoxication-related convictions bring a ten-year denial regardless of spacing. |
| Source | Missouri Revised Statutes § 610.130 · Missouri DOR, Driving While Intoxicated · checked 2026-09-06 |
Can it be cleared in Missouri?
A first intoxication-related traffic offence that is a misdemeanor or an ordinance violation may be expunged after not less than ten years, on application to the court that took the plea or sentenced you, provided there has been no subsequent intoxication-related offence and no other alcohol-related enforcement contact. It is once in a lifetime, and it is unavailable to anyone holding or required to hold a commercial licence.
Of the 15 states in this layer, 8 close the door on a conviction entirely, while Kansas will expunge one after a waiting period. So the blanket advice you find online — that a DWI can never be cleared, or that it always can after seven years — is wrong in both directions depending on where you were convicted.
The part of the Missouri rule that catches people
The ten years is not a waiting period that runs by itself. The Department of Revenue keeps its own record so that it can tell whether you have already used the single expungement available to you, and the court will not grant it if any alcohol-related matter is pending at the hearing.
Why the answer is always two answers
The driving record is kept by the licensing agency to decide licences, insurance surcharges and how hard to punish a second offence. The criminal record is kept by the courts and the state police to answer background checks. They are created at different moments, governed by different statutes, and cleared — where they can be cleared at all — by different procedures.
That is why someone can be told truthfully that their conviction was “dismissed” and still fail a driving-job screening years later. If the job involves a vehicle, the record that matters is the one at the DMV.
What else is still running in Missouri
The record outlasts every other obligation, which is why it is worth checking last rather than first. The programme, the filing and the device all end on their own clocks.
Missouri DWI law in full → · Class requirements in Missouri → · Insurance filing rules in Missouri → · How records work everywhere →
Record questions in Missouri
How long does a DWI stay on your record in Missouri?
On the driving record, 10 years for the conviction; points come off sooner. On the criminal record, permanent unless a court expunges it. Those are two separate archives kept by two different agencies, and the answer people are usually given conflates them.
Can a DWI be expunged in Missouri?
Only in limited circumstances. A first intoxication-related traffic offence that is a misdemeanor or an ordinance violation may be expunged after not less than ten years, on application to the court that took the plea or sentenced you, provided there has been no subsequent intoxication-related offence and no other alcohol-related enforcement contact. It is once in a lifetime, and it is unavailable to anyone holding or required to hold a commercial licence.
How long does a prior DWI count against you in Missouri?
Missouri counts a second alcohol-related conviction within five years for a five-year licence denial, and three or more intoxication-related convictions bring a ten-year denial regardless of spacing. That window is a separate question from how long the record is visible — a conviction can stop counting for sentencing while remaining perfectly visible to an employer.
Will a DWI show up on a background check in Missouri?
It depends which check. A criminal-history search looks at the court record; an employer who pulls a motor vehicle record sees the driving record instead, and those clear on different schedules. In Missouri the driving record holds it 10 years for the conviction; points come off sooner, which is why driving jobs keep asking about it long after the case is closed.
Does clearing the court record clear the driving record in Missouri?
No, and that assumption is the single most common mistake in this area. The two are held by different agencies under different statutes; an order aimed at one does not bind the other unless the statute says so explicitly. In Missouri: the ten years is not a waiting period that runs by itself. The Department of Revenue keeps its own record so that it can tell whether you have already used the single expungement available to you, and the court will not grant it if any alcohol-related matter is pending at the hearing.
Attorney advertising. InterlockDeviceNearMe is not a law firm, does not practice law, and does not give legal advice. Nothing here creates an attorney-client relationship. Requesting a consultation connects you with an independent attorney or a legal referral service, who decide separately whether to take your case. Case outcomes depend on facts we do not know, and no result is ever promised. Deadlines in DUI cases are short and vary by state — speak to a licensed attorney in your state before relying on anything you read here.