Road signs/All-Way Stop Sign
All-Way Stop Sign: what it means and what to do
An all-way stop (a stop sign with an ALL WAY plaque, often called a four-way stop) means traffic from every direction must stop. The first driver to arrive goes first.
What it looks like
A normal red STOP octagon with a small rectangular ALL WAY plaque below it, usually on every approach to the intersection.
What to do
- Stop completely, even if no one else is in sight.
- Go in the order vehicles arrived. The first to stop is the first to go.
- If two vehicles arrive together, the driver on the left yields to the driver on the right (Pennsylvania's wording).
- If you are turning left, let oncoming traffic going straight go first.
Quick check: All-Way Stop Sign
Two questions to test what you just read.
What does the all-way stop sign mean?
On the permit test
Tests ask who goes first when two cars arrive together and when you are turning left. The interactive four-way-stop page walks through four scenes.
Where it shows up on state tests
9 questions across our state banks show this sign. Here is how many each bank has, and what each state's own test rules say about road signs.
| State | Questions showing it | What the state says about signs |
|---|---|---|
| Georgia | 1 | Two separate tests: road signs (20 questions) and road rules (20 questions). |
| Illinois | 1 | 15 of the 35 questions are traffic-sign identification; the other 20 are multiple-choice or true/false. |
| Indiana | 1 | Two components — road signs, and traffic rules and laws — and you need 80% on each. |
| North Carolina | 1 | Separate road-signs test: identify at least 9 of 12 signs. |
| New Jersey | 1 | No separate sign section published. |
| New York | 1 | 4 of the 20 questions are about road signs, and at least 2 of those 4 must be correct — even with 14 right overall. |
| Ohio | 1 | 40 multiple-choice questions on motor vehicle regulations and traffic signs. |
| Pennsylvania | 1 | No separate sign section published. |
| Virginia | 1 | Part one is 10 traffic-sign questions and you must answer all 10 correctly before part two opens. |
How it differs from similar signs
| Sign | How to recognise it | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| All-Way Stop Sign | Red octagonal STOP sign with an ALL WAY plaque beneath it | An all-way stop (a stop sign with an ALL WAY plaque, often called a four-way stop) means traffic from every direction must stop. |
| Stop Sign | Red octagonal STOP sign | A stop sign means come to a complete stop at the stop line (or the crosswalk, or the edge of the intersection if there is no line), then go only when the way is clear. |
| Yield Sign | Downward-pointing red and white triangle reading YIELD | A yield sign means slow down and give the right of way to pedestrians and to traffic on the road you are entering. |
| Stop Ahead Sign | Yellow diamond warning sign with a red stop sign symbol and an arrow | A stop ahead sign means a stop sign is coming up that you may not be able to see yet, because of a curve, a hill or something blocking the view. |
See them side by side
Common questions
The driver who stopped first. If you arrive at the same moment as another driver, the one on the right goes first, and a driver turning left waits for oncoming traffic.
No. Order of arrival decides, then the vehicle on the right, then oncoming traffic when you turn left. Size and speed do not matter.
All road signs Practice your state’s permit test free
Sources, checked 2026-10-08: Pennsylvania Driver's Manual (PUB 95), Chapter 2: Signals, Signs and Pavement Markings; Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (FHWA). Written in our own words; follow your state’s manual for the exact wording.