Road signs/Railroad Crossing Sign (Crossbuck)
Railroad Crossing Sign (Crossbuck): what it means and what to do
A railroad crossbuck marks the crossing itself. Treat it like a yield sign: slow down and prepare to stop if a train is approaching.
What it looks like
A white X-shaped sign reading RAILROAD CROSSING, placed where the tracks cross the road. It may stand alone or with flashing lights and gates.
What to do
- Slow down and look and listen both ways.
- Stop and wait if a train is coming, the lights are flashing or the gates are lowered.
- Never stop or get trapped on the tracks. If you are trapped and a train is approaching, get out quickly and move as far from the tracks as you can.
On the permit test
Tests describe the white X and ask which other sign it should be treated like (yield).
Free questions from our banks that show this sign:
A white X-shaped crossbuck sign at tracks means?
Answer: Yield and look for trains
A crossbuck (the X-shaped railroad sign) marks a crossing where you must yield and look for trains before crossing. It does not always require a full stop by itself, mean no trains ever, or mean speed up. Slow down, check both ways, and stop if a train is near or the signals activate.
CA Driver Handbook — Traffic Signs · California DMV Permit free questionsAt a passive crossing with crossbucks but no lights or gates, you must:
Answer: Look and listen, stopping if a train approaches
Passive crossings give no active warning — the crossbuck marks the spot, but detecting the train is entirely on you. Slow, look both ways, listen with windows down, and stop if anything approaches. Most crossing fatalities happen at passive crossings where drivers assumed silence meant safety.
GA Drivers' Manual — Road Signs — Railroad crossings · Georgia DDS Permit free questionsA crossbuck sign stands at every railroad crossing. It tells you to:
Answer: Yield to any approaching trains
The crossbuck marks every highway-railroad crossing and means yield to approaching trains: slow, look both ways, listen, and stop if anything comes. Round yellow X/RR advance signs give earlier notice. Never stop on the tracks themselves, and stop no closer than 15 feet when a train approaches with signals active.
NC Driver Handbook — Railroad Crossings — Crossbucks · North Carolina DMV Permit free questionsWhere it shows up on state tests
11 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Arizona | 1 | No separate sign section published. |
| California | 1 | No separate sign section published. |
| 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. |
| Missouri | 1 | A separate road sign test is part of the driver exam and comes before the driving test. |
| North Carolina | 1 | Separate road-signs test: identify at least 9 of 12 signs. |
| Ohio | 1 | 40 multiple-choice questions on motor vehicle regulations and traffic signs. |
| Pennsylvania | 1 | No separate sign section published. |
| Tennessee | 1 | No separate sign section published. |
| Texas | 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Railroad Crossing Sign (Crossbuck) | White X-shaped crossbuck sign reading RAILROAD CROSSING | A railroad crossbuck marks the crossing itself. |
| Railroad Crossing Ahead Sign | Round yellow sign with a black X and the letters R R | A railroad crossing ahead sign means a railroad crossing is coming up. |
| 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 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. |
See them side by side
Common questions
It marks the place where the tracks cross the road. Treat it as a yield sign and stop if a train is approaching.
You must stop whenever a train is coming or the lights, bells or gates tell you to. Without those signals you slow down, look and listen, and stop if you see or hear a train.
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; New Jersey Driver Manual (rev. 09/25); Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (FHWA). Written in our own words; follow your state’s manual for the exact wording.