Road signs/Stop Sign
Stop Sign: what it means and what to do
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.
What it looks like
A red octagon with the white word STOP. It is the only eight-sided sign on the road, so it can be recognised from behind or covered in snow.
What to do
- Stop completely before the stop line or crosswalk. Slowing down without stopping is illegal.
- Look for pedestrians and cross traffic and let them clear the intersection.
- If parked cars or a hill block your view, stop at the line, let any pedestrians cross, then pull forward carefully until you can see traffic, and check again before you go.
- Go when it is safe. At a stop sign you wait for a gap; nobody makes one for you.
On the permit test
Tests ask you to name the shape and colour, to say where to stop when there is a line or crosswalk, and what to do when your view is blocked.
Free questions from our banks that show this sign:
What shape is reserved for stop signs?
Answer: Octagon
The octagon is reserved for stop signs, and a stop sign means you must come to a complete stop. A triangle means you must yield the right-of-way to cross traffic or to merging traffic, and rectangular signs regulate traffic and direct the driver's speed and direction.
Arizona Driver License Manual — Traffic signs, Regulatory signs (p. 32) · Arizona MVD Permit free questionsA red octagon sign always means:
Answer: Stop
The eight-sided octagon is reserved for stop. Come to a complete stop at the sign, stop line, crosswalk or curb, and wait for vehicles and pedestrians to clear. Even in fog where only the shape is visible, an octagon tells you to stop before you can read it.
Virginia Driver's Manual — Section 2: Sign shapes (p. 6) · Virginia DMV Permit free questionsA stop sign requires you to stop at the:
Answer: Line, crosswalk or corner, then check all directions and yield the right-of-way
At a stop sign you must stop at the stop line, the crosswalk or the corner, then look for crossing vehicles and pedestrians in all directions and yield the right-of-way. Where a stop line exists, stop before your vehicle reaches it, or before the crosswalk if there is one.
Washington Driver Guide — 4.12 Signs (stop) and 4.16 Road markings (stop lines) · Washington DOL 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. |
| Illinois | 2 | 15 of the 35 questions are traffic-sign identification; the other 20 are multiple-choice or true/false. |
| Missouri | 2 | A separate road sign test is part of the driver exam and comes before the driving test. |
| North Carolina | 2 | 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. |
| Virginia | 1 | Part one is 10 traffic-sign questions and you must answer all 10 correctly before part two opens. |
| Washington | 1 | No separate sign section published. |
How it differs from similar signs
| Sign | How to recognise it | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 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. |
| 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 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. |
| 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. |
See them side by side
Common questions
Yes. A rolling stop is not a stop. The vehicle must stop completely behind the stop line, the crosswalk or the edge of the intersection before it moves again.
Stop before the white stop line. If there is no stop line, stop before the crosswalk; if there is no crosswalk either, stop at the point nearest the intersection where you can see cross traffic.
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); New York State Driver's Manual (MV-21); Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (FHWA). Written in our own words; follow your state’s manual for the exact wording.