Road signs/Yield Sign
Yield Sign: what it means and what to do
A yield sign means slow down and give the right of way to pedestrians and to traffic on the road you are entering. You stop only when you need to.
What it looks like
A red-and-white triangle pointing downward. It is the only three-sided regulatory sign.
What to do
- Slow down as you approach and check for traffic and pedestrians.
- Give way to pedestrians and to cross traffic already on the intersecting road.
- Stop if you must in order to let someone pass. New York's manual says you must come to a full stop if traffic conditions require it.
- Go when there is a big enough gap that nobody has to brake or swerve for you.
On the permit test
Tests ask the sign's shape, who has the right of way, and whether you always have to stop (you do not, but you must be ready to).
Free questions from our banks that show this sign:
A triangular sign means you must:
Answer: Yield the right-of-way to cross traffic or merging traffic
The triangle requires you to yield the right-of-way to cross traffic or to merging traffic. Slow down, be ready to stop, and let others go first when needed. An octagon, by contrast, means a full stop. A rectangular sign, by contrast, regulates traffic and directs speed and direction.
Arizona Driver License Manual — Traffic signs, Regulatory signs (p. 32) · Arizona MVD Permit free questionsWhat does a yield sign require you to do?
Answer: Slow down and give others the right-of-way
Yield means slow down, give crossing traffic the right-of-way, and roll on only if clear. Always-stop, speed-up-to-merge, or honk-and-enter answers are wrong because yield means slow down, give crossing traffic the right-of-way, and roll on only if clear.
FL Driver Handbook — Regulatory Signs: Yield (rev. 08/2023) · Florida Class E Permit free questionsA yield sign means you must:
Answer: Slow down and let traffic with the right-of-way cross first
A yield sign tells you to slow down and allow traffic that has the right-of-way to go first. You do not have to stop if the way is clear, but be ready to. A stop sign, in contrast, always requires a full stop.
Washington Driver Guide — 4.12 Signs (yield) · Washington DOL Permit free questionsWhere it shows up on state tests
6 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. |
| Florida | 1 | No separate sign section published. |
| Indiana | 1 | Two components — road signs, and traffic rules and laws — and you need 80% on each. |
| Missouri | 1 | A separate road sign test is part of the driver exam and comes before the driving test. |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 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. |
| Yield Ahead Sign | Yellow diamond warning sign with a red yield triangle symbol and an arrow | A yield ahead sign means a yield sign is coming up. |
| Railroad Crossing Sign (Crossbuck) | White X-shaped crossbuck sign reading RAILROAD CROSSING | A railroad crossbuck marks the crossing itself. |
See them side by side
Common questions
Only if you have to. You slow down, look, and give way, and you stop when traffic or pedestrians make that necessary.
A downward-pointing triangle, red and white. No other regulatory sign uses that shape.
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.