Sign library · Regulatory

STOP

ColorRed
ShapeOctagon (8 sides)
FamilyRegulatory
Where you see itIntersections without signals

What it means

Come to a complete stop. The octagon is the only eight-sided sign in America, so you can recognize it from behind, in glare, or covered in snow.

What you should do

Stop fully behind the limit line or crosswalk. Look left, right, then left again, and go only when the way is clear. If others stopped first, they go first.

Memory trick

8 sides = 1 meaning. Nothing else on the road has eight sides.

The mistake drivers make

The rolling stop. Slowing to a crawl and easing through is not a stop. Examiners and officers both fail it. The wheels must stop turning.

Test yourself on this sign.

A real practice question from our verified bank, word for word. Tap an answer.

Q.At a stop sign, you must:

Related signs

Signs that live in the same family, or get confused with this one.

YIELD

YIELD

Red and white · Triangle, point down

DO NOTENTER

DO NOT ENTER

Red and white · Square with a red circle

STOP AHEAD

Yellow · Diamond

Keep going.

The library

Every sign, one page each

Browse the full sign library: meanings, memory tricks, and the mistakes to avoid.

Back to the library →
The system

The color and shape codes

One lesson that teaches you to read any sign from its outline alone.

Learn the codes →
All topics

Explore the Learning Center

Six free lessons that cover the whole written test.

See all lessons →

Prefer to study on your phone, in your own language? The same questions live in the app — 19 languages, all 50 states, every answer explained.