All-Way Stop Sign — Meaning
- Category
- Regulatory
- Shape
- Octagon (with plaque below)
- Colors
- Red, White
- Text
- STOP / ALL WAY
- MUTCD Code
- R1-3
What does the All-Way Stop Sign mean?
The All-Way Stop sign is a standard Stop sign with a small "ALL WAY" or "4-WAY" plaque mounted below it. It indicates that every approach to the intersection has a Stop sign, and every driver must come to a complete stop before proceeding in arrival order.
-
1
Come to a complete stop at the marked stop line or crosswalk
-
2
Note the order in which vehicles arrive at the intersection
-
3
Yield to vehicles that arrived before you
-
4
If two vehicles arrive simultaneously, the vehicle on the right has priority
-
5
When facing an opposing vehicle, the one going straight or turning right has priority over one turning left
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At residential 4-way intersections in suburban neighborhoods -
At low-volume city street crossings -
At rural intersections without traffic signals -
Replacing a malfunctioning traffic light (temporarily)
Many drivers assume the largest or fastest vehicle has priority — wrong. Order of arrival, then "right wins" for ties, is the universal rule. A common test scenario: three cars arrive at once. The car on the rightmost approach goes first.
Who goes first at a 4-way stop?
Do pedestrians have right of way at a 4-way stop?
What if I cannot tell who arrived first?
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