Signs, signals and markings in Missouri

By the end of this topic you can

• You can identify signs by shape and color.
• You can explain every traffic signal and left-turn arrow.
• You can read yellow and white pavement lines.
• You can act correctly at railroad crossings and dark signals.

What you need to know and understand

• Octagon means stop; triangle means yield; pentagon means school; pennant means no passing zone.
• Round signs and the white crossbuck mean railroad.
• Orange signs mark construction and work zones; yellow means warning; yellow-green is used for school signs.
• Yellow lines separate opposite-direction traffic; white lines separate same-direction traffic.
• A flashing red light means stop, like a stop sign; a flashing yellow light means slow down and go with care.
• A signal that is not working is treated as a four-way stop.

Reading signs by color

• Red: stop, yield or not allowed
• Black or white: regulatory rules
• Yellow: warning
• Orange: construction
• Green: direction and distance
• Blue: motorist services
• Brown: recreation and cultural sites
• Yellow-green: school

Signals and turn arrows

Steady red: stop at the line, crosswalk or intersection edge. Steady yellow: the light is about to turn red, so stop unless you are too close to stop safely. Green: go, but yield to traffic and pedestrians still in the intersection.

For left turns, a green arrow gives you a protected turn. A flashing yellow arrow lets you turn only after yielding to oncoming traffic and pedestrians. A steady yellow arrow warns the arrow is about to change, and a red arrow means stop and wait. If police or flaggers give directions, follow them over any signal.

Lines, no-passing zones and railroads

Broken lines may be crossed to pass when safe; solid lines should not. A solid yellow line on your side means no passing, and double solid yellow lines must never be crossed to pass. Shared center lanes, marked by solid and dashed yellow lines, are only for left turns, or U-turns where they are allowed. Stop before the stop line or crosswalk when a sign or signal tells you to.

At a railroad crossing, slow down, look and listen. If red lights flash or the gate is down, stop between 15 and 50 feet from the tracks and never go around the gate. Look for a second train on multiple tracks, and only cross when there is room for your car on the far side. A reflective orange triangle on a vehicle means it travels under 25 mph.

Common mistakes

• Treating a flashing yellow arrow like a green arrow. You must yield first.
• Speeding up on a steady yellow when you could safely stop.
• Stopping on the tracks in queued traffic. Wait until there is room beyond them.
• Ignoring a sign because its shape is unfamiliar. Learn shapes and colors as a set.

Test yourself: Signs, signals and markings in Missouri

Answer each question, then read the explanation. Questions come in a random order each time.

Go deeper

• Missouri Permit Practice Test
• Learning to Drive in Missouri
• Missouri 40-Hour Supervised Driving Requirement