Signs, signals and markings in South Carolina
Signs, signals and road markings are the language of the road. The shape and color of a sign tell you what kind of message it carries before you can read the words, which is why sign questions are so common on the South Carolina knowledge test.
South Carolina uses the same national sign system as other states, plus a few signs you will see more often here, such as hurricane evacuation routes.
By the end of this topic you can
- You can identify warning, regulatory, work zone and guide signs by shape and color.
- You can respond correctly to steady and flashing lights.
- You can read yellow and white pavement lines.
- You can explain South Carolina's evacuation route and secondary road marker signs.
- You can act correctly at railroad crossings.
What you need to know and understand
- Stop sign: eight sides, red with white letters.
- Yield sign: red and white downward-pointing triangle.
- Warning signs: usually yellow with black symbols, diamond shaped; school and pedestrian signs may be fluorescent yellow-green.
- Work zone signs: orange with black letters or symbols.
- Guide signs: green, brown or blue.
- A round yellow sign with an X and RR warns of a railroad crossing ahead; a white X-shaped crossbuck marks the crossing itself.
- Yellow lines separate traffic going in opposite directions; white lines separate lanes going the same way.
Traffic lights, steady and flashing
In some cities the lights are mounted sideways. Red is then on the left, yellow in the middle and green on the right.
- Green: go if the intersection is clear.
- Yellow: the light is about to turn red. Stop if you safely can; if you are already in the intersection, clear it.
- Red: stop behind the stop line, crosswalk or intersection and wait for green. Right on red is allowed after stopping unless a sign prohibits it.
- Flashing yellow: slow down and proceed with caution.
- Flashing red: stop completely and treat it like a stop sign.
Where to stop
At a stop sign or red light, stop behind the stop line. If there is no line, stop before the crosswalk. If there is neither, stop at the point nearest the intersection where you can see both ways without entering cross traffic. You must yield to pedestrians in a crosswalk, whether it is marked or not.
At railroad crossings, look both ways and cross without stopping on the tracks. If a train is coming, stop behind the stop line and wait until it is well down the track or the lights and gates show it is safe. If your vehicle ever gets stuck on the tracks, call the emergency number on the blue sign at the crossing.
Signs you will notice in South Carolina
- Hurricane evacuation route signs: mark roads used when a mandatory evacuation is declared for coastal areas.
- Secondary road markers: the letter S, then the county number, then the road number.
- Shared center left-turn lane: for left turns from either direction, never for passing or through traffic.
- Work zone signs: endangering a highway worker can bring a fine and points under SC Code 56-5-1535.
Common mistakes
- Speeding up for a yellow light. Yellow means stop if you safely can.
- Treating a flashing red light as a yield. It means a full stop, like a stop sign.
- Stopping on the railroad tracks in queued traffic. Stop at the line before the tracks instead.
- Using the center left-turn lane to overtake. It is only for turning.
- Ignoring orange work zone signs when no workers are visible. Hazards remain even when work has stopped.
Test yourself: Signs, signals and markings in South Carolina
Answer each question, then read the explanation. Questions come in a random order each time.
Loading questions…
Go deeper
Sources: South Carolina Driver's License Manual, Section 6 Rules of the Road: Traffic Signals, Traffic Signs and Pavement Markings (South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles, revised June 2024, current edition on the SCDMV website). Independent guide, not affiliated with any licensing agency. Always check the latest official rules with the South Carolina licensing agency.