Regulatory Signs
Regulatory signs tell you what you must do or must not do. Kansas practice questions in this domain test sign meaning, where the rule applies, and how regulatory signs differ from warnings. Most regulatory signs are white rectangles with black letters or symbols; red is reserved for prohibitions such as STOP, YIELD, DO NOT ENTER, and WRONG WAY.
Core rules
- STOP (red octagon): come to a complete stop at the stop line, crosswalk, or edge of the intersecting roadway, then proceed only when safe.
- YIELD (red-and-white inverted triangle): slow or stop to let traffic on the intersecting road go first.
- Speed Limit (white rectangle): the number is the maximum under normal conditions, not a target; rain, snow, or traffic may require less.
- One Way, DO NOT ENTER, WRONG WAY control direction. A white arrow on black often marks a one-way street.
- Turn and lane-use signs include mandatory turn, no right turn, no left turn, keep right, and center left-turn lane signs.
- Parking and stopping signs include no parking, no stopping, and tow-away zones; read arrows and time plates carefully.
Worked example
You approach an intersection and see a red octagon with a stop line, plus a smaller white sign reading "4-WAY." The octagon requires a complete stop. The "4-WAY" plate tells you all approaches stop, so use first-arrival order and yield to the right if two vehicles arrive together. Do not treat the sign as a suggestion to roll through when no car is visible.
Traps
Do not confuse YIELD with STOP: yield requires slowing and stopping only if necessary. A speed limit sign does not mean the posted speed is safe in bad weather. A NO PARKING sign may still allow stopping to load passengers unless a NO STANDING or NO STOPPING sign says otherwise.