Learn what blue stop signs actually mean and how they vary from traditional red stop signs.We’re all familiar with the standard red stop sign, from primary school shape and color teachings to crossing guard supervision and, finally,

driving on our own. While uncommon, a blue stop sign may appear on a road in the United States or elsewhere. What does a blue stop sign imply, and where can you find one? Are they utilized for different purposes than the standard red signs?

In the United States, a blue stop sign still indicates that you must come to a complete stop before advancing. These blue signs have the same octagonal shape as the typical stop sign, but they are not issued by state or federal authorities and are not official traffic control signs. However, they share the same objective.

Since the 1950s, all stop signs in the United States have been required to be red, according to the Federal Highway Administration’s Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD). The color red was chosen for its visibility, and a national standard makes stop signs easy to spot.