STOP signs Full stop at the limit line
At a STOP sign, stop completely behind the white limit line (or before the crosswalk); on the drive test, within about 6 feet of it (DMV DL 955). Then yield to cross traffic that has no STOP sign and is close enough to be a hazard, and go when it is clear.
CVC 22450(a) (where to stop) · CVC 21802(a) (yield after the stop) · DMV DL 955 (more than 4 mph through a STOP: critical error)
Where do you stop at a STOP sign in California?
At the white limit line. With no line, before the crosswalk; with neither, at the entrance to the cross road (CVC 22450(a)). Then yield and go when it is clear.
Why this rule exists
Cross traffic without a STOP sign does not slow down for you. A full stop at the line gives you the time and the view to judge the gap.
Step by step on the road
- Brake early and gently, so the car stops at the limit line, not past it.
- Stop completely: the wheels stop turning.
- If there is no limit line, stop before the crosswalk.
- With the wheels still, look left, right and ahead.
- Yield to cross traffic without a STOP sign that is close enough to be a hazard (CVC 21802(a)), and go when it is clear.
Common mistakes
- The "California roll": slowing down but never stopping.
- Stopping with the front of the car over the limit line or in the crosswalk.
- Pulling out right after the stop, in front of a car on a road with no STOP sign.
On the DMV drive test
DL 955 wants a full stop, with no movement forward and no rolling back, within 6 feet (about half a car length) behind the limit line, or from the corner if there is no line. The front of the car must not be in the intersection, over the limit line, or beyond the sidewalk or the STOP sign. Brake smoothly, without pressing the gas at the same time. Going through a STOP sign, or faster than a brisk walk (4 mph), is a critical driving error: the test is failed.
Based on the DMV’s Driving Test Criteria (DL 955) and its score sheet (DL 32). How the drive test works ›Questions people ask
What is a California roll?
Rolling through a STOP sign without a full stop. On the DMV drive test, going through a STOP sign faster than 4 mph is a critical driving error.
What if there is no limit line at a STOP sign?
Stop before the crosswalk. If there is no crosswalk either, stop at the entrance to the intersecting road (CVC 22450(a)).
Who goes first after you stop at a STOP sign?
Cross traffic without a STOP sign, if it is close enough to be a hazard. Wait until it has passed, then go (CVC 21802(a)).
Test yourself
Kees' three questions on this rule, the “Did you know?” facts and his tip come with the drive, in Voorrah! Pro.
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