Blue Stop Sign

A blue stop sign is not seen commonly around the country, and many people are not aware if it highlights the same stop sign rule.

It is an octagonal sign indicating you should make a full and complete stop before driving again… that happens to be blue.

These signs aren’t issued by the U.S. Department of Transportation, so what’s their deal?

What is a Blue Stop Sign?

“The short answer to the question about blue stop signs is that in the U.S., the shape and colors of signs (including stop signs) are identified in a document known as the Manual on Uniform Control of Traffic Devices,” says Shashi Nambisan, PhD, director of the Transportation Research Center at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. “To the best of my knowledge, blue-colored stop signs are not permitted on public roads. However, it is possible that they may have been installed on private property.”

You can say that these are sort of private stop signs; if a property owner feels it’s necessary to warn drivers of any potential hazards that could require a stop, they might install a blue stop sign at their own cost.

Where can we find Blue Stop Signs?

Like Japan’s blue stoplights, blue stop signs are a traffic feature primarily reserved for a specific island—Hawaii, to be exact.

As Nambisan points out, you may come across them on private property nationwide.

However, sightings of blue stop signs are reported most often in the Aloha State, with drivers bewildered by their appearance.

But the question is whether we must stop for a blue stop sign if it isn’t government-issued.

“Most people would treat a blue stop sign the same as they would a red stop sign if they encountered one,” says Nathan Kautz, a senior transportation safety engineer with Kittelson & Associates, a transportation engineering and planning consulting firm. “If you encounter an intersection with no traffic control (a signal that is not working due to a power outage, for example), you are to treat it like an all-way stop in my state of Florida. I would assume that, since stopping would happen in either condition, law enforcement may have grounds to write a ticket for something, even if it is reckless driving.”

What about the RED STOP signs?

There are a couple of reasons why stop signs across the globe are typically red. First, red is the easiest color to see from the farthest distance.

This gives drivers plenty of time to identify the stop sign and slow down. Second, red is often considered the color of danger, suggesting you proceed with caution.

The same goes for everything else you see on the road such as Car brake lights, and other danger-highlighting signs.