School crossing patrol sign: what it means

School crossing patrol sign: a round hand-held sign with a yellow centre, a red ring and the word STOP above a black bar and two black children
Image: Crown copyright, OGL

You must stop when a school crossing patrol shows this sign. Do not drive beyond it.

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What does the school crossing patrol sign mean?

This is the round sign a school crossing patrol holds up. Rule 210 says you must stop when a school crossing patrol shows a Stop for children sign, and Know your traffic signs says vehicles must not go beyond the sign while it is displayed.

On the approach, rule 167 says do not overtake where you might come into conflict with other road users, including when approaching a school crossing patrol.

Quick quiz

What does the sign at the top of this page mean?

  1. Watch for children near a school.
  2. People on foot must not go past here.
  3. Stop when the patrol holds this sign up.

Show answer

C. Stop when the patrol holds this sign up. You must stop when a school crossing patrol shows this sign (The Highway Code, rule 210). Source: Know your traffic signs: regulatory signs, GOV.UK; The Highway Code, rule 167, GOV.UK; The Highway Code, rule 210, GOV.UK

Where will you see it?

Held up by a school crossing patrol at a crossing point, usually near a school.

What should you do?

Stop when the patrol shows the sign. Do not drive beyond it.

What do people get wrong?

Do not treat this as just a warning that children may be nearby. When the patrol shows it, you must stop.

Common questions

Do I have to stop for a school crossing patrol?

Yes. Rule 210 says you must stop when the patrol shows the Stop for children sign.

Can I overtake near a school crossing patrol?

Rule 167 says not to overtake where you might come into conflict with other road users, including when approaching a school crossing patrol.

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Sources

Checked on 5 November 2026 against Know your traffic signs (regulatory signs) and The Highway Code rules 167 and 210.

  1. Know your traffic signs: regulatory signs, GOV.UK
  2. The Highway Code, rule 167, GOV.UK
  3. The Highway Code, rule 210, GOV.UK

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Traffic sign images are Crown copyright, from the Department for Transport. Sources and image credits.

This text was written with AI help, checked against GOV.UK and approved by Fri Vei AS. Last updated .

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