Do not drive on shoulder sign: what it means
The DO NOT DRIVE ON SHOULDER sign means you must not use the shoulder of the road as a travel lane.
What does the DO NOT DRIVE ON SHOULDER sign mean?
MUTCD Section 2B.43 says the R4-17 sign may be installed to tell road users that using the shoulder as a travel lane is prohibited. A related DO NOT PASS ON SHOULDER (R4-18) sign bans using it to pass.
Quick quiz
What does the sign at the top of this page mean?
- Stop on the shoulder only in an emergency.
- Do not use the shoulder as a lane.
- Passing is not allowed here.
Show answer
B. Do not use the shoulder as a lane. Using the shoulder as a travel lane is prohibited (MUTCD Section 2B.43). Source: MUTCD 11th Edition, Chapter 2B, Regulatory Signs, Barricades, and Gates: Section 2B.43, FHWA; MUTCD 11th Edition, FHWA
Where will you see it?
Where drivers are tempted to use the shoulder, such as near traffic backups at exits and intersections.
What should you do?
Stay in the travel lanes and wait in line.
What do people get wrong?
Using the shoulder to get around stopped traffic or a car waiting to turn left.
Common questions
Can I stop on the shoulder in an emergency?
This sign is about driving on it. Check your state handbook for when you may stop on the shoulder.
What is the R4-18 sign?
DO NOT PASS ON SHOULDER, which bans using the shoulder to pass other vehicles.
Compare with
Emergency stopping only signStop on the shoulder only in an emergency.
Do not pass signPassing is not allowed here.
Want to test someone else? Play a road-sign quiz with friends and family.
Sources
Checked on 4 November 2026 against the MUTCD 11th Edition (FHWA), Section 2B.43.
- MUTCD 11th Edition, Chapter 2B, Regulatory Signs, Barricades, and Gates: Section 2B.43, FHWA
- MUTCD 11th Edition, FHWA. FHWA lists the current version as the 11th Edition with Revision 1, dated December 2025
Sign pictures are our own simplified drawings of the MUTCD designs, which are in the public domain (MUTCD Section 1D.06). Sources and image credits.