End school zone sign: meaning and rules

What does the END SCHOOL ZONE sign mean?

MUTCD Section 7B.05 says the end of a posted school speed limit zone is marked with an END SCHOOL SPEED LIMIT sign, and that an END SCHOOL ZONE sign may be used instead where the speed zone ends at the same point as the school zone.

Quick quiz

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

A lower speed limit near a school when the lights flash.
A school area, zone or crossing is near.
The school zone ends here.

Show answer

C. The school zone ends here. It marks the end of a school zone (MUTCD Section 7B.05). Source: MUTCD 11th Edition, Part 7, Traffic Control for School Areas: Section 7B.05, FHWA; MUTCD 11th Edition, FHWA

Where will you see it?

At the far end of a school zone, facing traffic leaving it.

What should you do?

Return to the posted speed limit only once you have passed the sign, and only if it is safe. Children may still be near the road.

What do people get wrong?

Speeding up as soon as the school is behind you. The zone runs until the sign.

Common questions

Is END SCHOOL ZONE the same as END SCHOOL SPEED LIMIT?

They both end the school speed limit. END SCHOOL ZONE is used where the speed zone and the school zone end at the same point (MUTCD Section 7B.05).

What speed limit applies after the sign?

The normal posted speed limit for the road.

Compare with

Want to test someone else? Play a road-sign quiz with friends and family.

Sources

Checked on 3 November 2026 against the MUTCD 11th Edition (FHWA), Section 7B.05.

MUTCD 11th Edition, Part 7, Traffic Control for School Areas: Section 7B.05, 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.