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Stop signChina

An introduction to the traffic rules and road signs of China. Learn about driving, road safety and much more in our illustrated book, with answers to frequently asked questions.

For informational purposes only. Always follow official regulations. Some content and images were created with AI assistance.

Traffic signs
Traffic rules
China

13. Stop sign

A stop sign requires drivers to bring their vehicle to a complete stop and give way before entering or crossing the road ahead. The stop must be made at the stop line or another legally prescribed position.

After stopping, the driver may continue only when this can be done safely and without interfering with traffic that has priority. The sign does not create priority for the driver who has stopped.

Stop sign
Stop sign displaying the Chinese character '停'. (Shenzhen, Guangdong, China)
Wikimedia.org • Yejianfei • CC0
Must I stop completely at a stop sign in China?

Yes. Come to a complete stop when the applicable stop sign controls your approach, even when you cannot see another road user. Slowing to a crawl is not a stop. The Chinese stop indication can display 停, meaning stop.

🔗 xzfg.moj.gov.cn • Mainland China — Regulations 51–52 and 68–69; actual stop controls and stop lines

🔗 jtgl.beijing.gov.cn • Beijing Traffic Police — full Road Traffic Safety Law, 2021 amended text

🔗 samr.gov.cn • SAMR — full implementing Regulations, 2017 amended text

🔗 szjj.sz.gov.cn • Shenzhen Traffic Police — official sign categories and their functions

🔗 openstd.samr.gov.cn • SAMR — current GB 5768.2-2022 status, not the full standard

🔗 std.sacinfo.org.cn • SAC — published first sign-standard amendment, effective 1 January 2026

Stop and give way. Stop and give way.

English • Traffic sign 禁1 • Stop and give way. Stop completely before entering the junction, check that it is safe and let vehicles with priority pass before proceeding.

中文 • 禁1 • 停车让行。 进入路口前必须完全停车，确认安全并让有优先通行权的车辆先行后再通过。

Sources

🔗 Commons.wikimedia.org
🔗 Openstd.samr.gov.cn • 国家标准全文公开 • GB 5768.2-2022（含第1号修改单）
🔗 Upload.wikimedia.org • 标准原文镜像 • PDF第27页

SVG source: Standardization Administration of the People's Republic of China • Public domain • Original revision 2025-11-09. Wikimedia original unmodified.

Where must I stop at a stop-controlled junction in China?

Obey the marked stopping place and come to a complete stop before entering the conflicting route. At a junction requiring you to stop and give way, inspect the traffic first and allow the priority traffic to pass.

🔗 xzfg.moj.gov.cn • Mainland China — Regulations 51–52 and 68–69; actual stop controls and stop lines

🔗 jtgl.beijing.gov.cn • Beijing Traffic Police — full Road Traffic Safety Law, 2021 amended text

🔗 samr.gov.cn • SAMR — full implementing Regulations, 2017 amended text

🔗 szjj.sz.gov.cn • Shenzhen Traffic Police — official sign categories and their functions

🔗 openstd.samr.gov.cn • SAMR — current GB 5768.2-2022 status, not the full standard

🔗 std.sacinfo.org.cn • SAC — published first sign-standard amendment, effective 1 January 2026

Does stopping first give me priority at a stop sign in China?

A complete stop does not, by itself, give you priority. Give way to the road users entitled to pass under the junction’s signs and rules, check pedestrians and cyclists, and proceed only when the gap is safe. Do not follow another stopped vehicle through without satisfying your own stopping and yielding duties.

🔗 xzfg.moj.gov.cn • Mainland China — Regulations 51–52 and 68–69; actual stop controls and stop lines

🔗 jtgl.beijing.gov.cn • Beijing Traffic Police — full Road Traffic Safety Law, 2021 amended text

🔗 samr.gov.cn • SAMR — full implementing Regulations, 2017 amended text

🔗 szjj.sz.gov.cn • Shenzhen Traffic Police — official sign categories and their functions

🔗 openstd.samr.gov.cn • SAMR — current GB 5768.2-2022 status, not the full standard

🔗 std.sacinfo.org.cn • SAC — published first sign-standard amendment, effective 1 January 2026

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