Do Not Pass sign
May be used along with no-passing pavement markings to stress that passing is not allowed, for example where sight distance is limited.
What to do
Do not pass other vehicles until the restriction ends (often marked with a PASS WITH CARE sign).
Stay behind slower vehicles until the zone ends and the markings or a PASS WITH CARE sign show that passing is allowed again.
Where it's used
Section 2B.36 allows the Do Not Pass sign in addition to no-passing pavement markings to emphasise the restriction, at the start of and at intervals within a zone with restricted sight distance or other conditions that make passing inappropriate. It is a vertical black-on-white regulatory sign reading DO NOT PASS. For extra emphasis on the left side of the road, the yellow pennant NO PASSING ZONE (W14-3) sign may be used, and a PASS WITH CARE (R4-2) sign should mark the end of the zone.
Don't confuse it with
- No Passing Zone: NO PASSING ZONE is a yellow pennant on the left side of the road marking the start of the zone, while DO NOT PASS is a white rectangular sign on the right.
- Pass With Care: PASS WITH CARE marks the end of the no-passing zone, where passing becomes legal again.
- Double Solid Yellow Center Line: The double yellow line is the pavement marking that prohibits passing in both directions, and the sign only reinforces such markings.
- Type
- Regulatory signs
- Shape
- Vertical rectangle
- Colors
- white, black
- MUTCD code
- R4-1
- MUTCD section
- 2B.36
On state permit tests
Our questions for 5 states ask about this sign, including Indiana, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Texas and Virginia.
Test yourself
Where is the white rectangular Do Not Pass sign posted? (Indiana practice test)
- On the right-hand side of the road
- On the left-hand side of the road
- Over the center lane
- On the back of trucks
Show answer
On the right-hand side of the road. A white rectangular Do Not Pass sign is posted on the right side; the yellow pennant is on the left.
Where is the rectangular DO NOT PASS sign placed? (North Dakota practice test)
- On the right side of the road
- On the left side of the road
- In the median
- Overhead
Show answer
On the right side of the road. The rectangular DO NOT PASS sign is on the right side of the road; the yellow pennant is on the left.
More regulatory signs
Stop
All-Way plaque
Yield
Yield Here to Pedestrians
In-Street Pedestrian Crossing
Speed Limit
Night Speed Limit
Combined Maximum and Minimum Speed LimitsFrom the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), 11th edition, section 2B.36. Sign image: public domain, source.