South Carolina · Handbook chapter 6 · 3 min read
Chapter 6: Road signs and pavement markings
South Carolina sign colors and shapes: warning, railroad, work zone, regulatory, guide, route, secondary road and hurricane evacuation signs, plus yellow and white lines, crosswalks and stop lines.
Why this chapter matters
Road signs are part of the South Carolina knowledge test, and you may be asked to name signs on the road test too. Shape and color tell you what kind of message a sign carries before you can read it.
Sign families
| Type | Look | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Warning | Usually yellow diamond with black symbols; school and pedestrian signs may be fluorescent yellow-green | Hazards or changes ahead |
| Work zone | Orange, diamond or rectangle | Road work, workers, detours |
| Regulatory | White rectangles or special shapes with black, red or green | Laws you must obey |
| Guide | Green, brown or blue rectangles | Directions, places, services |
Key regulatory signs
- STOP: eight-sided, red with white letters. Stop behind the stop line or crosswalk; if there is none, stop where you can see both ways without entering the cross lane.
- YIELD: red and white downward-pointing triangle. Slow down and let traffic with the right-of-way go first.
- A red circle with a slash forbids the action shown, such as a left turn or U-turn.
- Speed limit signs show the maximum legal speed in ideal conditions.
- One-way signs: never drive against the arrow.
- A shared center left-turn lane is only for left turns from either direction, never for passing or through traffic.
Railroad crossings
- A round yellow sign with an X and RR comes before a crossing: slow down, look and listen.
- The white X-shaped crossbuck marks the crossing itself; a plaque shows the number of tracks when there is more than one.
- Cross quickly without stopping on the tracks. If a train is crossing, wait until it is well down the track or the lights and gates show it is safe.
- If you are stuck on the tracks, call the number on the blue sign at the crossing.
Work zones
- Slow down, do not tailgate and be ready to stop. Follow flaggers.
- Drums, cones and tubes guide you; temporary signals may be used.
- Endangering a highway worker can bring a fine and points.
Route signs
- Signs show interstate, US, state and local routes.
- A South Carolina secondary road marker starts with S: the first number is the county, the last is the road number.
- Hurricane evacuation route signs mark roads used when a coastal evacuation is ordered.
Pavement markings
- Yellow lines separate traffic moving in opposite directions; white lines separate lanes going the same way.
- A dashed yellow line on your side means you may pass when it is safe; a solid line on your side means do not pass; double solid yellow means no passing either way.
- The manual also shows markings for reversible lanes and shared center left-turn lanes.
- At a stop line before a crosswalk, obey the stop line first. Yield to pedestrians in marked or unmarked crosswalks.
Frequently asked questions
What color are work zone signs?
Orange with black letters or symbols.
What does the S number on a secondary road marker mean?
The first number is the county and the last is the road number within that county.
What does a white X-shaped sign mean?
It is the crossbuck at a railroad crossing: yield to any train and stop if one is coming.
Based on the South Carolina Driver's License Manual (SCDMV), Section 6: Traffic Signs, Pavement Markings and Other Lane Controls.