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Stop line
Requirement or prohibition In addition to stopping or waiting requirements indicated by Zeichen 206, police officers, traffic lights or barriers, it orders: Whoever is driving a vehicle must stop here. If necessary, the driver must stop again at the point where the road to be entered can be seen (line of sight).
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When you see the Zeichen
Bring your vehicle to a complete stop before the stop line when the associated Halt or waiting requirement requires it, for example at a red light, Zeichen 206, a police signal or a closed barrier. If you cannot see the road clearly enough from there, you must proceed carefully to the line of sight and, if necessary, stop again there.
Rules
- The stop line marks where you must stop when this is required by Zeichen 206, traffic lights, police officers or barriers.
- The vehicle must come to a complete stop before the stop line; merely rolling slowly is not enough.
- At Zeichen 206, you must first stop at the stop line even if the Vorfahrtstraße cannot be seen from there.
- If visibility at the stop line is insufficient, you must proceed carefully to the line of sight and, if necessary, stop there a second time.
- Without an associated Halt or waiting requirement, the stop line alone generally does not require you to stop.
Tips
- Brake early and smoothly enough to ensure that the front of the vehicle does not extend beyond the line.
- Use the stop line as your reference when stopping, not the traffic-light pole, stop sign or edge of the road.
- Memorise the procedure at a stop sign: first come to a complete stop at the stop line, then edge forward slowly and stop again if you cannot see clearly.
- Pay particular attention when there are several stop lines and make sure you use the one belonging to your lane and your traffic light.
Common misunderstandings
- Learner drivers stop only at the line of sight, crossing the stop line in front of it even though they must already have come to a complete stop there.
- The stop line is confused with a Fußgängerüberweg; it typically consists of a single broad transverse line and does not indicate priority for pedestrians.
- Briefly continuing to roll is treated as stopping. However, a complete standstill is required.
Exam tip
A typical exam trap shows a stop sign with a stop line from which the Vorfahrtstraße cannot be seen. The correct procedure is: first come to a complete stop at the stop line, then proceed carefully to the line of sight and stop again there if necessary.
Did you know
Zeichen 294 is not a mounted sign but a Vorschriftzeichen painted on the road as a broad transverse line across the direction of travel. It is used particularly at traffic lights, stop signs, railway crossings and locations where traffic is controlled by police officers.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to stop at every stop line?
No. The stop line supplements a Halt or waiting requirement, for example one imposed by a red light, Zeichen 206, a police officer or a barrier. If there is currently no such requirement, the line alone generally does not require you to stop.
Where do I stop at a stop sign with a stop line?
You must first come to a complete stop before the stop line. If visibility is insufficient there, you may then proceed carefully to the line of sight and must stop there again if necessary.
May the front of the vehicle extend beyond the stop line?
When a stop is required, the vehicle should be completely behind the line. You must therefore brake early enough to ensure that the front of the vehicle does not extend beyond the stop line.
What is the difference between the stop line and the line of sight?
The stop line is the marked location where the first required stop takes place. The line of sight is not a specific road marking but the point from which the road can be seen clearly enough.
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