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Stop Sign Violation 

Under Florida Statute Section 316.123, the elements of a stop sign violation that must be proven during the hearing in traffic court include proof that:

• The driver must have been driving and approached a stop sign;
• The stop sign must have been located at the entrance of an intersection or railroad crossing; and
• The driver failed to come to a complete stop at the entrance line or the start of the intersection if no line is marked.

Running a stop sign is a moving violation that comes with three (3) points on your driving record.

Attorneys for Stop Sign Violations in Florida

If you received a civil traffic citation for running a red light or failing to come to a complete stop, then contact an experienced traffic ticket attorney at Meltzer & Bell, P.A..

Our traffic ticket attorneys can help you set a hearing, negotiate the offense down to a non-moving traffic violation, ask for a withhold of adjudication to avoid a conviction and points, or fight for a "not guilty" verdict at the hearing.

From our offices in Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach, we represent clients throughout the State of Florida, including places in South Florida throughout Broward County, Miami-Dade County, and Palm Beach County, to name a few. We also represent clients in Northern Florida.

Call (561) 500-5000.

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Penalties for Running a Stop Sign

The penalties for running a stop sign include a standard fine of up to $200, but can be much higher if the stop sign was located in a construction zone or a school zone.

A conviction for running a stop sign can add points to your driving record, which could increase your insurance rates for years to come.

Defenses to Stop Sign Violation

Sometimes an officer makes a mistake when accusing a driver of running a stop sign. For instance, what happens if the driver stops a few feet back from the white line (limit line)? In those cases, the officer that issues the citation might not have seen the driver come to a complete stop and might assume incorrectly that the driver ran the stop sign without stopping.

In other cases, the stop sign is hidden from the driver's view for some reason including:

• the sign was broken, or part of it was missing;
• the sign was covered in graffiti;
• the sign was knocked over;
• the sign was twisted around; or
• a tree branch or foliage hid the sign from view.

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Additional Resources

Failure to Stop at a Stop Sign - Visit the website of the Florida Legislature to find the statutory language in Florida Statute Section 316.123 that applies to vehicles entering a stop or yield intersection including a four-way intersection.

This article was last updated on Friday, March 23, 2018.