Who goes first at a four-way stop? What Florida law says about that

Traffic admin August 6, 2026 0 Comments

Who goes first at a four-way stop? What Florida law says about that

You’ve just approached a four-way stop in South Florida. What do you do now?

Even after you roll to a halt, there is a legal protocol. And if you don’t know or don’t follow the state law, that could lead to road rage or a crash.

Angel Rodriguez, a detective with the Miami-Dade County Sheriff’s Office, said intersections with four stop signs can be an issue because “people don’t educate themselves properly on it.”

We’ve all seen it. A car comes barreling through the four-way stop without even slowing down. Or a driver slows down, but doesn’t stop completely.

But it’s sometimes more complicated than that.

Here’s what to know about the rules of the road at an intersection with a four-way stop:

What Florida law says about four-way stops

Florida law says drivers approaching a stop sign must come to a complete stop before the marked line, or if there isn’t one, before the crosswalk. Then they can proceed when it’s safe.

At a four-way stop, whoever stops at the intersection first, gets to continue driving first.

If two or more cars arrive to the intersection at the same time, the one on the right proceeds first, while the one on the left yields.

If two cars arrive at the same time directly across from each other, and one car is turning left while the other is going straight, the car going straight always has the right-of-way, Rodriguez said. If both cars are going straight or turning right, they may proceed at the same time.

Just make sure you use your blinker if you’re turning, to communicate with the other drivers at the stop sign.

What if you want to communicate with other drivers about who should go first?

Rodriguez said “some drivers opt to either flash their headlights or signal the other driver to continue. It’s a matter of driver preference and not anything in the statutes.”

You must come to a full stop

“Believe it or not, one of one of the biggest mistakes that we see is actually people not stopping,” Rodriguez said. “Some people roll through a stop instead of actually doing a hard stop.”

Rodriguez said this can be caused by people being on their phone, distracted while driving. Other times, there may be vegetation partially obstructing the stop sign.

Regardless, Rodriguez said it is important to know the law.

“Be aware of the laws and actually educate yourself on the law, specifically with regards to four-way stops,” Rodriguez said.

If you’re in a hurry, or even if another driver makes a mistake, Rodriguez says to stay composed.

“Just exhibit a little bit of courtesy and patience, especially in this county,” Rodriguez said. “That would probably be the best advice that I would give drivers.