Stop Sign Colours: Official Red Specifications for the US, UK, Australia & Canada
Published January 20, 2025 · By redstopsign.com editorial team
Stop signs are red by international convention, but the exact shade of red varies slightly by country and is tightly specified in each nation’s traffic sign regulations. This guide covers the official colour codes for stop signs in the US, UK, Australia, and Canada — including Pantone, RAL, and approximate hex values for digital design work.
Why are stop signs red?
Red has been associated with “stop” and danger since before the automobile. Early railroad signalling used red lights and flags, and this convention carried over to road traffic control when stop signs were introduced in the early 20th century.
Psychologically, red is the colour humans process fastest in the peripheral vision. It is also the furthest colour from the greens and blues of the natural landscape, making red signs highly conspicuous.
The 1954 Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals — adopted by most countries except the US — formalised red as the mandatory background colour for stop signs globally.
United States
The MUTCD does not specify a Pantone colour directly but requires stop signs to use retroreflective red sheeting meeting ASTM D4956 standards. In practice, manufacturers use:
| Standard | Value |
|---|---|
| Pantone | 485 C (most common) |
| Approximate hex | #CC0000 to #D0021B |
| RGB | R 204, G 0, B 0 (approx) |
| Retroreflective grade | ASTM D4956 Type I minimum; Type IX or XI on high-speed roads |
The white border and text are white retroreflective sheeting — there is no specific white Pantone specified; it must meet luminance factor requirements.
Night visibility
US stop signs must be retroreflective, meaning they reflect headlights back to drivers. Plain red paint is not acceptable for official road signs. The sign must be visible from at least 500 feet (150 m) at night under normal headlights.
United Kingdom
The UK TSRGD 2016 specifies stop sign colours by reference to BS 381C (British Standard for colours):
| Element | Colour | BS 381C reference |
|---|---|---|
| Background | Red | Shade 537 |
| Text and border | White | — |
BS 381C Shade 537 is a deep signal red. Its approximate equivalents:
| Standard | Value |
|---|---|
| RAL | 3020 (Traffic Red) |
| Pantone | 485 C (close match) |
| Approximate hex | #CC0000 to #C8102E |
UK signs must also meet retroreflectivity requirements under BS EN 12899.
Australia
Australian stop signs are specified under AS 1742.2 and reference the Australian Standard for Road Signs colour palette. The required red is often referred to as Signal Red:
| Standard | Value |
|---|---|
| Pantone | 485 C |
| RAL | 3020 |
| Approximate hex | #CC0000 |
State road authorities may reference the Austroads Guide to Traffic Management for specific retroreflectivity and colour durability requirements.
Canada
Canadian stop signs follow TAC specifications, which align closely with US MUTCD colour requirements. The red used is the same Pantone 485 C family:
| Standard | Value |
|---|---|
| Pantone | 485 C |
| Approximate hex | #CC0000 |
| Retroreflective sheeting | ASTM D4956 or CGSB 62-GP-11M |
Quebec stop signs are the same colour as the rest of Canada — the bilingual requirement affects the text only, not the colour.
Hex colour codes for digital use
If you are designing with stop sign colours digitally:
| Colour element | Hex | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| Sign red (all countries) | #CC0000 | Background fill |
| Slightly darker variant | #AA0000 | Shadows, depth |
| Sign white | #FFFFFF | Text and border |
Note: Real stop sign red varies by manufacturer and sheeting type. The hex values above are a best approximation for screen design — they are not a substitute for official Pantone-matched physical materials.
Download stop sign files in official colours
Our free downloads use #CC0000 red and white:
- Stop Sign SVG — editable vector, change colours in Figma/Illustrator
- Stop Sign PNG Pack — raster images ready to use
- Stop Sign Maker — generate custom text in the correct colours