Skip to content
Highway Code

Highway Code, Signals by authorised persons

Signals by authorised persons. A legal requirement (MUST / MUST NOT).

  • Signals by authorised persons
  • Legal requirement
  • OGL v3.0

What the rule says

Law · MUST

Download ‘Signals by authorised persons’ (PDF, 468KB)

Police officers

Stop

Traffic approaching from the front Traffic approaching from both front and behind Traffic approaching from behind

To beckon traffic on

From the side From the front From behind* *In Wales, bilingual signs appear on emergency services vehicles and clothing

Arm signals to persons controlling traffic

I want to go straight on I want to turn left; use either hand I want to turn right

Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency officers and traffic officers

Traffic officer DVSA officer These officers now have new powers to stop/direct vehicles and will be using hand signals and light signals similar to those used by police. You MUST obey any signals given (see Rules 107 and 108).

School crossing patrols

Not ready to cross pedestrians Barrier to stop pedestrians crossing Ready to cross pedestrians, vehicles must be prepared to stop All vehicles must stop

Rule text reproduced verbatim from the official Highway Code (Crown copyright) under the Open Government Licence v3.0, see the attribution at the foot of this page.

In plain English

Stripped of the formal wording, this guidance comes down to one idea: download ‘Signals by authorised persons’ (PDF, 468KB) Traffic approaching from the front Traffic approaching from both front and behind Traffic approaching from behind From the side From the front Fr… Because it is written with “MUST” or “MUST NOT”, it carries the force of law, ignore it and you are committing an offence, not simply driving badly.

It belongs to the signals by authorised persons part of the Code, the habits a confident, considerate driver builds until they are automatic. The aim is not to memorise the sentence word for word, but to understand the hazard it protects you from, so you apply it without having to think when it counts.

If you are learning, treat this rule as one piece of a connected set rather than an isolated fact. The related rules below sit in the same section and reinforce each other, reading them together is how the signals by authorised persons part of the Code starts to feel like common sense rather than a list to revise.

Because this is a legal rule, the consequences of ignoring it reach beyond the test: a “MUST” or “MUST NOT” breach can mean a fixed penalty, points on your licence, or in serious cases prosecution. Either way, the safe move is to build the habit early, while a driving instructor can correct it, rather than relearning it under test pressure. That is exactly what the practice routes and coaching in the DriveRoutes app are designed to help with, turning the rules below into the way you naturally drive.

Why this rule matters on the road

Signs, signals and markings are the shared language of the road. Reading them accurately and signalling clearly is how drivers coordinate without ever speaking, miss the message and the coordination breaks down.

Common faults examiners record

In the signals by authorised persons part of the Code, the faults most often written on the marking sheet tend to be the same handful. Knowing them in advance is the quickest way to drive them out of your own habits:

  • Signalling too late, too early, or when no signal is needed.
  • Missing a sign or road marking and acting on the wrong information.
  • Failing to cancel a signal after a manoeuvre.

On the day

Imagine a sign appearing on the approach to a junction. Applying Highway Code, Signals by authorised persons means reading it early, acting on it in good time, lane, speed, signal, and cancelling any signal once the manoeuvre is complete. The examiner notes whether you respond to the information or miss it.

Quick checklist

  • Read signs and markings early and act in good time.
  • Signal clearly, only when it helps someone.
  • Cancel the signal once the manoeuvre is done.

Highway Code, Signals by authorised persons, your questions

Download ‘Signals by authorised persons’ (PDF, 468KB) Traffic approaching from the front Traffic approaching from both front and behind Traffic approaching from behind From the side From the front Fr… It is a legal requirement, it uses “MUST” or “MUST NOT”, so breaking it is a criminal offence that can mean a fine, penalty points, or disqualification.

DriveRoutes is an independent study aid and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA).