# Where did this "Stop Sign Sticker" thing come from? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 4, 2010, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-this-stop-sign-sticker-thing-come-from/541974 "2010-06-04T20:11:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2010, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-this-stop-sign-sticker-thing-come-from/541974/1 "2010-06-04T20:11:52Z")
There is this whole thing about not worrying about stop signs unless they have a sticker on the back. Sounds untrue to me, but where did it come from? [See what I’m talking about here](http://www.i-am-bored.com/bored_link.cfm?link_id=50045) I checked Snopes, by the way. Found nothing. ---
**Author:** ![boytyperanma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@boytyperanma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boytyperanma)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2010, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-this-stop-sign-sticker-thing-come-from/541974/2 "2010-06-04T20:18:59Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > There is this whole thing about not worrying about stop signs unless they have a sticker on the back. Sounds untrue to me, but where did it come from? > > [See what I’m talking about here](http://www.i-am-bored.com/bored_link.cfm?link_id=50045) > > I checked Snopes, by the way. Found nothing. First I’ve heard about the sticker making them legitimate or not. To my knowledge stop signs on private property are not enforced. Signs in parking lots, private drives, garages etc. You’ll still be found at fault if you get in an accident for not obeying those signs however, you just won’t get a ticket. ---
**Author:** ![\_Deep\_F\_ied](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/7cd45c/32.png) [@\_Deep\_F\_ied](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/_Deep_F_ied)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2010, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-this-stop-sign-sticker-thing-come-from/541974/3 "2010-06-04T20:21:32Z")
Hmm…that doesn’t seem right. I vote “Hogwash”! ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2010, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-this-stop-sign-sticker-thing-come-from/541974/4 "2010-06-04T20:32:33Z")
It may be true (in some places) that the sticker indicates a government-provided sign. It may be true (in some places) that traffic signs on roadways within a development are not enforceable by the police. This does not necessarily correlate with whether or not the sign has a sticker. By and large, though, it seems traffic signs in areas accessible to and used by the public can be and are enforced by the police. Still, there are variations depending on the particular jurisdiction. The linked page doesn’t even bother to indicate where those signs are, which makes it easy to assume it’s a nationwide rule. It isn’t. Relevant discussions [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=536011) and [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=528118). ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2010, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-this-stop-sign-sticker-thing-come-from/541974/5 "2010-06-04T20:32:35Z")
Your link didn’t work for me, but my guess is this is akin to my Dad’s old joke whenever he rolled a stop sign: “The white border means it’s optional!” ---
**Author:** ![TerpBE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc8723/32.png) [@TerpBE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TerpBE)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2010, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-this-stop-sign-sticker-thing-come-from/541974/6 "2010-06-04T20:42:16Z")
I assumed this thread was going to be about this: [http://2.bp.blogspot.com/\_hxBuvxzvvVE/SLyU6ZEipZI/AAAAAAAAAnI/2Xs2JA1bkwk/s320/stop-hammer-time.jpg](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hxBuvxzvvVE/SLyU6ZEipZI/AAAAAAAAAnI/2Xs2JA1bkwk/s320/stop-hammer-time.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2010, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-this-stop-sign-sticker-thing-come-from/541974/7 "2010-06-04T20:54:15Z")
> [@Gary\_T](#): > > It may be true (in some places) that the sticker indicates a government-provided sign. > > It may be true (in some places) that traffic signs on roadways within a development are not enforceable by the police. This does not necessarily correlate with whether or not the sign has a sticker. > > By and large, though, it seems traffic signs in areas accessible to and used by the public can be and are enforced by the police. Still, there are variations depending on the particular jurisdiction. The linked page doesn’t even bother to indicate where those signs are, which makes it easy to assume it’s a nationwide rule. It isn’t. I agree with **Gary** here, and I’ll add this: in my area, stop signs and other traffic devices are installed by the developer prior to the city/county accepting the street or road as “public”, just as they install the water & sewer lines before transferring them over to the city/county. Frankly I’ve never seen a sticker like that on a stop sign, or any other traffic control sign, and I was in the Public Works department of our City for four years. In other words, I call shenanigans. That doesn’t answer your question of “where did this come from” though. ---
**Author:** ![boytyperanma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@boytyperanma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boytyperanma)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2010, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-this-stop-sign-sticker-thing-come-from/541974/8 "2010-06-04T20:57:54Z")
my reply should have been ‘I’ve never heard of’ ---
**Author:** ![RedSwinglineOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a9adbd/32.png) [@RedSwinglineOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedSwinglineOne)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2010, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-this-stop-sign-sticker-thing-come-from/541974/9 "2010-06-04T20:59:23Z")
According to Wiki, [the sticker is there to prevent theft.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Street_sign_theft) [This sticker](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Streetsign_theft_warning.jpg) says "WARNING up to $1000 fine and imprisonment for possessing or tampering with this sign. ---
**Author:** ![Patch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Patch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patch)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2010, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-this-stop-sign-sticker-thing-come-from/541974/10 "2010-06-05T07:41:06Z")
A 4-way stop near my house has signs with stickers, and signs without. I gauge it as nothing more than a conspiracy nutter’s latest fantasy. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2010, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-this-stop-sign-sticker-thing-come-from/541974/11 "2010-06-05T13:28:01Z")
The whole idea fits the pattern of “If you know the secret you don’t have to obey the law like everybody else does.” I think it’s pretty safe to say that any time you see an idea pattern like this, you can assume it’s somewhere between an urban legend and a conspiracy theory. What it won’t be is true. ---
**Author:** ![LurkMeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@LurkMeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkMeister)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2010, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-this-stop-sign-sticker-thing-come-from/541974/12 "2010-06-05T14:41:45Z")
I don’t drive, so maybe I’m missing something here; how is a driver supposed to know whether or not there is a small sticker on the _back_ of a stop sign without stopping and looking? ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2010, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-this-stop-sign-sticker-thing-come-from/541974/13 "2010-06-05T16:25:26Z")
Would it even be legal for a developer to put a government sign? It seems like it would akin to imitatiting a police officer. ETA: it seems you can buy them… > **[STOP Road Signs | Traffic Stop Signs | StopSignsAndMore](https://www.stopsignsandmore.com/c-54-stop-signs.aspx)** > > We make & sell all the STOP road signs you would need for any environment. StopSignsAndMore even has hand held STOP signs for sale, so order now! ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2010, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-this-stop-sign-sticker-thing-come-from/541974/14 "2010-06-05T17:04:14Z")
Hey, I’m the original poster here. Uh, my question wasn’t about the validity of the claim. I think it’s a bunch of crap. My question was where this idea came from. I guess I thought it’s be in Snopes by now. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2010, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-this-stop-sign-sticker-thing-come-from/541974/15 "2010-06-05T17:38:27Z")
> [@TerpBE](#): > > I assumed this thread was going to be about this: > > [http://2.bp.blogspot.com/\_hxBuvxzvvVE/SLyU6ZEipZI/AAAAAAAAAnI/2Xs2JA1bkwk/s320/stop-hammer-time.jpg](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hxBuvxzvvVE/SLyU6ZEipZI/AAAAAAAAAnI/2Xs2JA1bkwk/s320/stop-hammer-time.jpg) And for reasons I can’t quite explain, I thought it was going to be about [this](http://www.hooping.org/archives/000214.html). To the OP: possibly, this is an off-shoot of the notion that some “no parking” signs have no actual legal enforceability. I believe what I was told was that only the ones which state an actual fine are police-enforceable. Here’s a [cite](http://www.wikihow.com/Fight-a-Parking-Ticket) for that, for what it’s worth (it’s a little ways down the page). ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2010, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-this-stop-sign-sticker-thing-come-from/541974/16 "2010-06-05T19:51:02Z")
> [@PlainJain](#): > > Would it even be legal for a developer to put a government sign? It seems like it would akin to imitatiting a police officer. See post number 7. Not only is it legal but required, if the streets of the development are intended to become public streets. ---
**Author:** ![PaulSpain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/46a35a/32.png) [@PaulSpain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PaulSpain)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2011, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-this-stop-sign-sticker-thing-come-from/541974/17 "2011-03-09T01:02:12Z")
Hey fellas…Just joined here. First off I have been trying to figure out why stop signs had the sticker on the back in red/green/or yellow since I heard a tale from one of my classmates in highschool…They said it has something to do with in the event of national emergency and marshall law had to be declared, these stickers were to be peeled away by police and the army and would reveal a secret code…I’m 28 now and FINALLY I know the real reason why and that what I had heard for years was bullshit XD.