Pass With Care Sign: Meaning and What to Do
The white rectangle reading PASS WITH CARE marks the end of a no-passing zone on a two-lane road. From this point on, passing in the oncoming lane is permitted again, provided you have enough clear road and sight distance to do it safely.
Pass With Care Sign
The sign does not say that passing is safe; it says the law no longer forbids it. The pavement confirms the change: the solid yellow line on your side becomes broken. Judging whether an actual pass is safe is still the driver's responsibility every single time.
What to do when you see the pass with care sign
Before passing, check that the oncoming lane is clear far enough ahead to complete the pass with room to spare, that no intersection, hill, or curve is coming, and that no one behind you has started to pass. Signal, pass promptly, and return to your lane when you can see the passed vehicle's whole front in your mirror.
The signs it is confused with
Tests pair it with Do Not Pass, the sign that begins a no-passing zone, and with the yellow No Passing Zone pennant posted on the left side of the road. Pass With Care ends the restriction; the other two start it.
Signs are one topic of ten on every test
Every state practice test covers signs, signals, and markings among its ten topics, with every answer explained. Pick your state and see how its exam asks about signs like this one; it is free, with no sign-up.
Choose your stateQuestions about the pass with care sign
What does pass with care mean?
The no-passing zone has ended. Passing is allowed again from this point when it can be done safely.
Does the sign mean it is safe to pass right now?
No. It means passing is legal here. Safe requires clear sight distance, no oncoming traffic, and no intersection or hill ahead, and only you can judge that.
What changes on the pavement at this sign?
The solid yellow line on your side becomes a broken yellow line, which is the marking that permits passing.
What signs begin a no-passing zone?
The white Do Not Pass sign and the yellow No Passing Zone pennant, together with a solid yellow line on your side of the center.
How does this sign appear on the written test?
As the opposite of Do Not Pass in a paired question, and in passing scenarios about when passing is legal versus when it is safe.