In the Federal Highway Administration's 11th Edition MUTCD, a stop line (also called a stop bar) is a solid white transverse marking. The manual says it should be 12 to 24 inches wide. That is guidance in the national traffic-control manual; an agency's adopted standards or project plans may set the specific design.
Stop Bar and Road Marking Dimensions: U.S. Line Widths
Stop bar dimensions under the MUTCD
Ordinary roadway line widths
The MUTCD describes normal longitudinal pavement-marking lines as 4 to 6 inches wide. A line designated as wide should be at least twice the width of a normal line. These road-marking dimensions should not be confused with a stop bar, which is much wider.
How wide are parking-space lines?
There is no single width specified for every U.S. parking-space line in the general MUTCD examples. Parking-lot layouts and striping plans can be set by state or local agencies, property owners, and applicable accessibility or site-design rules. Follow the project plan or the authority that controls the lot; do not use the 12–24-inch stop-bar guidance as the parking-line width. For parking stall and lot layouts, see our U.S. parking space dimensions guide and parking lot dimensions guide.
At a glance
| Marking | U.S. reference width | What it applies to |
|---|---|---|
| Stop line / stop bar | 12–24 in | Solid white line across the approach; MUTCD says it should be this wide. |
| Normal longitudinal line | 4–6 in | Typical roadway lines running along the direction of travel. |
| Wide longitudinal line | At least twice normal width | Used where a wider line is called for by the marking design. |
| Parking-space line | Varies | Check the governing local or project specification. |