When can you turn right — or even left — on red in Missouri or Kansas? Know the laws

Longtime Kansas City drivers are probably accustomed to turning right at a red light.

But city and state laws specify when you can, and can’t, make one of these turns.

Pedestrians at a crosswalk and signage in the intersection can determine whether making a right on red is legal. And Kansas and Missouri differ on whether you can make a left at a red light from a one-way street onto another one-way street.

Here’s an overview of what the traffic laws in both states say.

Can you take a right on red in Missouri?

The short answer is yes — but there are some exceptions. Missouri law states that drivers taking a right on red must follow these rules:

• Come to a complete stop before proceeding into the intersection

• Yield to any pedestrians and any traffic that has a green light or the right of way

• Do not make a right on red if a sign is posted that prohibits it

Kansas City’s municipal code adds that any vehicle turning right on red must both approach and move through the intersection as far to the right as possible. That means you have to turn right from the right lane, into the right lane.

Can you take a right on red in Kansas?

Yes — with similar restrictions as in Missouri.

A posted sign can always remove your ability to turn right on red, so keep an eye out for those — especially at busy intersections.

Drivers must also stop fully and proceed “cautiously” into the intersection when making a right turn, yielding to other vehicles and pedestrians in crosswalks.

Can you turn left on red when one-way streets intersect?

Some intersections between two one-way streets have a rare feature: The only possible turn you can make from one street onto the other is a left turn.

In Kansas, it’s legal to make this turn at a red light as long as you can do so safely.

Kansas law states that a left turn on red is allowed when turning from a one-way street onto another one-way street, as long as you yield to any oncoming vehicles and give the right of way to pedestrians in any crosswalks.

Missouri law generally doesn’t allow left turns at red lights. But Kansas City has a municipal ordinance allowing these turns under the same conditions as Kansas.

The Kansas City ordinance says: “Except when a sign is in place prohibiting a turn, vehicular traffic facing any steady red signal may cautiously enter the intersection to turn right, or to turn left from a one-way street into a one-way street, after stopping.”

In 2021, Missouri state legislators considered a bill that would have legalized these left turns at red lights statewide — but the bill didn’t become law.

Do you have more questions about traffic laws in Kansas or Missouri? Ask the Service Journalism team at kcq@kcstar.com.

This story was originally published August 12, 2023 at 6:00 AM.

Natalie Wallington

The Kansas City Star

Natalie Wallington was a reporter on The Star’s service journalism team with a focus on policy, labor, sustainability and local utilities from fall 2021 until early 2025. Her coverage of the region’s recycling system won a 2024 Feature Writing award from the Kansas Press Association.