Can you turn right on a red arrow signal in Kansas and Missouri? What traffic laws say

Red arrows on traffic lights provide a special warning telling drivers not to proceed in a certain direction.

But can you treat them like a normal red light when you’re attempting to turn right on red?

Missouri and Kansas both have laws allowing right turns at a “steady red signal.”

In both states, that includes steady red arrows. While they may be indicating that a right turn is not allowed, drivers can still turn right on red as long as it is safe to do so.

In Kansas and Kansas City, drivers can also turn left at a steady red arrow if they are turning from a one-way street onto another one-way street.

What does a red arrow mean in Kansas?

According to Kansas statute, a steady red arrow signal has the same purpose as a steady circular red light. That means drivers must stop when they see it, but can then proceed to turn right as long as they yield to other vehicles and pedestrians.

Drivers facing a red arrow can also turn left from a one-way street onto another one-way street after they stop completely before entering the intersection.

What does a red arrow mean in Missouri?

In Kansas City, municipal code states that drivers must stop at a red arrow and not proceed in the direction the red arrow indicates until another signal is given.

However, this subsection comes with an exception stating that drivers can proceed to cautiously take a right turn at “any steady red signal.”

That puts Kansas City in line with the rest of Missouri. State statute dictates that vehicles “facing a steady red signal alone” must stop, but adds that they can then proceed to make a right turn if it is safe to do so. The law doesn’t differentiate between a red arrow and a red circle.

Kansas City stands out from the rest of Missouri for its rules on left turns at red lights.

In Missouri, state law generally does not permit left turns at red lights.

But Kansas City has an exception in the law that says if you are turning left from a one-way street onto another one-way street, you can do so at a red light in Kansas City after stopping first.

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

This story was originally published August 21, 2023 at 1:25 PM.

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.