Ariz. Rev. Stat. » Title 28
Arizona Revised Statutes

Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 28-645 (2026)

Traffic control signal legend

✓ current as of May 2026
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A. If traffic is controlled by traffic control signals exhibiting different colored lights or colored lighted arrows successively one at a time or in combination, only the colors green, red and yellow shall be used, except for special pedestrian signals carrying a word legend. The lights shall indicate and apply to drivers of vehicles and pedestrians as follows:

1. Green indication:

(a) Vehicular traffic facing a green signal may proceed straight through or turn right or left unless a sign at that place prohibits either turn. Vehicular traffic, including vehicles turning right or left, shall yield the right-of-way to other vehicles and to pedestrians lawfully within the intersection or an adjacent crosswalk at the time the signal is exhibited.

(b) Vehicular traffic facing a green arrow signal, shown alone or in combination with another indication, may cautiously enter the intersection only to make the movement indicated by such arrow or such other movement as is permitted by other indications shown at the same time. Vehicular traffic shall yield the right-of-way to pedestrians lawfully within an adjacent crosswalk and to other traffic lawfully using the intersection.

(c) Unless otherwise directed by a pedestrian control signal as provided in section 28-646, pedestrians facing any green signal, except if the sole green signal is a turn arrow, may proceed across the roadway within any marked or unmarked crosswalk.

2. Steady yellow indication:

(a) Vehicular traffic facing a steady yellow signal is warned by the signal that the related green movement is being terminated or that a red indication will be exhibited immediately thereafter when vehicular traffic shall not enter the intersection.

(b) Unless otherwise directed by a pedestrian control signal as provided in section 28-646, pedestrians facing a steady yellow signal are advised by the signal that there is insufficient time to cross the roadway before a red indication is shown and a pedestrian shall not then start to cross the roadway.

3. Red indication:

(a) Except as provided in subdivisions (b) and (c) of this paragraph, vehicular traffic facing a steady red signal alone shall stop before entering the intersection and shall remain standing until an indication to proceed is shown. On receipt of a record of judgment for a violation of this subdivision or an act in another jurisdiction that if committed in this state would be a violation of this section, the department shall order the person to attend and successfully complete traffic survival school educational sessions within sixty days after the department issues the order. Notwithstanding section 28-3315, if the person fails to attend or successfully complete traffic survival school educational sessions, the department shall suspend the person's driving privilege pursuant to section 28-3306 until the person attends and successfully completes traffic survival school educational sessions. A person whose driving privilege is suspended pursuant to this subdivision may request a hearing.  If the person requests a hearing, the department shall conduct the hearing as prescribed in section 28-3306. A law enforcement officer or a jurisdiction issuing a citation to a person who violates this subdivision shall provide written notice to the person that if eligible, the person may attend defensive driving school or, if not eligible or if the person chooses not to attend defensive driving school and is found responsible or enters a plea of responsible for a violation of this subsection, the person must attend and successfully complete traffic survival school educational sessions. The notice shall include a reference to red light violations and state that if the person is required to attend traffic survival school the person will receive notice from the motor vehicle division.

(b) The driver of a vehicle that is stopped in obedience to a red signal and as close as practicable at the entrance to the crosswalk on the near side of the intersection, or if there is no crosswalk, then at the entrance to the intersection, may make a right turn but shall yield the right-of-way to pedestrians and other traffic proceeding as directed by the signal. A right turn may be prohibited against a red signal at any intersection if a sign prohibiting the turn is erected at the intersection.

(c) The driver of a vehicle on a one-way street that intersects another one-way street on which traffic moves to the left shall stop in obedience to a red signal but may then make a left turn into the one-way street.  The driver shall yield the right-of-way to pedestrians and other traffic proceeding as directed by the signal at the intersection, except that such left turn may be prohibited if a sign prohibiting the turn is erected at the intersection.

(d) Unless otherwise directed by a pedestrian control signal as provided in section 28-646, a pedestrian facing a steady red signal alone shall not enter the roadway.

B. If an official traffic control signal is erected and maintained at a place other than an intersection, this section applies except as to those provisions of this section that by their nature can have no application. Any stop required shall be made at a sign or marking on the pavement indicating where the stop shall be made, but in the absence of a sign or marking the stop shall be made at the signal.

C. The driver of a vehicle approaching an intersection that has an official traffic control signal that is inoperative shall bring the vehicle to a complete stop before entering the intersection and may proceed with caution only when it is safe to do so. If two or more vehicles approach an intersection from different streets or highways at approximately the same time and the official traffic control signal for the intersection is inoperative, the driver of each vehicle shall bring the vehicle to a complete stop before entering the intersection and the driver of the vehicle on the left shall yield the right-of-way to the driver of the vehicle on the right.

 

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 12 cases (3 in the last 5 years), 1958–2024 · leading case: Ring v. Taylor, 685 P.2d 121 (Ariz. Ct. App. 1984).
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Ring v. Taylor, 685 P.2d 121 (Ariz. Ct. App. 1984). · cites it 12× “A.R.S. § 28-645 was amended by Laws 1980, ch.”
Lemieux v. Superior Court of Arizona, Etc., 644 P.2d 1300 (Ariz. 1982). · cites it 8× “The hypnotic memory is contrary to that recounted prior to the session.”
State v. Boudette, 791 P.2d 1063 (Ariz. Ct. App. 1990). · cites it 4× “FACTS A Phoenix police officer stopped Boud-ette to cite him for allegedly turning left on a red arrow, in violation of A.R.S. § 28-645(A)(3)(a). When the officer asked Boudette for his driver’s license, Boudette responded that he did not have one.”
State v. Harrison, 792 P.2d 779 (Ariz. Ct. App. 1990). · cites it 2× “Appellant Mark Preston Harrison (defendant) was charged with running a red light in violation of A.R.S. § 28-645(A)(3)(a), failing to provide proof of insurance in violation of A.”
State of Arizona v. Michael Anthony Salcido, 362 P.3d 508 (Ariz. Ct. App. 2015). · cites it 2× “See A.R.S. § 28-645(A)(l)(b) (“Vehicular traffic shall yield the right-of-way to pedestrians lawfully within an adjacent crosswalk and to other traffic lawfully using the intersection.”
State of Arizona v. Vivek a Patel, 486 P.3d 188 (Ariz. 2021). “The State countered that the limitation 1 The enumerated statutes in 2017 set forth at subsection (A) consisted of: (1) § 28-645(A)(3)(a), obeying a red light; (2) § 28-729, proper travel within a lane; (3) § 28-771, yielding at an intersection; (4) § 28-772, yielding while…”
Romero v. Stines, 503 P.2d 413 (Ariz. Ct. App. 1972). · cites it 5× “To interpret the section otherwise would be inconsistent with A.R.S. § 28-645, subsec. A and with § 28-791, subsec.”
Thompson v. Quandt, 321 P.2d 1012 (Ariz. 1958). · cites it 2× “1939 (now A.R.S. § 28-645). This does not mean that pedestrians are free from the obligation to use reasonable care under the circumstances.”
State v. Superior Court, 410 P.2d 502 (Ariz. Ct. App. 1966). “Section 28-645. The offense was charged in the Municipal Court of the City of Phoenix.”
Flashberg v. Krebs, 445 P.2d 456 (Ariz. Ct. App. 1968). “DUTY TO STOP The next error claimed by plaintiff is the Court’s refusal to give an instruction on the duty to stop, based on Section 28-645 A.R.S. The statute imposes the duty to stop for a red light before entering an intersection.”
State v. Hon gordon/owen, 544 P.3d 673 (Ariz. Ct. App. 2024). · cites it 7× “A.R.S. §§ 28-645(A)(3)(a), -672(A)(1). SPECIAL ACTION JURISDICTION ¶9 With limited exceptions not applicable here, a party may not appeal the judgment of the superior court in an action appealed from a municipal court.”
Hernandez-Quintero v. Garland (9th Cir. 2024). “See Ariz. Rev. Stat. §§ 28-645 (A)(3)(b), 28-773.”
— Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 28-645(A)(2)(a) — 1 case
Ring v. Taylor, 685 P.2d 121 (Ariz. Ct. App. 1984). “A.R.S. § 28-645 was amended by Laws 1980, ch.”
— Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 28-645(A)(3)(a) — 6 cases
Lemieux v. Superior Court of Arizona, Etc., 644 P.2d 1300 (Ariz. 1982). “The hypnotic memory is contrary to that recounted prior to the session.”
State v. Boudette, 791 P.2d 1063 (Ariz. Ct. App. 1990). “FACTS A Phoenix police officer stopped Boud-ette to cite him for allegedly turning left on a red arrow, in violation of A.R.S. § 28-645(A)(3)(a). When the officer asked Boudette for his driver’s license, Boudette responded that he did not have one.”
Ring v. Taylor, 685 P.2d 121 (Ariz. Ct. App. 1984). “A.R.S. § 28-645 was amended by Laws 1980, ch.”
State v. Harrison, 792 P.2d 779 (Ariz. Ct. App. 1990). “Appellant Mark Preston Harrison (defendant) was charged with running a red light in violation of A.R.S. § 28-645(A)(3)(a), failing to provide proof of insurance in violation of A.”
State of Arizona v. Vivek a Patel, 486 P.3d 188 (Ariz. 2021). “The State countered that the limitation 1 The enumerated statutes in 2017 set forth at subsection (A) consisted of: (1) § 28-645(A)(3)(a), obeying a red light; (2) § 28-729, proper travel within a lane; (3) § 28-771, yielding at an intersection; (4) § 28-772, yielding while…”
— Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 28-645(A)(l)(a) — 1 case
Ring v. Taylor, 685 P.2d 121 (Ariz. Ct. App. 1984). “A.R.S. § 28-645 was amended by Laws 1980, ch.”
— Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 28-645(A)(l)(b) — 1 case
State of Arizona v. Michael Anthony Salcido, 362 P.3d 508 (Ariz. Ct. App. 2015). “See A.R.S. § 28-645(A)(l)(b) (“Vehicular traffic shall yield the right-of-way to pedestrians lawfully within an adjacent crosswalk and to other traffic lawfully using the intersection.”
— Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 28-645(AX3)(a) — 1 case
Lemieux v. Superior Court of Arizona, Etc., 644 P.2d 1300 (Ariz. 1982). “The hypnotic memory is contrary to that recounted prior to the session.”
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