A traffic signal recognition method and a traffic signal recognition device estimate whether or not a vehicle can be decelerated at a predetermined deceleration acceleration and can stop before a stop line based on a position of the stop line corresponding to a traffic signal located in a traveling direction of the vehicle, select the traffic signal corresponding to the stop line as a target traffic signal in a case where it is estimated that the vehicle cannot stop before the stop line, set detection area corresponding to the target traffic signal on an image obtained by capturing the traveling direction of the vehicle, and determine a display state of the target traffic signal by executing image processing on the detection area.