The sign reference
US road signs and what they mean
Signs are the single biggest source of permit test marks, and the easiest to lock in, because the system runs on rules rather than memory.
- Browse all 104 signs7 categories, every face drawn to the federal standard
- Warning signs43 signs. Yellow diamonds for whatever the road is about to do next
- Regulatory signs24 signs. Stop, yield, speed and the signs that carry the force of law
- Work zone signs10 signs. Orange work zones, where fines are usually doubled
- Pick a state for a road signs testSign questions are mixed into every state practice test
Regulatory signs
These carry the force of law. Ignore one and you have broken a traffic rule, not just a guideline. Most are white rectangles with black text, and the handful that are not, the stop and yield signs, get their own unmistakable shapes.
Stop
Come to a complete stop at the line, the crosswalk or the edge of the intersection, then proceed only when it is safe.
Yield
Slow down and give the right of way to traffic and pedestrians already in or approaching the intersection.
Do Not Enter
You may not drive past this sign.
Wrong Way
You are traveling against the flow of traffic.
Speed Limit
The maximum legal speed in ideal conditions on this stretch of road.
One Way
Traffic on this street flows only in the direction of the arrow.
No U Turn
You may not make a complete turn to travel in the opposite direction at this location.
No Parking
You may not leave a vehicle standing here, though you may usually stop briefly to load or unload people.
No Passing Zone
The start of a stretch where passing another vehicle is prohibited.
Keep Right
Pass to the right of the island, median or obstruction ahead.
No Turn on Red
At this signal you cannot turn right, or left onto a one-way street, while facing a red light.
Minimum Speed Limit
You may not drive slower than the number shown unless weather, traffic or an emergency makes it unsafe to go that fast.
HOV Lane
Only vehicles meeting the occupancy number shown, along with buses, motorcycles and other exempt vehicles, may use this lane.
No Trucks
Trucks above the size or weight noted, or all trucks if no plate is attached, may not use this road.
Weight Limit
Vehicles heavier than the number posted may not cross this bridge or use this road.
No Bicycles
Cyclists may not ride on this road, path or bridge.
Left Turn Yield on Green
You may turn left on a plain green light, but only after yielding to oncoming traffic and pedestrians.
Stop Here on Red
When the light is red, stop at this sign rather than pulling further forward toward the intersection itself.
Do Not Pass
You may not pass another vehicle here, no matter what the pavement markings show.
Pass With Care
The no passing zone that began earlier is over.
No Left Turn
You may not turn left at this location.
No Right Turn
You may not turn right at this location, including on a red light.
Trucks Use Right Lane
Trucks and other heavy, slow moving vehicles must stay in the right lane except when passing.
Bike Lane
The lane it marks is reserved for bicycles.
Warning signs
Yellow diamonds telling you what the road is about to do. They are advisory rather than mandatory, but ignoring them is how people end up in ditches and how examiners end up failing you.
Right Curve
The road ahead bends to the right.
Left Curve
The road ahead bends to the left.
Cross Road
A road crosses ahead.
Side Road
Another road joins yours from the side ahead.
Merge
Traffic from another roadway will join yours.
Lane Ends
The road narrows ahead and one lane will disappear.
Divided Highway Begins
The road ahead splits into two separate roadways divided by a median.
Two Way Traffic
The one way road or divided highway you are on is about to carry traffic in both directions.
Traffic Signal Ahead
A traffic light is coming, often where you cannot see it in time otherwise.
Stop Ahead
A stop sign is coming that you may not be able to see from a distance.
Pedestrian Crossing
People on foot cross the road here.
Bicycle Crossing
Cyclists cross or share the road here.
Deer Crossing
Animals frequently cross this stretch of road.
Slippery When Wet
The surface becomes slick in rain or ice.
Steep Hill
A sharp downgrade is ahead.
Bump
A raised section of pavement is ahead.
Narrow Bridge
The bridge ahead is narrower than the road you are on, though two lanes still fit.
Reduced Speed Limit Ahead
The speed limit is about to drop to the number shown.
Sharp Turn Right
The road ahead makes a sharp turn to the right, sharper than an ordinary curve.
Reverse Curve
The road bends one way and then immediately the opposite way, forming an S shape.
Winding Road
A series of three or more curves lies ahead, alternating direction over a longer stretch.
Added Lane
An extra lane is about to begin, usually where a ramp joins the highway as its own lane rather than requiring a merge.
Dip
The roadway drops sharply and rises again just ahead, deeper than an ordinary bump.
Low Clearance
A bridge, overpass or tunnel ahead has limited vertical height.
Dead End
The road ahead terminates with no through connection.
No Outlet
The street or network of streets ahead has no through connection to another road, even though it may branch and wind for some distance first.
Soft Shoulder
The shoulder along the road is unstable, often gravel, sand or freshly graded dirt, and will not support the weight of a vehicle pulling onto it.
Truck Rollover Warning
A ramp or curve ahead has a history of trucks and other high center of gravity vehicles tipping over at speed.
Road Narrows
The road ahead becomes narrower on one or both sides, though no lane actually disappears.
Pavement Ends
The paved surface ahead changes to gravel, dirt or another unpaved surface.
Traffic Circle Ahead
A roundabout or traffic circle is ahead where you will need to yield to traffic already circulating before entering.
Hidden Driveway
A driveway or private entrance ahead is obscured by terrain, vegetation or a building, so vehicles may pull out with little warning.
Right Lane Ends
The lane you are in is about to disappear.
Playground
A playground is near the road ahead.
Farm Equipment Crossing
Slow moving tractors and other farm machinery cross or enter the road at this point.
Cattle Crossing
Livestock may be on or crossing the road ahead, often without a fence to stop them.
Horse Drawn Vehicle
A slow horse drawn carriage or buggy may be sharing the road ahead.
Emergency Vehicle
Ambulances, fire trucks or police vehicles may pull directly onto the road from a station drive ahead.
Bicycles In Road
This plaque is mounted below a bicycle warning sign on a road with no separate bike lane.
Speed Hump
A raised traffic calming hump, wider and gentler than a pothole patch, is ahead.
Rough Road
The pavement ahead is broken, cracked or uneven over a stretch of road, not just at one spot.
Loose Gravel
Loose stone is lying on the surface ahead.
Road May Flood
This stretch is known to flood in heavy rain.
School zone signs
The five sided pentagon is reserved for schools, and the fluorescent yellow green color is used only for schools, pedestrians and bicycles. Speed limits here are usually enforced far more aggressively than elsewhere.
School Zone
You are approaching a school.
School Crossing
Children cross the road at this point on the way to or from school.
School Bus Stop Ahead
Warns that a school bus regularly loads or unloads children just ahead.
End School Zone
Marks the point where the reduced school zone speed limit stops applying and the regular posted limit resumes.
School Speed Limit When Flashing
Sets a lower speed limit that is only mandatory while the attached beacon is flashing, usually during arrival and dismissal times.
Work zone signs
Orange means people are working on or near the road. Fines are typically doubled in an active work zone, which is exactly the kind of detail permit tests like to ask about.
Road Work Ahead
Construction or maintenance work is taking place on the road ahead.
Workers Ahead
People are working on or beside the roadway ahead.
Flagger Ahead
A person controlling traffic is stationed ahead.
Detour
The road ahead is closed and traffic is being routed another way.
Right Lane Closed
The right hand lane ends ahead due to work.
Shoulder Work
Crews are working on the shoulder rather than in a travel lane.
Utility Work Ahead
Crews are repairing or installing power, gas, water, or cable lines on or beside the road.
Survey Crew
Surveyors are taking measurements in or near the roadway, sometimes standing in a lane briefly with no barrels or heavy equipment around them.
End Road Work
Marks the far end of the work zone.
Fines Double
Traffic fines, most often for speeding, are doubled along this stretch.
Railroad crossing signs
A round yellow advance warning, then the white crossbuck at the tracks themselves. The crossbuck has the legal force of a yield sign, which surprises a lot of test takers.
Railroad Crossing Ahead
A railroad crossing is ahead.
Crossbuck
Marks the railroad crossing itself.
Exempt Crossing
Mounted below a crossbuck or stop sign, this plaque tells certain vehicles, such as school buses or hazardous material carriers, that the law requiring them to stop at every railroad crossing does not apply here.
Do Not Stop On Tracks
Never stop your vehicle on or near the rails, even if traffic ahead is backed up.
Multiple Tracks
Mounted below the crossbuck, this plaque warns that more than one set of rails crosses the road here, so clearing the first track does not mean the crossing is clear.
Look
Posted where a sidewalk or shared-use path crosses railroad tracks, telling people walking or riding a bike to look both ways along the tracks before they cross.
Guide signs
Green for directions, distances and exits. They never tell you what to do, only where things are, which is the simplest way to remember the color.
Guide Sign
Shows directions, distances, exits and destinations.
Interstate Route Marker
Identifies which interstate highway you are currently on.
US Route Marker
Marks a numbered United States highway that is not part of the interstate system, often a two lane road passing directly through towns.
State Route Marker
Marks a numbered highway maintained by the state rather than the federal government.
Mile Marker
Shows the distance in miles from where the highway entered the state, counted from the south or west end.
Exit Number
Gives the exit a number that usually matches the nearest mile marker rather than a simple running count from one end of the highway.
Service and recreation signs
Blue for motorist services such as fuel, food, lodging and hospitals. Brown for parks, recreation and cultural sites. Neither color is ever used for a rule.
Hospital
Directs you to a hospital with emergency medical services.
Rest Area
A pull off with parking and facilities is ahead.
Picnic Area
Marks a picnic area, one of the brown symbol signs used for parks, historic sites, campgrounds and other recreational or cultural destinations.
Next Services
Lists which services, food, phone, gas, lodging and hospital, are available at the numbered exit ahead, so you can decide whether to pull off now or keep driving.
Gas
Fuel is sold at the next exit.
Food
There are restaurants at the next exit, anything from a drive through window to a sit down dining room.
Lodging
Overnight accommodation, hotel or motel, is available off the next exit.
Camping
A commercial campground with sites for tents or RVs lies a short drive from the next exit.
Telephone
A public telephone is available at the next exit, or inside the rest area where the sign is posted.
EV Charging
Public electric vehicle chargers can be reached from the next exit.
Shape and color do most of the work
Shape and color tell you what kind of sign you are looking at before you read a word of it. All 104 signs on this page are drawn to the federal standard, each with the mistake people actually make on it.
Shapes are reserved
An octagon is only ever a stop sign. A downward triangle is only ever a yield. A five sided pentagon is only ever a school sign, a round yellow sign is only ever a railroad warning, and the one pennant shape means no passing. That is five answers you can get right from the silhouette alone, even in fog or snow.
Colors are a code
Red forbids. Yellow warns. Orange means temporary work. Green gives directions. Blue points to services. Brown points to parks. Fluorescent yellow green is reserved for schools, pedestrians and bicycles. A color question is close to a free mark once that list is in your head.
The quickest way to learn these is to be tested on them. Every state practice test on this site mixes sign pictures in with the written questions, the way the real exams do. Pick a state and start with the road signs test.