Regulatory signs
One Way sign
Traffic on this street flows only in the direction of the arrow.
- Wide rectangle
- Black
- MUTCD R6-1
How to recognize it
Shape and background first
ShapeWide rectanglea wide rectangle
BackgroundBlackblack, paired with white on regulatory signs
FamilyRegulatory signsFederal designation R6-1 in the MUTCD.
Federal designation R6-1 in the MUTCD, the national standard every state signs to.
What the MUTCD specifies
Designation: R6-1
MUTCD Section 2B.49
Conventional road size: 36 x 12 in
Standard: Use ONE WAY signs to identify roads where vehicles may travel in only one direction, subject to the stated exception for some divided highways.
Source: Federal Highway Administration, MUTCD 11th Edition (December 2023), Part 2, Table 2B-1; Section 2B.49, verified 2026-09-26.
On the test
What the test wants you to know
The mistake people make
Black and white makes it regulatory rather than a guide sign. Turning against the arrow is the mistake that puts new drivers head on into traffic, and it is a standard automatic fail on a road test.
Same family
