Road Signs Guide
Sign shapes and colors follow a pattern. Learn the pattern and you can read a sign you have never seen.
Shapes
Shape tells you the type of sign, even when the sign is covered in snow or a word is hard to read.
| Shape | What it usually means |
|---|---|
| Octagon (eight sides) | Stop |
| Downward triangle | Yield |
| Diamond | Warning of a hazard ahead |
| Pennant (sideways triangle) | No passing zone, on the left side of the road |
| Pentagon (five sides) | School zone or school crossing |
| Circle | Railroad crossing warning ahead |
| Rectangle, vertical | Regulatory rules such as speed limits |
| Rectangle, horizontal | Guide and information signs |
| Crossbuck (X shape) | Railroad crossing |
Colors
| Color | What it usually means |
|---|---|
| Red | Stop, yield and prohibitions |
| Yellow | General warnings |
| White | Regulatory rules |
| Green | Directions, distances and destinations |
| Blue | Motorist services |
| Orange | Construction and work zones |
| Brown | Recreation and cultural sites |
| Fluorescent yellow-green | Pedestrians, bicycles and schools |
How to study signs
Start with shapes, then colors, then the symbols. When you see a sign on a test, ask what shape it is and what color it is before reading the words. Those two clues usually eliminate half the choices.
Sign standards are consistent across the United States, so signs are some of the easiest points on any knowledge test. Take a practice quiz that uses sign illustrations, such as Quiz 2 on any state permit page.
Check your state’s driver handbook for the full sign chapter, because a few states use their own signs for local rules.
Study guides and articles
Read a little more before you test.
How to Read a Road Sign You Have Never Seen
Road sign shapes and colors work as a code. Shape, color, then symbol lets you read almost any sign.
ReadFour-Way Stop Rules: Who Has the Right of Way?
Four-way stop rules are simple: first to arrive goes first, and ties go to the driver on the right. Here are the rules and the traps.
ReadSharing the Road With School Buses, Bicyclists and Trucks
Safe habits around buses, bikes, motorcycles and trucks, and what knowledge tests ask about them.
ReadHow to Pass the DMV Written Test on Your First Try
A simple plan to prepare for the knowledge test: read, practice, review your misses and take a mock exam.
Read