What shape is a stop sign?

An octagon — eight sides, red with white letters. It is the only sign with that shape, so that even when the face is covered in snow or the paint has faded, the outline alone tells you to stop.

What does a yellow diamond sign mean?

A warning: something ahead needs you to slow down or change what you are doing. Orange diamonds mean the same thing inside a work zone.

What is the difference between a regulatory and a warning sign?

A regulatory sign is a law — usually a white rectangle, and ignoring it is a ticket. A warning sign is advice about the road ahead, usually a yellow diamond.

How many road signs are on the DMV test?

Sign questions are typically about a third of the written test. All of the signs it draws from are on this page.

Road Signs and What They Mean

Every road sign the written test asks about, drawn to the federal MUTCD standard — the same standard every state's handbook is built on. Shape and color tell you what a sign is before you can read a word of it; that is the shortcut the test rewards.

Shape and color come first. An octagon can only ever mean stop. A downward triangle can only ever mean yield. A yellow diamond is a warning, an orange one is a work zone, a white rectangle is a law you must obey and a green one is only giving you directions.

60-second drill

How many of these can you name against the clock?

Sixty seconds, three choices, symbol signs only — the ones that do not spell the answer out for you.

Start the drill

Work zone signs6

What work zone signs mean

Guide signs9

What guide signs mean

School zone signs3

What school zone signs mean

Questions people ask

What shape is a stop sign?: An octagon — eight sides, red with white letters. It is the only sign with that shape, so that even when the face is covered in snow or the paint has faded, the outline alone tells you to stop.
What does a yellow diamond sign mean?: A warning: something ahead needs you to slow down or change what you are doing. Orange diamonds mean the same thing inside a work zone.
What is the difference between a regulatory and a warning sign?: A regulatory sign is a law — usually a white rectangle, and ignoring it is a ticket. A warning sign is advice about the road ahead, usually a yellow diamond.
How many road signs are on the DMV test?: Sign questions are typically about a third of the written test. All of the signs it draws from are on this page.

Where this comes from

Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), 11th Edition — U.S. Federal Highway Administration
MUTCD sign artwork on Wikimedia Commons — Wikimedia Commons — files created by the U.S. Federal Highway Administration
California Driver Handbook — California DMV
Texas Driver Handbook — Texas Department of Public Safety
Florida Driver License Handbook — Florida HSMV
New York State Driver's Manual — New York State DMV
Illinois Rules of the Road — Illinois Secretary of State
Pennsylvania Driver's Manual — PennDOT

Independent study aid. Not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to any Department of Motor Vehicles or government agency. Questions are written from the official handbooks listed above; no exam result is guaranteed.