Road and traffic signs
The signs on U.S. roads, what each one means, and how to tell similar signs apart.
Regulatory, warning and guide signs from the U.S. Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices.
About road and traffic signs
Road and traffic signs tell road users about the rules of the road, the hazards ahead and the way to where they are going. In the United States they follow one federal manual, the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, which sorts them into regulatory, warning and guide signs, each with shapes and colours of its own.
The manual has set that pattern since its first edition in 1935. Every state adopts it, as it stands, with a state supplement, or as a state manual of its own that conforms to it, so a sign looks and means much the same from one state to the next.
Sources
- MUTCD 2009 Edition, Chapter 2A: General, MUTCD 2009, Part 2, U.S. Federal Highway Administration, Section 2A.01
- The Evolution of MUTCD, Updated December 2023; after H. Gene Hawkins, Jr., ITE Journal, 1991–1994, U.S. Federal Highway Administration, Part I, 1935 First Edition
- Frequently Asked Questions: General Questions on the MUTCD, U.S. Federal Highway Administration, State MUTCDs and State Supplements
Researched, edited and approved by Rory Hansen before publishing. Last reviewed September 25, 2026. How we research