Delaware Road Signs Practice cheat sheet

Regulatory signs are white rectangles with black legends and are legally enforceable; the standard exceptions are YIELD (red/white), STOP (red/white octagon), DO NOT ENTER (red/white), and some parking signs that use green or red legends.

Delaware statutory speed limits: 25 mph in business and residential districts, 50 mph on open highways outside business/residential districts, and 65 mph on specified divided highways where posted; posted signs always govern when lower than the statutory default.

A STOP sign requires a full stop at the stop line, crosswalk, or before entering the intersecting roadway; the stop must be complete before the vehicle's front wheels reach the line, not a rolling slowdown.

A YIELD sign requires slowing and, if necessary, stopping to let cross traffic and pedestrians clear; failing to yield when a collision is possible is a violation even without a full stop.

Lane-use control signs: a white left-turn arrow on black means left turns permitted from that lane; a red X or a white arrow with a slash means the lane is closed or prohibited in that direction.

Turn signs: NO RIGHT TURN / NO LEFT TURN (red circle with slash over black arrow) prohibit the movement; mandatory turn signs use a black arrow on white and require turning from that lane.

Parking signs: NO PARKING means no standing or leaving a vehicle; NO STOPPING means no stopping except to avoid conflict with traffic; red legend generally marks prohibitions and time limits, green marks permitted conditions.

One-way signs (black arrow on white rectangle) and DO NOT ENTER (red circle with white bar) work as a pair at one-way street exits; entering against a DO NOT ENTER is a violation regardless of the sign's size.

Weight and vehicle-type regulatory signs (e.g., no trucks, weight limit) are enforceable restrictions; they bind the driver even if the restriction seems inconvenient, and violations are moving or non-moving offenses depending on the sign.

Warning signs are yellow diamonds with black symbols or legends (except the circular railroad advance warning, the pentagon school sign, and the W-series arrow signs).

Curve warnings: a curved arrow shows the direction of the curve; an advisory speed plaque (yellow, black numerals) is the maximum recommended speed, and a WINDING ROAD sign warns of three or more curves.

Intersection warnings: a cross (+) symbol means a four-way intersection; a T symbol means a T-intersection; a side-road symbol shows traffic entering from the right or left.

School zone: the pentagon (five-sided) sign marks a school area; school speed limits are posted separately and apply during posted hours or when the yellow lights flash.

Pedestrian and bicycle warnings: a walking figure warns of a pedestrian crossing; a bicycle symbol warns of a bike crossing or shared lane; both are yellow diamonds and require reduced speed and increased scanning.

Road condition warnings: SLIPPERY WHEN WET, DEER CROSSING, FALLING ROCKS, and similar signs use yellow diamonds; they indicate hazards that may not be visible from the sign location.

Advisory plaques: yellow rectangles below a warning sign give distance (e.g., NEXT 2 MILES) or an advisory speed; the advisory speed is a recommendation, not a legal limit, but exceeding it in a hazard increases liability.

Chevron alignment signs (black chevron on yellow rectangle) mark sharp curves and should be followed by steering through the curve at the posted advisory speed.

Warning signs are placed in advance of the hazard at a distance based on approach speed; the sign location is a cue to begin slowing, not the hazard itself.

Guide signs are green with white legends for destinations and exits; recreational and cultural interest signs are brown with white legends; service signs are blue with white symbols.

Interstate route markers are the red, white, and blue shield; U.S. route markers are the white shield with black numerals; Delaware state route markers are the white rectangle with black numerals and a blue border.

Exit signs: a green sign with an exit number and destination; an exit-only panel indicates the lane must exit; an advance exit sign appears one or more miles before the interchange.

Mile markers are small green signs with white numerals placed at one-mile intervals on interstates and major highways, used for emergency location reporting.

Service signs (blue) show fuel, food, lodging, hospital, and phone symbols; they indicate services at or near the next exit, not necessarily at the sign location.

Destination signs list control cities; following the control city for your direction is the standard way to stay on route through complex interchanges.

Brown recreational signs mark parks, historic sites, and attractions; they are guide signs and do not impose regulatory requirements.

Exit number tabs: the number on the exit sign corresponds to the mile marker at the exit; a letter suffix (e.g., 5A, 5B) indicates multiple exits at the same mile.

Guide signs on Delaware roads may include the Delaware Byways logo; byway signs identify scenic routes and do not change traffic rules.

Work zone signs are orange diamonds with black legends (e.g., ROAD WORK AHEAD, LANE CLOSED AHEAD); orange is reserved for temporary traffic control.

Channelizing devices: orange-and-white striped drums, cones, and barricades mark lane shifts; drivers must stay within the marked path and not cross the devices.

Flagger signals: a flagger holding a sign reading SLOW or STOP, or using a red flag, has the same authority as a traffic signal; obey the flagger's direction over any conflicting sign or signal.

A flagger with a paddle showing STOP means stop and remain stopped until the paddle is turned to SLOW or the flagger waves you through.

Temporary traffic control may include a pilot car; follow the pilot car at a safe distance and do not pass it within the work zone.

Work zone speed limits are posted on orange or white signs and are enforceable; fines may be doubled for moving violations in a work zone when workers are present.

Lane closure signs use a black arrow on orange to indicate which lane is closed and the direction to merge; merge early rather than at the taper.

Temporary signals and stop signs in work zones carry full legal force; treat them as permanent traffic control devices.

Red means stop, yield, or prohibition; white means regulatory or guide legends; yellow means warning; orange means construction and maintenance; green means guide and permitted movements; blue means services; brown means recreation and cultural interest.

Octagon (eight sides) is used only for STOP; the inverted triangle is used only for YIELD; the pentagon (five sides) is used only for school advance warning; the circle is used for railroad advance warning.

A red circle with a diagonal slash over a black symbol means the action is prohibited (e.g., no U-turn, no right turn).

A yellow diamond with a black symbol warns of a condition ahead; a yellow rectangle with a black chevron marks a sharp curve alignment.

A white rectangle with a black legend is regulatory (e.g., speed limit, no parking); a green rectangle with white legend is a guide sign.

The red/white DO NOT ENTER sign (red circle with white horizontal bar) and the red/white WRONG WAY sign mark one-way street exits; both mean stop and turn around.

Symbols on warning signs are read literally: a deer means deer crossing, a bicycle means bicycle crossing, a walking figure means pedestrian crossing; the symbol identifies the hazard type.

Fluorescent yellow-green is used for pedestrian, bicycle, and school warning signs to increase conspicuity; treat these as warning signs requiring speed reduction.

Blue signs with white symbols (H, gas pump, fork and knife) are service signs; they do not regulate traffic and do not guarantee the service is open.

Yellow lines separate traffic moving in opposite directions; white lines separate traffic moving in the same direction or mark the right edge of the roadway.

A solid double yellow line means no passing in either direction; a broken yellow line on your side means passing is permitted when safe; a broken yellow on the other side means passing is permitted for oncoming traffic only.

A solid white line marks a lane line where lane changes are discouraged; a broken white line marks a lane line where lane changes are permitted when safe.

Crosswalk markings: two parallel white lines or a ladder pattern mark a crosswalk; drivers must yield to pedestrians in a crosswalk, marked or unmarked, at intersections.

Traffic signals: a steady red means stop; a steady yellow means the signal is about to turn red and you must stop if you can do so safely; a steady green means proceed when the intersection is clear.

A flashing red signal means stop and proceed when clear (treat as a stop sign); a flashing yellow means slow down and proceed with caution.

A green arrow means you may proceed in the direction of the arrow; a red arrow means you may not proceed in that direction; a yellow arrow means the protected movement is ending.

Railroad crossings: a round yellow sign with an X and RR marks an advance warning; a crossbuck (white X with RAILROAD CROSSING) marks the crossing itself; a stop line and flashing red lights require a stop.

At a railroad crossing with flashing red lights, gates, or a flagger, stop at least 15 feet from the nearest rail and do not proceed until the lights stop flashing, the gates are fully raised, and the track is clear.