Florida Road Signs Practice cheat sheet

Regulatory signs tell you what you must do or must not do; they are enforceable like law, not suggestions.

White background with black legend and black border is the standard color scheme for most regulatory signs (speed limit, keep right, turn restrictions).

Red is reserved for prohibitions on regulatory signs: STOP, YIELD, DO NOT ENTER, WRONG WAY, and no-parking/no-standing markings.

A square white sign with a black speed number is a speed limit; a yellow sign with a black number is an advisory speed, not a legal limit.

One-way signs are black-and-white horizontal rectangles; a white arrow on black means traffic flows in the arrow direction only.

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

Regulatory signs take priority over pavement markings and guide signs when they conflict; obey the sign.

A STOP sign requires a full stop at the stop line, crosswalk, or before entering the intersection, then yield to all traffic and pedestrians.

Warning signs are yellow diamonds with black legends and are typically 36x36 inches on low-speed roads, larger on higher-speed roads.

Yellow diamond = general warning; orange diamond = construction/temporary warning; fluorescent yellow-green diamond = pedestrian, school, or bicycle warning.

Curve warning signs show the curve direction; an advisory speed plaque below gives a safe speed, which is not the legal limit.

Winding road, reverse curve, sharp turn, and hairpin signs all indicate geometry changes requiring reduced speed before entry.

Intersection warning signs show the shape of the crossing road: side road, T-intersection, Y-intersection, or crossroad.

Merge, lane-ends, and added-lane signs are yellow-black; they warn of a change in lane configuration ahead, not a legal merge requirement.

Hill, downgrade, and truck-rollover warning signs often carry a percentage grade; steep grades require lower gear and brake management.

A yellow diamond with a black arrow curving and an advisory plaque is a turn/curve sign, not a lane-use sign; lane-use signs are white with black arrows.

Guide signs are green with white legends on conventional highways and interstates; they give destination, distance, and route information.

Interstate route markers are red, white, and blue shields; the number of digits indicates the route type: one or two digits = mainline, three digits = spur/loop.

Even-numbered interstates generally run east-west; odd-numbered interstates generally run north-south.

Exit signs on freeways are green with white text; exit numbers correspond to mileposts on most interstate systems.

Blue signs mark services (gas, food, lodging, hospital, rest area); brown signs mark recreation and cultural points of interest.

Mile markers are small green signs with white numbers; they identify location for emergencies and navigation.

A white rectangular sign with black text and an arrow is a directional guide sign; a white sign with a black border and no arrow is often a regulatory sign.

Service signs and logo signs are informational only; they do not grant permission to stop in a no-stopping zone.

Orange is the color for construction and maintenance zones; orange diamonds warn, orange rectangles regulate, and orange arrows direct traffic.

A flagger symbol sign (orange diamond with a person holding a flag) warns that a flagger controls traffic ahead; obey the flagger's signals.

Channelizing devices include cones, drums, barricades, and tubular markers; they define the path and must not be crossed.

A rectangular orange sign reading ROAD WORK AHEAD is a warning; a white-and-orange sign with a speed number is an enforceable work-zone speed limit.

Temporary traffic signals and one-lane-two-way operations in work zones require yielding to oncoming traffic when directed.

Work zone speed limits are enforceable and fines are often doubled when workers are present; posted work-zone limits override the permanent limit.

A sign reading LANE CLOSED AHEAD with a merge arrow means the closed lane must merge into the open lane before the taper ends.

Pilot cars and pace vehicles in work zones must be followed; passing a pilot car is prohibited.

A circular yellow sign with a black X and RR letters is an advance railroad warning; slow down and be prepared to stop.

A white X-shaped crossbuck with black lettering marks the railroad crossing itself; yield to trains and stop if a train is approaching.

Flashing red lights at a railroad crossing mean stop; do not proceed until the lights stop flashing and the gates are fully raised.

A gate arm lowered across the roadway means stop and remain stopped until the gate is fully raised and the lights stop flashing.

A sign reading 3 TRACKS or a number plaque tells how many tracks cross; after one train passes, another may be coming on a different track.

Pavement markings before a railroad crossing include an X and the letters RR; they warn of the crossing ahead.

Do not stop on railroad tracks; if traffic blocks the far side, wait before the tracks until there is room to clear them completely.

A railroad crossing with no lights or gates (passive crossing) requires stopping, looking, and listening before proceeding.

Octagon = STOP; it is the only octagonal sign, so shape alone identifies it even when snow-covered or faded.

Inverted triangle = YIELD; downward-pointing triangle is unique to yield signs.

Diamond = warning; yellow diamonds warn of conditions ahead, orange diamonds warn of work zones.

Pennant (horizontal triangle) = no-passing zone; it marks the start of a no-passing zone on two-lane roads.

Round sign = railroad advance warning (yellow circle with black X).

Rectangle = regulatory or guide; vertical rectangles are usually regulatory, horizontal rectangles are usually guide.

Pentagon = school zone or school crossing; the five-sided shape is reserved for school-related warnings.

Crossbuck (X shape) = railroad crossing; it is white with black lettering and marks the crossing itself.

Color rules: red = stop/prohibit, yellow = warn, orange = work zone, green = guide, blue = services, brown = recreation, white = regulatory.

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

A solid yellow line on your side means no passing; a broken yellow line on your side means passing is permitted when safe.

A double solid yellow line means no passing in either direction; a double yellow with one broken line allows passing only on the broken side.

White dashed lines separate lanes of same-direction traffic; white solid lines mark the right edge or a no-crossing boundary.

A white diamond symbol in a lane marks a high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane or a special-use lane; check the sign for occupancy rules.

A white bicycle symbol or shared-lane arrow marks a bike lane or shared lane; do not drive or park in a bike lane.

A painted white stop bar or crosswalk lines mark where to stop for a signal or crosswalk; stop behind the bar.

A yellow X or diagonal stripes in a lane means the lane is closed or restricted; do not enter.

A white arrow painted in a lane indicates the required direction of travel from that lane; obey it at the intersection.