New Hampshire Road Signs Practice cheat sheet

Regulatory signs are white rectangles with black legends (or red/black on white for prohibitions); they state a legal requirement, and violating one is a traffic violation, not merely a warning.

STOP sign: red octagon with white letters. Come to a complete stop at the stop line, crosswalk, or before entering the intersection; then yield to all cross traffic and pedestrians.

YIELD sign: red-and-white downward-pointing triangle. Slow down and give the right-of-way; stop only if necessary to avoid conflict with cross traffic or pedestrians.

Speed limit signs are white rectangles with black numerals and the words SPEED LIMIT; the posted number is the maximum lawful speed in ideal conditions, and lower speeds are required in rain, snow, ice, or fog.

New Hampshire statutory default limits where unposted: 30 mph in business or urban residence districts, 35 mph in rural residence districts, and 55 mph on most other highways unless posted otherwise.

Lane-use control signs: a white sign with a black curved arrow means that lane must turn in that direction; a straight-only arrow means no turn from that lane; a red circle with a slash means the movement is prohibited.

NO PARKING and NO STOPPING signs are regulatory; a red-slash circle over a letter P prohibits parking, and parking is also barred within 15 feet of a fire hydrant and 20 feet of a crosswalk at an intersection.

One-way signs are black rectangles with a white arrow; a DO NOT ENTER sign is a red circle with a white horizontal bar, and a WRONG WAY sign is a red rectangle with white letters.

Warning signs are yellow diamonds with black symbols or legends (fluorescent yellow-green for pedestrian, bicycle, and school warnings); they alert you to a condition ahead and do not by themselves change the legal speed limit.

Curve warnings: a curve sign with an advisory speed plaque (yellow diamond, black numerals) means the safe comfortable speed for the curve is the posted advisory value, which may be lower than the legal limit.

Intersection warnings: a crossroad symbol means a four-way intersection ahead; a side-road symbol on the left or right means a road enters from that side; a T-symbol means the road you are on ends ahead.

Road narrowing: a symbol with parallel lines converging warns that the roadway ahead is narrower than the current one; slow down and be prepared for reduced clearance or a lane drop.

Hill warnings: a steep-grade sign shows a truck or a percentage grade; downgrades require lower gears and braking control, and upgrades may slow heavy vehicles ahead of you.

Surface condition warnings include SLIPPERY WHEN WET, loose gravel, and falling rocks; they indicate reduced traction, so increase following distance and reduce speed before reaching the hazard.

Pedestrian and school warnings: a walking-person symbol or a school symbol with a pentagon shape marks crossings and school zones; watch for children and be ready to stop, and obey any posted school-zone speed limit.

Other common warnings: deer crossing, farm equipment, railroad crossing (round yellow sign with an X and RR), and a winding-road symbol showing a series of curves ahead.

Guide signs are green with white legends on conventional highways and interstates, and blue with white legends for motorist services such as gas, food, lodging, and hospitals.

Route markers: the interstate shield is red, white, and blue with the word INTERSTATE; the U.S. route marker is a white shield with black numerals; New Hampshire state routes use a white rectangle with black numerals.

Exit signs on interstates are green with white legends; the exit number appears in a small yellow panel at the top of the sign, and advance signs give the distance to the exit.

Destination and distance signs list places ahead with mileage; the number is the distance from the sign to that destination, not the distance already traveled.

Mile markers are small green signs with white numerals placed along the shoulder; they identify your location for emergency calls and are numbered from the state line or route origin.

Service signs (blue) include gas, food, lodging, camping, and hospital symbols; recreation signs (brown) identify parks, historic sites, and scenic areas.

Interstate information signs include the white-on-green exit direction signs, the blue HOV or toll signs where applicable, and the green confirmation sign listing the route number and direction.

Work-zone warning signs are orange diamonds with black legends or symbols; orange means temporary traffic control, and the condition may change daily.

Flagger signs show a person holding a flag; when a flagger is present, obey the flagger's signals over any sign or signal, and be ready to stop.

Channelizing devices (cones, drums, barricades) mark the temporary path; a barricade with diagonal orange-and-white stripes means the road or lane is closed, and you must not drive past it.

Detour signs are orange with black legends and an arrow; follow the detour route markers rather than attempting to continue through the closed section.

Reduced-speed work-zone signs set a temporary lower limit; the posted work-zone speed is enforceable, and fines are commonly doubled for moving violations in work zones when workers are present.

Lane-shift and lane-closure signs show an arrow pointing to the side you must move toward; a flashing arrow board directs traffic away from a closed lane.

Work zones may include temporary traffic signals and one-lane alternating traffic; stop at the temporary stop line or where directed and wait for the signal or flagger to release your direction.

Yellow lines separate traffic moving in opposite directions; a solid yellow line on your side means no passing, and a broken yellow line on your side means passing is permitted when safe.

White lines separate traffic moving in the same direction; a solid white line marks the right edge or a lane line that should not be crossed, and a broken white line separates lanes you may change between.

Crosswalks are marked by white parallel lines or a ladder pattern; unmarked crosswalks still exist at intersections, and drivers must yield to pedestrians in them.

A stop line is a solid white line across your lane; stop before it at a stop sign or signal, and if there is no line, stop before the crosswalk or the intersection edge.

Steady red means stop and remain stopped until green; a steady red arrow means no movement in that direction, and a right turn on red is permitted after a full stop unless a NO TURN ON RED sign prohibits it.

Steady yellow means the signal is about to turn red; stop if you can do so safely, and do not speed up to beat the light.

Steady green means proceed if the intersection is clear; a green arrow means you have a protected movement in that direction, and other traffic is stopped.

Flashing red is treated as a stop sign, and flashing yellow means proceed with caution; a dark or non-working signal is treated as a stop sign at that intersection.

Red means stop, yield, or prohibition; it appears on STOP, YIELD, DO NOT ENTER, and WRONG WAY signs and on regulatory prohibitions.

Yellow means warning; yellow diamonds alert to conditions ahead, and yellow is also used for advisory speed plaques and some temporary markings.

Orange means construction or maintenance; orange diamonds and channelizing devices mark temporary work zones.

Green means guide or direction information such as destinations, distances, and exits; blue means motorist services and information; brown means recreation and cultural areas.

White means regulation; white rectangles with black legends carry the legal requirements, and white is also used for route markers and mile markers.

Shape rules: octagon means stop, downward triangle means yield, diamond means warning, pennant means no passing zone, and round means railroad advance warning.

A horizontal rectangle is generally a guide or information sign, and a vertical rectangle is generally a regulatory sign; a pentagon marks school zones and school crossings.

Symbols: a red circle with a diagonal slash means prohibited, a red slash over a letter means that action is not allowed, and a black arrow indicates the required or permitted direction of travel.