NY Road Signs Practice cheat sheet

New York uses shape and color as the first cue: octagon = STOP (red with white letters), inverted triangle = YIELD, pennant (side-pointing triangle) = No Passing Zone, diamond = warning, vertical rectangle = regulatory, horizontal rectangle = guide/information, circle = railroad advance warning, crossbuck (X-shape) = railroad crossing.

Regulatory signs are white rectangles with black legends (speed limit, lane use, turning rules) or red/white (STOP, YIELD, DO NOT ENTER, WRONG WAY); warning signs are yellow diamonds with black symbols, and orange diamonds mark work zones.

A yellow diamond with a black X and the letters RR means railroad tracks ahead - slow, look, and listen; a white crossbuck with black letters marks the crossing itself, and a round yellow sign with an X and RR is the advance warning in some locations.

School zones use fluorescent yellow-green pentagon signs (school crossing) and fluorescent yellow-green diamonds; the statewide school speed limit is 15 mph unless posted otherwise, and it applies on school days during posted hours or when a flashing beacon is active.

A STOP sign requires a full stop at the stop line, crosswalk, or edge of the roadway, in that order; a YIELD sign requires slowing and stopping only if necessary to let cross traffic or pedestrians proceed.

DO NOT ENTER (red circle with white bar) and WRONG WAY signs mark one-way traffic; a white one-way arrow sign (black arrow on white) points in the permitted direction, and a red circle with a slash means the action shown is prohibited.

Speed limits: 55 mph on most two-lane rural roads, 65 mph on many interstates and divided highways (up to 65 mph unless posted higher), 25 mph in New York City unless posted otherwise, and 15 mph in school zones; posted limits always override defaults.

Pavement markings reinforce signs: solid yellow lines separate opposing traffic (no passing), broken yellow allows passing when safe, solid white marks the right edge or separates same-direction lanes where lane changes are discouraged, and a shared-lane bike symbol or sharrow marks a bike route.

Warning signs are yellow diamonds with black symbols: curve, reverse curve, winding road, hill, slippery when wet, deer crossing, pedestrian crossing, and traffic signal ahead all use this shape and color.

Construction and maintenance signs are orange diamonds; a flagger symbol, worker symbol, or arrow board means slow down and be prepared to stop, and fines are doubled in work zones when workers are present.

Guide signs are green rectangles with white letters (destinations, exits, distances) and blue rectangles (services such as gas, food, lodging, hospital); brown rectangles mark parks, recreation, and historic sites.

A yellow diamond showing a traffic signal means a signalized intersection is ahead; a yellow diamond with a pedestrian symbol warns of a crosswalk ahead, and a yellow diamond with a bicycle warns of bike traffic.

A red octagon with white letters always means STOP, and a red-and-white triangle pointing downward means YIELD; both may be accompanied by a smaller supplemental plaque such as ALL WAY or 4-WAY below the sign.

A yellow diamond with a black arrow curving right or left warns of a curve; a plaque reading 25 MPH under a curve sign is an advisory speed, not a legal speed limit, but it is set for safe travel in good conditions.

No-passing zones are marked by a yellow pennant sign on the left side of the road and by a solid yellow line on the left side of the pavement; passing is prohibited until the pennant or solid line ends.

A circular yellow sign with a black X and RR letters warns of a railroad crossing ahead; a white crossbuck marks the crossing itself, and flashing red lights or a gate require a stop.