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Theory test, Road signs

UK road signs and what they mean

Most UK road signs tell you their meaning through their shape and colour, so once you know the system you can read a sign you have never seen before. Here is how it works, then pick a family below to see every sign in it with a clear meaning, or take the road signs short test.

Sign shapes and colours, the quick rules

  • Circles give orders. A red ring means a prohibition (something you must not do); a blue circle gives a positive instruction you must follow.
  • Triangles warn. A red-bordered triangle warns of a hazard ahead, such as a bend, a junction or a crossing.
  • Rectangles inform. They give information and directions: blue on motorways, green on primary routes, white on minor roads.
  • Two shapes are unique on purpose. The octagonal STOP sign and the inverted-triangle give way sign are shaped so you recognise them even when they are dirty or obscured.

Browse signs by type

Signs that give ordersMostly circular. A red ring tells you what you must not do; a blue circle tells you what you must do.View 40 signsWarning signsRed-bordered triangles. They warn of a hazard ahead so you have time to react.View 47 signsInformation and direction signsMostly rectangles. They give information and directions, with the colour telling you the road type.View 10 signs

Learn the rest, then test yourself

These cover the signs learners ask about most, but the test can show any sign from Know Your Traffic Signs. The fastest way to get comfortable is to learn the shape-and-colour system above, then practise: take the road and traffic signs short test or read the signs revision notes. When signs feel solid, sit a full 50-question timed mock: signs turn up throughout the paper, mixed in with everything else, which is the real test of whether you know them.

Where this fits in your revision

Sign meanings are based on Know Your Traffic Signs and The Highway Code. The sign images are official Department for Transport signs (Crown copyright), reused under the Open Government Licence and the public domain via Wikimedia Commons. Always check the current Highway Code on gov.uk. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the DVSA.