What does the Advisory Speed plaque mean?
The Advisory Speed plaque (MUTCD W13-1P) is a warning sign under the federal Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, the national standard the states build from. The recommended safe speed for the curve or ramp the sign above it warns about, in good conditions.
Source: MUTCD 11th Edition, Chapter 2C, Table 2C-1, checked 2026-09-09.
What shape and color is the Advisory Speed plaque?
| MUTCD code | W13-1P |
|---|---|
| Group | Warning signs |
| Shape | Square plaque below a warning sign |
| Color | Yellow background, black legend and border |
What yellow means. General warning of a permanent condition ahead.
Warning signs. A diamond reports a condition and orders nothing. What you do about it is left to you, and that gap between a report and an order is what test writers keep probing.
What is the Advisory Speed plaque often mistaken for?
The Speed Limit sign (R2-1). Yellow advisory speeds are not enforceable limits in themselves, though exceeding them can support a careless-driving charge.
|  |
|---|---|
| GroupWarning signs | GroupRegulatory signs |
| ShapeSquare plaque below a warning sign | ShapeVertical rectangle |
| ColorYellow background, black legend and border | ColorWhite background, black legend and border |
| What it meansThe recommended safe speed for the curve or ramp the sign above it warns about, in good conditions. | What it meansA ceiling fixed by law, and it assumes the best case: dry pavement, clear sight lines, light traffic. |
What does the permit test ask about the Advisory Speed plaque?
This question is from the practice bank, with the answer marked.
A yellow sign showing a curved arrow with a posted number means:
- A.A mandatory maximum speed limit
- B.An advisory safe speed for the curve(correct answer)
- C.A distance to the next exit
- D.A weight limit for the bridge
Why: The number on a warning sign is advisory: the recommended speed to take the feature safely in good conditions. The legal limit remains the posted regulatory limit.
Source: Federal MUTCD, 11th Edition (FHWA)
What are the other warning signs?
All 55 warning signs on one page, or every US road sign by shape and color.
Test yourself on this sign and the rest of the set with a road signs practice test for Florida, Texas or California.
The artwork is the federal design itself, which the manual dedicates to the public domain in MUTCD 11th Edition, Part 1, Section 1D.06, checked 2026-09-09. The Interstate Shield, the 511 pictograph and the National Scenic Byway graphic are named exceptions and are not reproduced anywhere on this site.
Source: Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, 11th Edition. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the Federal Highway Administration or any state agency.