What do the General Service signs (Gas, Food, Lodging, Telephone) mean?
The General Service signs (Gas, Food, Lodging, Telephone) (MUTCD D9-7, D9-8, D9-9, D9-1) are guide signs under the federal Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, the national standard the states build from. They name which of the road-user services, fuel, a meal, a bed for the night, a phone, can be reached from the interchange coming up.
Source: MUTCD 11th Edition (FHWA), checked 2026-09-09.
What shape and color are the General Service signs (Gas, Food, Lodging, Telephone)?
| MUTCD code | D9-7, D9-8, D9-9, D9-1 |
|---|---|
| Group | Guide and service signs |
| Shape | Square or rectangular symbol panels |
| Color | Blue background, white symbols, legend and border |
What blue means. Motorist services: rest areas, hospitals, fuel, food and lodging.
Guide and service signs. Direction, services, recreation: three colors doing three jobs, and not one of them carrying a duty. Work out which job the color does and most questions in this group answer themselves.
What are the General Service signs (Gas, Food, Lodging, Telephone) often mistaken for?
Specific Service or logo signs under MUTCD Chapter 2J, which carry real business logos. Those logos are trademarks and are expressly outside the MUTCD public-domain clause, which is why none is reproduced here.
What does the permit test ask about the General Service signs (Gas, Food, Lodging, Telephone)?
This question is from the practice bank, with the answer marked.
A blue sign on a highway generally indicates:
- A.A warning
- B.Where to find gas, food or lodging(correct answer)
- C.A speed limit
- D.A recreational site
Why: Blue is the services color. Brown marks recreation and cultural sites, green gives directions and distances.
Source: Federal MUTCD, 11th Edition (FHWA)
What are the other guide and service signs?
All 11 guide and service 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.