What does the Left Turn Yield On Green sign mean?
The Left Turn Yield On Green sign (MUTCD R10-12) is a regulatory sign under the federal Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, the national standard the states build from. The round green permits the left turn without protecting it. Judging the gap in oncoming traffic is your job, and anyone walking across the road you are turning into goes ahead of you.
Source: MUTCD 11th Edition, Chapter 2B, Table 2B-1, checked 2026-09-09.
What shape and color is the Left Turn Yield On Green sign?
| MUTCD code | R10-12 |
|---|---|
| Group | Regulatory signs |
| Shape | Vertical rectangle |
| Color | White background, black legend, green circle symbol |
What a vertical rectangle means. Usually regulatory: a law you must obey. Speed limits, turn restrictions and parking rules take this shape.
What white means. Regulatory. A black legend on a white background is a law, not advice.
Regulatory signs. Every sign in this group has a statute behind it, so disobeying one is a citable offense on its own. Permit tests tend to word them as a duty you owe rather than show you the face.
What is the Left Turn Yield On Green sign often mistaken for?
A green arrow, which is a protected turn. The circular green is permissive; the arrow is not.
What does the permit test ask about the Left Turn Yield On Green sign?
This question is from the practice bank, with the answer marked.
You are turning left at a green light with no arrow. You must:
- A.Turn immediately, the green gives you priority
- B.Yield to oncoming traffic and pedestrians(correct answer)
- C.Wait for the light to turn yellow
- D.Sound the horn and proceed
Why: A circular green releases you into the intersection without handing you any claim on the gap. Wait out the oncoming line, let anyone in the crosswalk finish, and turn only when the whole maneuver fits.
Source: Uniform Vehicle Code, vehicle turning left
What are the other regulatory signs?
All 39 regulatory 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.