What does the No Left Turn sign mean?
The No Left Turn sign (MUTCD R3-2) is a regulatory sign under the federal Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, the national standard the states build from. A left turn out of this approach is prohibited, so the movement has to be made at another intersection.
Source: MUTCD 11th Edition, Chapter 2B, Table 2B-1, checked 2026-09-09.
What shape and color is the No Left Turn sign?
| MUTCD code | R3-2 |
|---|---|
| Group | Regulatory signs |
| Shape | Square |
| Color | White background, red circle and slash, black arrow |
What white means. Regulatory. A black legend on a white background is a law, not advice.
What red means. Stop, yield, or a prohibition. Red never advises, it always forbids or commands.
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 No Left Turn sign often mistaken for?
No U-Turn (R3-4). Where both are prohibited two separate signs are posted, and a No Left Turn sign alone does not by itself ban a U-turn.
|  |
|---|---|
| GroupRegulatory signs | GroupRegulatory signs |
| ShapeSquare | ShapeSquare |
| ColorWhite background, red circle and slash, black arrow | ColorWhite background, red circle and slash, black U-shaped arrow |
| What it meansA left turn out of this approach is prohibited, so the movement has to be made at another intersection. | What it meansTurning back on yourself is prohibited at this opening, so carry on and find a legal place to reverse direction. |
Which signs get mistaken for the No Left Turn sign?
No Right TurnR3-1No U-Turn (R3-4) and No Left Turn (R3-2). All three are the same square with a different black arrow inside the red circle, and the U-turn arrow curls back on itself.
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.