What does the No Passing Zone sign mean?
The No Passing Zone sign (MUTCD W14-3) is a warning sign under the federal Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, the national standard the states build from. From this pennant until the solid yellow line beside your lane ends, the sight distance is too short to complete a pass, so overtaking is prohibited for the whole stretch.
Source: MUTCD 11th Edition, Chapter 2C, Table 2C-1, checked 2026-09-09.
What shape and color is the No Passing Zone sign?
| MUTCD code | W14-3 |
|---|---|
| Group | Warning signs |
| Shape | Pennant, an isosceles triangle with the point to the right |
| Color | Yellow background, black legend and border |
What a pennant means. No passing zone, posted on the LEFT side of the road facing the driver whose passing is restricted. The only sign of this shape.
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 No Passing Zone sign often mistaken for?
Do Not Pass (R4-1). This is the only pennant-shaped sign in the manual and the only warning sign mounted on the LEFT side of the road, so it faces the driver who would be tempted to pass.
|  |
|---|---|
| GroupWarning signs | GroupRegulatory signs |
| ShapePennant, an isosceles triangle with the point to the right | ShapeVertical rectangle |
| ColorYellow background, black legend and border | ColorWhite background, black legend and border |
| What it meansFrom this pennant until the solid yellow line beside your lane ends, the sight distance is too short to complete a pass, so overtaking is prohibited for the whole stretch. | What it meansPassing is prohibited from this point until a sign or marking permits it again. |
What does the permit test ask about the No Passing Zone sign?
These 3 questions are from the practice bank, with the answer marked.
This is the only sign of its shape. It marks:
- A.The start of a no passing zone, posted on the left side of the road(correct answer)
- B.A narrow bridge ahead
- C.The end of a divided highway
- D.A merge from the right
Source: MUTCD W14-3
A yellow pennant-shaped sign on the left side of the road means:
- A.No passing zone(correct answer)
- B.School ahead
- C.Divided highway
- D.Merging traffic
Why: The pennant is the only sign posted on the left, marking the start of a no passing zone. It faces you at the beginning of the restricted stretch.
Source: Federal MUTCD, 11th Edition (FHWA)
Passing another vehicle becomes illegal when:
- A.You are on a two-lane road
- B.You are approaching a hill crest or curve where you cannot see far enough ahead(correct answer)
- C.The vehicle ahead is slower than the limit
- D.It is after dark
Why: Passing needs enough clear sight distance to complete the maneuver and return. Crests, curves, intersections and railroad crossings all remove that.
Source: Uniform Vehicle Code, limitations on overtaking
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.