What does the No U-Turn sign mean?
The No U-Turn sign (MUTCD R3-4) is a regulatory sign under the federal Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, the national standard the states build from. Turning back on yourself is prohibited at this opening, so carry on and find a legal place to reverse direction.
Source: MUTCD 11th Edition, Chapter 2B, Table 2B-1, checked 2026-09-09.
What shape and color is the No U-Turn sign?
| MUTCD code | R3-4 |
|---|---|
| Group | Regulatory signs |
| Shape | Square |
| Color | White background, red circle and slash, black U-shaped 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 U-Turn sign often mistaken for?
No Left Turn (R3-2). The U-turn arrow doubles back on itself; the left-turn arrow does not.
|  |
|---|---|
| GroupRegulatory signs | GroupRegulatory signs |
| ShapeSquare | ShapeSquare |
| ColorWhite background, red circle and slash, black U-shaped arrow | ColorWhite background, red circle and slash, black arrow |
| What it meansTurning back on yourself is prohibited at this opening, so carry on and find a legal place to reverse direction. | What it meansA left turn out of this approach is prohibited, so the movement has to be made at another intersection. |
Which signs get mistaken for the No U-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.
No TurnsR3-3No U-Turn (R3-4) and the Do Not Enter sign (R5-1), which bans entry rather than turning.
What does the permit test ask about the No U-Turn sign?
This question is from the practice bank, with the answer marked.
A red circle with a diagonal slash over a symbol means:
- A.A warning about the symbol
- B.The action shown is prohibited(correct answer)
- C.The action shown is required
- D.Services related to the symbol
Why: Red with a slash always prohibits. The symbol tells you what is banned, such as a U-turn, a right turn or trucks.
Source: Federal MUTCD, 11th Edition (FHWA)
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.