What does the Two-Way Left Turn Only sign mean?
The Two-Way Left Turn Only sign (MUTCD R3-9b) is a regulatory sign under the federal Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, the national standard the states build from. The center lane is reserved for left turns by traffic traveling in either direction and must not be used for through travel or passing.
Source: MUTCD 11th Edition, Chapter 2B, Table 2B-1, checked 2026-09-09.
What shape and color is the Two-Way Left Turn Only sign?
| MUTCD code | R3-9b |
|---|---|
| Group | Regulatory signs |
| Shape | Vertical rectangle |
| Color | White background, black arrows and legend |
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 Two-Way Left Turn Only sign often mistaken for?
A normal left-turn-only lane. This lane is shared with oncoming traffic making their own left turns, which is why you may not drive along it.
What does the permit test ask about the Two-Way Left Turn Only sign?
This question is from the practice bank, with the answer marked.
A center lane marked with a solid yellow line on the outside and a broken yellow line on the inside, on both sides, is:
- A.A passing lane
- B.A two-way left turn lane(correct answer)
- C.A reversible bus lane
- D.A breakdown lane
Why: That marking identifies a shared center lane used only for left turns from either direction. It must never be used to travel along or to pass.
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.