Road Signs · Warning
Warning Signs
Every warning signs you'll encounter on the DMV permit test, with shape, color, and meaning in plain English.
Curve Ahead
The road curves in the direction of the arrow. Reduce speed before entering.
Yellow diamonds always mean a hazard you should prepare for, not a command.
Sign details →Sharp Turn
A sharp 90° or greater turn ahead. Slow significantly.
Often paired with an advisory speed plate showing a safe speed.
Sign details →Winding Road
Multiple curves ahead. Stay alert and avoid passing.
Common on rural mountain roads.
Sign details →Hill / Steep Grade
Steep downgrade ahead. Truckers should downshift; passenger cars should pump brakes if needed.
Long downgrades may include runaway truck ramps for emergencies.
Sign details →Slippery When Wet
The road may become unusually slippery when wet — reduce speed in rain or snow.
Especially common on bridges and overpasses, which freeze before the road surface.
Sign details →Deer Crossing
Deer or other wildlife frequently cross here. Slow down, especially at dawn and dusk.
If a deer is in the road, brake — do NOT swerve into oncoming lanes.
Sign details →Pedestrian Crossing
Pedestrians may be crossing the road ahead.
Fluorescent yellow-green is reserved for pedestrian, bicycle, and school warnings.
Sign details →Bicycle Crossing
A bicycle path crosses the road ahead. Watch for cyclists.
Same color family as pedestrian and school zone warnings.
Sign details →Merge
Two lanes are about to combine into one. Adjust speed to merge smoothly.
Generally the merging vehicle yields to traffic already in the lane.
Sign details →Two-Way Traffic
A divided highway is ending and you will face oncoming traffic.
Often follows construction zones where one direction was temporarily closed.
Sign details →Divided Highway Ahead
The roadway is about to split into two separated directions. Keep right.
Pairs with the Divided Highway Ends sign at the other end of the divider.
Sign details →Stop Ahead
A stop sign is just ahead — usually beyond a curve or rise.
Begin slowing immediately so you can stop comfortably at the line.
Sign details →Signal Ahead
A traffic signal is ahead. Be prepared to stop.
Used where a signal might be hidden by curves, hills, or foliage.
Sign details →Yield Ahead
A yield sign is ahead. Slow down and prepare to give way.
Useful warning where the upcoming yield is not visible from far away.
Sign details →T-Intersection
The road you are on ends at a cross street. Prepare to turn left or right.
You must yield to traffic on the cross street unless otherwise marked.
Sign details →Roundabout
A roundabout is ahead. Yield to traffic already in the circle.
Always travel counter-clockwise inside US roundabouts.
Sign details →How warning signs appear on the DMV test
Warning Signs account for a meaningful chunk of every state DMV permit test. Examiners may show you a picture and ask the meaning, describe a situation and ask which sign would be posted, or give you a sign's shape and color and ask you to identify its general purpose.
The most reliable way to study them is to drill in groups by shape: study every diamond once, then every rectangle, then every pentagon. Your brain remembers patterns far better than isolated facts. Use our main road signs page to flip between categories, and then take a state-specific practice test to confirm you can apply the knowledge under question pressure.
Remember: every state's DMV uses the same federal Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), so a sign you learn for the California test will look identical in Texas, New York, or Florida. The exact wording of test questions varies, but the signs do not.