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District of Columbia Road Signs Guide (2026)

Every shape and color you'll see on the District of Columbia permit test, with what each one means in plain English.

DC road signs follow the federal MUTCD standard. Stop signs are red octagons. Yield signs are upside-down triangles. Warning signs are yellow diamonds. Work-zone signs are orange. DC has a high pedestrian volume so you will see many crosswalk and school-zone signs. Learn the shape and color first, then the meaning.

Sign shapes & what they mean

STOP

Stop — red octagon

Full stop. Eight sides means “stop” even if the word is hidden.

YIELD

Yield — downward triangle

Slow down; let cross traffic or pedestrians go first.

Warning — yellow diamond

Hazard ahead: curve, school zone, deer, slippery road.

School zone — pentagon

5-sided fluorescent green for school zones and crossings.

RR

Railroad — round

Train tracks ahead. Look both ways; expect stopped traffic.

No passing — pennant

Sideways triangle on the left of the road. No-passing zone begins.

SPEEDLIMIT65

Regulatory — white rectangle

Speed limit, no parking, lane use, do-not-enter rules.

EXIT 12

Guide — green rectangle

Directions, distances, exits, mile markers.

Construction — orange

Work zone or maintenance ahead. Expect lane shifts and reduced speeds.

H

Services — blue

Driver services: hospital, fuel, food, lodging, rest area.

PARK

Recreation — brown

Parks, scenic routes, historic sites, public recreation.

Do not enter — red round

Wrong way. Stop, do not enter. Turn around safely.

Now test your District of Columbia road-sign knowledge

Five questions pulled from our road-signs question bank. Answer to see the correct choice + explanation. For a full timed exam, take the free practice test.

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Take the full District of Columbia practice test →