Direct, restrict, or require specific driver actions on public roads and private property. Covers stop, yield, speed limit, no turn, one way, do not enter, and parking signs.
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Official MUTCD Stop Sign R1-1
.080" aluminum -
Do Not Enter Sign R5-1
.080" aluminum -
One Way Right Arrow Sign R6-1R
.080" aluminum -
Speed Limit 25 MPH Sign R2-1
.080" aluminum -
Wrong Way Sign R5-1A
.080" aluminum -
MUTCD All Way Sign R1-3
.080" aluminum -
MUTCD Yield Sign R1-2
.080" aluminum -
No Motor Vehicles Sign R5-3
.080" aluminum -
Go On Slow Sign R1-8
.080" aluminum -
Wait on Stop Sign R1-7
.080" aluminum
What Makes a Sign Regulatory?
A regulatory sign posts a traffic law at the spot where it applies. It can order an action (stop, yield, keep right), forbid one (no left turn, do not enter, do not pass), or set a limit (a speed, a lane, a type of vehicle). Ignore one and you can get a ticket. A warning sign works differently: it points out something ahead, like a curve or a crosswalk, but sets no rule.
Each regulatory sign has a code in the MUTCD, the federal manual for traffic signs, and every one of those codes starts with R. The code is in each product name on this page, so if a plan sheet or city work order lists R5-1, you can match it to our Do Not Enter sign without guessing.
Types of Regulatory Signs
The MUTCD sorts regulatory signs into numbered series by the kind of rule they set.
Scroll sideways to view the full table on smaller screens.
| Series | What it controls | Signs in this category |
|---|---|---|
| R1 | Who goes first at intersections and crosswalks | Stop and All Way, Yield and To Oncoming Traffic, Stop Here and Yield Here for Pedestrians, in-street State Law Stop for Pedestrians |
| R2 | Speed | Speed Limit from 5 to 75 MPH, truck, bus, and night speed plaques, Reduced Speed Ahead, Fines Higher, Fines Double, Begin Higher Fines Zone |
| R3 | Turns and lane use | No Left Turn, No Right Turn, No U-Turn, No Turns, No Straight Thru, turn-only arrows, Left or Right Lane Must Turn, and lane control plaques for bus, taxi, and HOV lanes |
| R4 | Passing and lane position | Do Not Pass, Keep Right, Keep Left, Stay in Lane, All Traffic arrows, Bicycles May Use Full Lane |
| R5 | Who may enter a road | Do Not Enter, Wrong Way, No Trucks, No Thru Trucks, No Thru Traffic, No Bikes, No Pedestrians, Authorized Vehicles Only |
| R6 | Direction of travel | One Way in both the long horizontal and the tall vertical style, Roundabout Circulation plaque |
| R8 | Parking and stopping | No Parking symbol, Do Not Stop on Tracks. Time-limit and reserved spaces are in our parking signs category. |
| R9 | People on foot, skates, and ATVs | No Pedestrian Crossing, Use Crosswalk plaques, No Skaters, No ATVs |
| R10 | Signals and enforcement | No Turn on Red, Traffic Laws Photo Enforced sign and plaque |
| R11 | Closures | Road Closed, Street Closed, Lane Closed, Bridge Out, Bridge Closed |
| R15 | Railroad crossings | The X-shaped railroad crossing crossbuck, which drivers must treat as a yield sign for trains |
How to Spot One On the Road
Most regulatory signs are white rectangles with black words or symbols, and many are taller than they are wide. Red appears on the signs that stop traffic or forbid something: Stop, Yield, Do Not Enter, Wrong Way, and the red circle with a slash on signs like No U-Turn. Two shapes belong to one sign each: the octagon to Stop and the downward triangle to Yield. A yellow diamond means a warning sign and orange means a work zone, so neither is in this category. For the full system, see our guides to road sign shapes and road sign colors.
Picking the Size
The more lanes a road has and the faster its traffic, the larger the sign the MUTCD calls for. Here are the official sizes for the regulatory signs ordered most often:
Scroll sideways to view the full table on smaller screens.
| Sign | Road with 1 lane each way | Road with 2+ lanes each way | Expressway |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stop (R1-1) | 30" x 30" | 36" x 36" | 36" x 36" |
| Yield (R1-2) | 36" per side | 48" per side | 48" per side |
| Speed Limit (R2-1) | 24" x 30" | 30" x 36" | 36" x 48" |
| No Left, Right, or U-Turn (R3-1, R3-2, R3-4) | 24" x 24" | 36" x 36" | 36" x 36" |
| Do Not Enter (R5-1) | 30" x 30" | 36" x 36" | 36" x 36" |
| Wrong Way (R5-1a) | 36" x 24" | 42" x 30" | 36" x 24" |
| One Way, vertical (R6-2) | 24" x 30" | 30" x 36" | 36" x 48" |
In a parking lot, on a private drive, or around a campus where cars move slowly, a smaller size such as an 18" x 24" speed limit sign is usually plenty. For any sign not in this table, look up its code in our road sign size guide.
Plaques Add the Details
A code that ends in P is a plaque: a smaller sign on the same post, usually just under the main sign, that narrows or explains its rule. An All Way plaque under a stop sign tells drivers that cross traffic stops too. A truck speed plaque under a speed limit sign sets a lower limit for trucks only. Fines Higher marks a stretch where tickets cost more. Plaques are sold as their own items, and you will find all of them in our supplemental plaques category.
Public Roads, Private Property, and Your State
On a public street, the city, county, or state decides which regulatory signs go up and where. If you want a stop sign or a lower speed limit on your street, the agency that owns the road has to approve it, and our article on whether it is legal to put up your own road sign covers the details.
HOAs, schools, apartment complexes, plants, and business parks can choose their own signs. Even there, the standard design is the better pick, because drivers react to a familiar sign without having to read it closely.
Some states publish their own version of the MUTCD or a supplement that changes certain regulatory signs. Before ordering for a public project, check your state in our MUTCD by state guide.
Mounting
Place each sign at or near the point where its rule begins: a speed limit sign where the new limit starts, a No Left Turn sign at the intersection where the turn is banned. Each of our sign posts can be ordered as a kit with the bolts and brackets or as the post alone.