Stop
Come to a complete stop, yield to traffic and pedestrians, and go only when it is safe.
Stop completely at the line or before the intersection, yield to cross traffic and pedestrians, then go only when the way is clear.
Reference
Road signs, by shape and colour
Signs are 20 of the 40 questions on the Ontario G1, and a large share of the ICBC test besides. On the road you have to read one in under a second, long before you are close enough to read any words on it, so shape and colour come first here.
Regulatory signs 16Warning signs 18School and playground signs 4Railway signs 1Temporary and construction signs 2
Every drawing here is our own, made to the standard shapes and colours rather than traced from official artwork. No watermark on any of them.
Read the colour before you read the sign
Every Canadian road sign follows the same small set of shape and colour rules, no matter which province put it up. Learn the rules once and a sign you have never seen before still tells you most of what it means.
A shape kept for one meaning
Eight sides, and nothing else on the road uses them. You can read it by outline alone in the dark or through a dirty windscreen, which is why the shape is held back for it.
Yellow diamond, a hazard ahead
Yellow on a diamond is a warning. The symbol says what is coming, and the sign stands far enough back that you can still slow down for it.
Fluorescent yellow green, children
This colour is kept for school and pedestrian signage, so it reads as different from an ordinary yellow warning at a glance, in daylight and under headlights.
Orange, and it will not last
Orange on the same diamond shape means a temporary condition, almost always road work. It can carry a speed limit that overrides the normal one while it is up.
All 41 signs, grouped the way you meet them
Five categories, each with the rule that tells it apart from the others at a distance.
Regulatory signs
16 signs
A regulatory sign states a rule you must follow. It carries the force of law behind it, not just advice, so ignoring one is a traffic offence in its own right.How to tell it apart: Most are white with black text or a black symbol, or plain white with a red border. Two shapes are used for exactly one meaning each and nothing else: the eight sided red stop sign and the downward pointing red triangle yield sign, so you can still read them by outline alone in poor light. A red circle with a diagonal red bar always means the thing inside the circle is not allowed.
Yield
Slow down and give the right of way to traffic and pedestrians; stop if needed.
Slow down as you approach, and stop if a gap does not open up for you to merge or cross safely.
Do not enter
Do not enter this road or ramp; traffic on it is coming toward you.
Do not turn or drive into this road. If you are already facing it, find another way round.
One way
Traffic on this road moves only in the direction of the arrow.
Turn only in the direction the arrow points, and do not enter travelling the other way.
No left turn
Left turns are not allowed here.
Continue straight or turn right instead. A left turn here is not allowed even if the way looks clear.
No right turn
Right turns are not allowed here.
Continue straight or turn left instead. A right turn here is not allowed, including on a red light unless another sign says otherwise.
No U-turn
Turning around to go back the way you came is not allowed here.
Keep going and find a legal place to turn around further on, such as the next intersection.
No parking
You may stop briefly to load or unload, but you may not park here.
You can stop long enough to load or drop someone off, but move on rather than leaving the vehicle parked.
No stopping
Do not stop here at all, even briefly, except to obey traffic control.
Keep moving. Even a brief stop to wait for a passenger is not allowed here.
Maximum speed
The highest legal speed on this road in good conditions.
Do not drive faster than the number shown, and slow further if conditions call for it.
Keep right
Keep to the right of the divider or island ahead.
Stay right of the island or divider ahead rather than passing it on the left.
Passing prohibited
Do not pass other vehicles in this stretch of road.
Stay behind the vehicle ahead until the road allows passing again.
No pedestrians
Pedestrians are not allowed on this road.
Drivers should expect no foot traffic here; pedestrians should use another route.
No bicycles
Bicycles are not allowed on this road.
Cyclists should use another route; drivers should not expect to share this road with bicycles.
Roundabout
A roundabout is ahead; travel counter-clockwise around the island and yield on entry.
Slow down, yield to traffic already in the roundabout, then enter and travel counter-clockwise to your exit.
No heavy trucks
Heavy trucks are not allowed on this road.
Heavy trucks should use another route; other drivers can expect a road without truck traffic here.
Warning signs
18 signs
A warning sign tells you about a hazard or an unusual condition ahead so you can adjust your speed and attention before you reach it. It is advice rather than a command with its own penalty, though ignoring it can put you in a position where another rule then applies.How to tell it apart: The shape is almost always a yellow diamond with a black border and a black symbol or arrow. The one exception in this set is the railway advance sign, which is a yellow circle with a black X, kept round on purpose so it stands out from the diamonds around it well before you reach the tracks.
Curve ahead
The road curves ahead; slow down before you enter the curve.
Slow down before you reach the curve, not while you are already in it.
Winding road
A series of curves is ahead; adjust your speed before the first one.
Reduce your speed for the whole stretch, since more than one curve is coming.
Stop sign ahead
A stop sign is ahead but may be hard to see in time; start slowing now.
Start slowing now so you can stop comfortably at the sign that is coming, which may be hard to see in time.
Traffic signal ahead
Traffic lights are ahead; be ready to stop if they change.
Ease off the accelerator and be ready to stop if the light changes before you arrive.
Merge
Traffic joins from another road ahead; adjust speed and spacing to let it blend in.
Check your mirrors and be ready to adjust your speed or position so joining traffic can blend in safely.
Lane ends
One of the lanes ahead ends; traffic in it must merge into the lane that continues.
Check your mirrors and merge into the continuing lane in good time, before the lane actually runs out.
Narrow structure
The bridge or underpass ahead is narrower than the road; approach with care.
Slow down and, if the structure is one lane wide, be ready to yield to oncoming traffic already on it.
Slippery when wet
The road ahead is slippery when wet; slow down and avoid sudden moves.
Slow down and avoid hard braking or sudden steering, since traction can drop sharply when the road is wet.
Bump
A bump or uneven surface is ahead; slow down.
Slow down before you reach it so the bump does not catch you or your vehicle off guard.
Steep hill
A steep downgrade is ahead; slow down and be ready to gear down.
Slow down and shift to a lower gear if your vehicle needs it, rather than riding the brakes the whole way down.
Divided highway begins
The road ahead divides around a median; keep to the right side.
Keep to the right side of the median that is about to appear ahead.
Divided highway ends
The divided road ends ahead; two-way traffic will share one roadway.
Move back toward the centre carefully, since oncoming traffic will be sharing your roadway again.
Two-way traffic
You are entering or on a road with traffic in both directions.
Stay on your side of the road, since traffic can now come from the opposite direction as well.
Pedestrian crossing ahead
People cross the road ahead; be ready to stop.
Watch for people crossing and be ready to stop, even away from a marked intersection.
Railway crossing ahead
A railway crossing is ahead; slow down, look both ways and be ready to stop.
Start slowing now, look and listen for a train, and be ready to stop well before the tracks.
Deer crossing
Deer or other large animals may cross here, especially at dawn and dusk.
Slow down and scan the roadsides, especially around dawn and dusk when animals are most active.
Crossroad ahead
A road crosses ahead; watch for entering traffic.
Slow down and watch both directions for traffic entering from the crossing road.
T intersection
The road you are on ends ahead; you must turn left or right.
Slow down. The road ends here, so choose your turn early, left or right.
School and playground signs
4 signs
A school or playground sign means children may be near or on the road. Treat the posted slower limit and the crossing itself with more caution than an ordinary pedestrian crossing, because children do not always judge traffic the way an adult does.How to tell it apart: These use fluorescent yellow green, a colour reserved for school and pedestrian signage so it reads as different from an ordinary yellow warning sign at a glance, in daylight or under headlights. Shape varies: the zone and playground signs are five sided panels, and the school crossing sign itself is a diamond in the same fluorescent colour.
School zone
You are entering a school zone; slow down and watch for children.
Slow to the posted school zone limit and watch for children entering or crossing the road.
School crossing
Children cross here; be ready to stop.
Watch for children on the crosswalk and be ready to stop, even if none are visible yet.
Playground zone
Children may be near or on the road; slow down and be ready to stop.
Slow down and watch for children near the road who may not be paying attention to traffic.
School bus stop ahead
A school bus stops ahead where drivers may not expect it; be ready to stop.
Be ready to stop well back from a stopped school bus ahead, even though you cannot see it yet.
Railway signs
1 sign
A railway sign warns that a train may cross the road. A train cannot stop for you: it takes far longer to stop than a car does, so the yield is always yours.How to tell it apart: There are two stages. Well before the tracks, a round yellow sign with a black X gives advance warning, and it is grouped with the warning signs above. At the tracks themselves, a white crossbuck shaped like a large X with a red border marks the crossing, and it is the crossbuck, not the advance sign, that carries the legal duty to yield.
Railway crossbuck
You are at the railway crossing itself; yield to any train, it cannot stop for you.
Stop if a train is coming or a signal says to. Otherwise look both ways, listen, and cross only when it is clearly safe. A train cannot stop for you.
Temporary and construction signs
2 signs
A temporary sign covers a condition that will not be there permanently, most often road work. It can also carry a posted speed limit that overrides the normal one for as long as the sign is up.How to tell it apart: Orange is the colour reserved for temporary and construction signage, on the same diamond shape as an ordinary warning sign, so orange against yellow is the one thing to check. A person holding a sign at the roadside overrides everything else here, including a traffic signal.
Construction ahead
Road work is ahead; slow down and obey all workers and devices.
Slow down, watch for workers and equipment, and follow any posted temporary speed limit.
Flag person ahead
A person is directing traffic ahead; follow their directions, they override normal rules.
Follow the flag person's signal exactly. It overrides the signs, signals and lane markings you would normally follow here.
Open any sign to see the drawing at size with what it means and what to do about it. There is no separate page behind a single sign, because one thin page per sign would be forty one pages that say less than this one.
Practise these as questions
Reading a picture on a page is not the same as picking the right answer under a clock. Each province we cover in depth has a signs only run inside its practice.
StartOntario signs drill
69 sign questions from the G1 knowledge test bank
Sign questions on their own, each with the reason for the answer and the authority behind it.
StartBritish Columbia signs drill
64 sign questions from the ICBC knowledge test bank
Sign questions on their own, each with the reason for the answer and the authority behind it.
StartAlberta signs drill
65 sign questions from the Class 7 knowledge test bank
Sign questions on their own, each with the reason for the answer and the authority behind it.
StartQuebec signs drill
54 sign questions from the SAAQ knowledge test bank
Sign questions on their own, each with the reason for the answer and the authority behind it.
StartOntario signs drill
20 sign questions from the M1 knowledge test bank
Sign questions on their own, each with the reason for the answer and the authority behind it.
StartOntario signs drill
20 sign questions from the Class A knowledge test bank
Sign questions on their own, each with the reason for the answer and the authority behind it.
StartOntario signs drill
15 sign questions from the Class F knowledge test bank
Sign questions on their own, each with the reason for the answer and the authority behind it.
StartBritish Columbia signs drill
20 sign questions from the Motorcycle knowledge test bank
Sign questions on their own, each with the reason for the answer and the authority behind it.
StartBritish Columbia signs drill
20 sign questions from the Class 1 knowledge test bank
Sign questions on their own, each with the reason for the answer and the authority behind it.
StartBritish Columbia signs drill
15 sign questions from the Class 4 knowledge test bank
Sign questions on their own, each with the reason for the answer and the authority behind it.
StartAlberta signs drill
20 sign questions from the Class 6 knowledge test bank
Sign questions on their own, each with the reason for the answer and the authority behind it.
StartAlberta signs drill
20 sign questions from the Commercial knowledge test bank
Sign questions on their own, each with the reason for the answer and the authority behind it.
StartAlberta signs drill
15 sign questions from the Class 4 knowledge test bank
Sign questions on their own, each with the reason for the answer and the authority behind it.
StartQuebec signs drill
20 sign questions from the Motorcycle knowledge test bank
Sign questions on their own, each with the reason for the answer and the authority behind it.
StartQuebec signs drill
20 sign questions from the Class 1 knowledge test bank
Sign questions on their own, each with the reason for the answer and the authority behind it.
StartQuebec signs drill
15 sign questions from the Authorized driver exam bank
Sign questions on their own, each with the reason for the answer and the authority behind it.
Where these drawings come from
Every sign on this page is an original drawing in our own hand, built to the standard shapes and colours rather than traced from any government artwork. The meanings are the standard ones taught across Canada, and nothing here carries a watermark.
Where a test scores signs on their own, such as the Ontario G1, the exact numbers live on that province's road signs page and on its test page, each one sourced to the body that sets it.