How many road sign questions are on the permit test?

New York's written test has exactly 4 of its 20 questions on road signs, and you must get at least 2 of them right. The other four states mix sign questions in with the rules of the road without a fixed count.

Are road signs the same in every state?

The shapes, colors and most designs come from the federal Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), which every state follows. A few state-specific signs exist, so read your own handbook too.

How do I learn signs fast?

Learn the shapes and colors first: they tell you the type of sign before you can read it. Then drill the individual signs with pictures.

Where do Passlane's sign pictures come from?

They are the federal MUTCD sign designs from Wikimedia Commons, all in the public domain. The sources page lists each file.

Guides

Road signs on the permit test

All five states Passlane covers use the federal MUTCD sign shapes and colors: an octagon is always a stop sign, a triangle pointing down is yield, a pentagon marks a school, a round yellow sign warns of a railroad crossing, and a yellow diamond warns of a hazard. New York's written test has 4 road-sign questions out of 20 and you must get at least 2 of them right.

Updated 14 October 2026 · The Open Apps, Inc.

Shapes

Octagon (8 sides)	Stop. Only stop signs have this shape.
Triangle, point down	Yield.
Pentagon (5 sides)	School zone or school crossing.
Round	Railroad crossing ahead (advance warning).
Pennant (sideways triangle)	No passing zone begins; placed on the left side of the road.
Diamond	Warning of a hazard or change ahead.
Vertical rectangle	Regulatory: a rule you must obey, like a speed limit.
Horizontal rectangle	Guide signs: directions and distances.

Colors

Red	Stop, yield, do not enter, wrong way, or a prohibition.
Yellow	General warning.
Orange	Construction and maintenance (work zones).
Fluorescent yellow-green	Schools, pedestrians and bicycles.
Green	Directions and distances.
Blue	Motorist services such as gas, food, lodging and hospitals.
Brown	Parks, recreation and historic or scenic sites.
White with black	Regulatory signs such as speed limits.

The signs Passlane quizzes

StopCome to a complete stop, then go only when it is safe
YieldSlow down and be ready to stop for traffic and pedestrians, then go when the way is clear
No turn on redWait for a green light or green arrow before turning
Railroad crossing (crossbuck)A road crosses railroad tracks
Speed limitThe fastest speed allowed in good conditions; you may need to go slower
No left turnLeft turns are not allowed here
No U-turnTurning around to go back the way you came
Do not passYou may not pass other vehicles here
Keep rightKeep to the right of the island or divider ahead
Do not enterDo not drive onto this road or ramp from your direction
Wrong wayYou are driving against traffic; turn around or back out when it is safe
One wayTraffic on this street moves only in the direction of the arrow
School crossingYou are near a school or a school crossing
CurveSlow down before the curve ahead
Railroad crossing aheadA railroad crossing ahead
Pedestrian crossingWatch for people crossing and be ready to yield to them
Advisory speedThe highest speed advised for the curve or hazard ahead
No passing zoneOn the left side of the road, where a no-passing zone begins
Road work aheadConstruction or maintenance work ahead
Stop aheadThere is a stop sign ahead; slow down and be ready to stop
Signal aheadThere is a traffic signal ahead that you may not be able to see yet
MergeTraffic from another road or ramp may merge into your lane
Lane endsGet ready to merge left; the right lane ends ahead
Divided highway beginsA divided highway begins ahead; keep to the right of the median
Two-way trafficThe road ahead carries traffic in both directions
Slippery when wetSlow down and avoid sudden braking or steering

Sign drawings: federal MUTCD designs from Wikimedia Commons, public domain. Sources.

Practice in ChatGPT

Passlane DMV Permit Test is a ChatGPT plugin. Type one of these:

“Quiz me on road signs for the California permit test”
“Road sign practice for the New York permit test”

Coming soon to ChatGPTHow it works in ChatGPT

Questions

How many road sign questions are on the permit test?: New York's written test has exactly 4 of its 20 questions on road signs, and you must get at least 2 of them right. The other four states mix sign questions in with the rules of the road without a fixed count.
Are road signs the same in every state?: The shapes, colors and most designs come from the federal Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), which every state follows. A few state-specific signs exist, so read your own handbook too.
How do I learn signs fast?: Learn the shapes and colors first: they tell you the type of sign before you can read it. Then drill the individual signs with pictures.
Where do Passlane's sign pictures come from?: They are the federal MUTCD sign designs from Wikimedia Commons, all in the public domain. The sources page lists each file.