Ontario Road Signs and What They Mean

Last updated: October 6, 2026

Half of the G1 knowledge test is about road signs, and you'll pass hundreds of them on every drive. This page shows the signs Ontario drivers need to know, grouped by type, with a short explanation of each.

Quiz yourself while you drive In Ontario Roadie's free roam mode the game stops now and then to ask about a sign you just passed.

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Read a sign by its shape and colour

Ontario signs follow a pattern. Once you know it, you can usually tell what kind of sign you're looking at from far away, before you can read it. This also helps on the test when a question shows a sign you don't recognise.

Red octagon: stop. The eight-sided shape is used only for stop signs.
Red-and-white triangle pointing down: yield. Let other traffic go first, and stop if you need to.
Crossbuck (white X with a red border): railway crossing. Slow down, look both ways and be ready to stop.
Five-sided, like a house: school zone or school crossing. Watch for children.
Yellow diamond: warning. Something on the road ahead needs your attention, like a curve, a hill or an intersection.
Orange diamond or rectangle: temporary condition, like construction, road work or a detour.
White rectangle: a rule you must obey, such as a speed limit, a turn restriction or parking rules.
Green rectangle: directions and distances.
Orange triangle with a red border on the back of a vehicle: a slow-moving vehicle that travels at 40 km/h or less.

Symbols matter too. A red circle with a line through it means the action shown is not allowed, like no left turn or no U-turn. A green circle means the action is allowed.

Regulatory signs

Rules you must obey, such as stop, yield, turn and parking restrictions.

Ontario Stop sign — **Stop** Come to a complete stop. Move ahead only when the way is clear.

Ontario Yield right-of-way sign — **Yield right-of-way** Let traffic in the intersection or close to it go first. Stop if necessary and go only when the way is clear.

Ontario Railway crossing sign — **Railway crossing** Slow down, look both ways for trains and be prepared to stop.

Ontario Bicycle route sign — **Bicycle route** This road is an official bicycle route. Watch for cyclists and be prepared to share the road with them.

Ontario Parking permitted during posted times sign — **Parking permitted during posted times** You may park in the area between the signs during the times posted.

Ontario Do not enter sign — **Do not enter** Do not enter this road.

Ontario No stopping sign — **No stopping** Do not stop in the area between the signs, even for a moment.

Ontario No standing sign — **No standing** Do not stop in the area between the signs, except while loading or unloading passengers.

Ontario No parking sign — **No parking** Do not park in the area between the signs, except to load or unload passengers or merchandise.

Ontario No left turn sign — **No left turn** Do not turn left at the intersection.

Ontario Do not drive through the intersection sign — **Do not drive through the intersection** Do not go straight through the intersection.

Ontario No U-turn sign — **No U-turn** Do not turn to go in the opposite direction.

Ontario No right turn on a red light sign — **No right turn on a red light** Do not turn right when facing a red light at the intersection.

Ontario No bicycles sign — **No bicycles** Bicycles are not allowed on this road.

Ontario No pedestrians sign — **No pedestrians** Pedestrians are not allowed on this road.

Ontario Keep right of the traffic island sign — **Keep right of the traffic island** Keep to the right of the traffic island.

Ontario No passing sign — **No passing** Do not pass on this road.

Ontario Slower traffic keep right sign — **Slower traffic keep right** Slow traffic on multi-lane roads must keep right.

Ontario Community safety zone sign — **Community safety zone** The community has identified a special risk to pedestrians here. Traffic fines are increased within the zone.

Ontario School zone speed limit when flashing sign — **School zone speed limit when flashing** The speed limit is lower during school hours. Obey the speed shown when the yellow lights are flashing.

Ontario One way sign — **One way** Traffic may travel in one direction only.

Ontario Pedestrian crossover sign — **Pedestrian crossover** This is a pedestrian crossover. Be prepared to stop and yield the right-of-way to pedestrians. You may not pass another vehicle within 30 m of it.

Ontario Two-way left-turn lane sign — **Two-way left-turn lane** The lane is only for left turns, by traffic travelling in either direction.

Ontario Keep right except to pass sign — **Keep right except to pass** Keep to the right lane except when passing, on two-lane sections where climbing or passing lanes are provided.

Ontario High-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane sign — **High-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane** Only buses, or passenger vehicles carrying at least the posted number of people, may use this lane.

Warning signs

Usually yellow diamonds. They warn you about hazards and changes in the road ahead.

Ontario School zone sign — **School zone** You are entering a school zone. Slow down, drive with extra caution and watch for children.

Ontario Narrow bridge ahead sign — **Narrow bridge ahead** A narrow bridge is ahead.

Ontario Intersection ahead sign — **Intersection ahead** Intersection ahead. The arrow shows which direction of traffic has the right-of-way.

Ontario Roundabout ahead sign — **Roundabout ahead** Roundabout ahead. Reduce speed. The arrows show that traffic in the roundabout travels counter-clockwise.

Ontario Pavement narrows ahead sign — **Pavement narrows ahead** The pavement narrows ahead.

Ontario Slight bend in the road ahead sign — **Slight bend in the road ahead** There is a slight bend or curve in the road ahead.

Ontario Sharp turn ahead sign — **Sharp turn ahead** There is a sharp bend or turn in the road ahead.

Ontario Chevron: sharp curve sign — **Chevron: sharp curve** Chevron (arrowhead) signs are posted in groups to guide drivers around sharp curves in the road.

Ontario Winding road ahead sign — **Winding road ahead** A winding road is ahead: a series of curves. Reduce speed.

Ontario Drawbridge ahead sign — **Drawbridge ahead** The bridge ahead lifts or swings to let boats pass.

Ontario Pavement ends sign — **Pavement ends** The paved surface ends ahead.

Ontario Bicycle crossing ahead sign — **Bicycle crossing ahead** Cyclists cross the road ahead.

Ontario Stop sign ahead sign — **Stop sign ahead** A stop sign is ahead. Slow down.

Ontario Two-way traffic ahead sign — **Two-way traffic ahead** Share the road with oncoming traffic.

Ontario Slippery when wet sign — **Slippery when wet** The pavement is slippery when wet. Slow down and drive with caution.

Ontario Hazard close to the road edge sign — **Hazard close to the road edge** A hazard is close to the edge of the road. The downward lines show the side on which you may safely pass.

Ontario Divided highway begins sign — **Divided highway begins** Traffic travels in both directions on separated roads ahead. Keep to the right-hand road.

Ontario Right lane ends sign — **Right lane ends** The right lane ends ahead. If you are in it, merge safely with traffic in the lane to the left.

Ontario Traffic lights ahead sign — **Traffic lights ahead** There are traffic lights ahead. Slow down.

Ontario Steep hill ahead sign — **Steep hill ahead** There is a steep hill ahead. You may need to use a lower gear.

Ontario Merging traffic sign — **Merging traffic** Two roads going in the same direction are about to join into one. Drivers on both roads are equally responsible for merging smoothly and safely.

Ontario Divided highway ends sign — **Divided highway ends** Traffic travels in both directions on the same road ahead. Keep to the right.

Ontario Bump or uneven pavement sign — **Bump or uneven pavement** There is a bump or uneven pavement ahead. Slow down and keep control of your vehicle.

Ontario Railway crossing ahead sign — **Railway crossing ahead** Railway crossing ahead. Be alert for trains. The sign also shows the angle at which the tracks cross the road.

Ontario Sharp turn: danger sign — **Sharp turn: danger** Sharp turn or bend in the direction of the arrow. The checkerboard border warns of danger. Slow down and be careful.

Ontario Deer crossing sign — **Deer crossing** Deer regularly cross this road. Be alert for animals.

Ontario Truck entrance ahead sign — **Truck entrance ahead** There is a truck entrance on the side of the road shown, ahead.

Ontario Pedestrians ahead sign — **Pedestrians ahead** Watch for pedestrians and be prepared to share the road with them.

Ontario Falling rock sign — **Falling rock** Watch for fallen rock and be prepared to avoid a collision.

Ontario Water may flow over the road sign — **Water may flow over the road** There may be water flowing over the road.

Ontario Hidden school bus stop ahead sign — **Hidden school bus stop ahead** Slow down, drive with extra caution, and watch for children and for a school bus with flashing red lights.

Ontario School crossing sign — **School crossing** Watch for children and follow the directions of the crossing guard or school safety patroller.

Temporary condition signs

Orange signs for construction, road work and detours. Fines can be higher in construction zones.

Ontario Construction 1 km ahead sign — **Construction 1 km ahead** There is construction work one kilometre ahead.

Ontario Road work ahead sign — **Road work ahead** There is road work ahead. Drive with extra caution and watch for workers.

Ontario Survey crew ahead sign — **Survey crew ahead** A survey crew is working on the road ahead.

Ontario Traffic control person ahead sign — **Traffic control person ahead** There is a traffic control person ahead. Drive slowly and watch for instructions.

Ontario Construction zone begins sign — **Construction zone begins** You are entering a construction zone. Drive with extra caution and be prepared for a lower speed limit.

Ontario Detour ahead sign — **Detour ahead** There is a temporary detour from the normal traffic route.

Ontario Lane closed ahead sign — **Lane closed ahead** The lane ahead is closed for road work. Obey the speed limit and merge with traffic in the open lane.

Ontario Traffic control person's sign — **Traffic control person's sign** Held by a traffic control person. Stop when it shows STOP; when it shows SLOW, proceed slowly with caution.

Other signs

Ontario Slow-moving vehicle sign — **Slow-moving vehicle** The vehicle ahead travels at 40 km/h or less (farm tractors, machinery, horse-drawn vehicles). Reduce your speed as needed.

Signs that new drivers often mix up

No stopping, no standing and no parking. No stopping means don't stop at all, even for a moment. No standing lets you stop only to pick up or drop off passengers. No parking lets you stop briefly to load or unload passengers or goods.
Stop sign and stop sign ahead. The red octagon means stop here. The yellow diamond warns that a stop sign is coming, so start slowing down. Learn more in our stop sign guide.
School zone and school crossing. Both are five-sided. Inside a school zone, follow the posted limit, which is often lower when the lights are flashing. See school zone rules.
Pedestrian crossover. You must stop and wait until people have completely crossed the road, and you may not pass another vehicle within 30 metres of a crossover.
Roundabout ahead. The arrows show that traffic goes counter-clockwise. Read how to drive a roundabout.

How to study road signs for the G1

Start with the shapes and colours above. Then work through one group at a time: regulatory signs first, because breaking them gets you a ticket, then warning signs, then temporary signs. Cover the meanings with your hand and test yourself, or let the game do it for you. When you can name most signs quickly, take a G1 practice test to check both sections.

The full set of Ontario signs, including information and highway signs, is in the signs chapter of the Official MTO Driver's Handbook.

Frequently asked questions

What do the shapes of Ontario road signs mean?

A red octagon is always a stop sign, and a red-and-white triangle pointing down is always a yield sign. Yellow diamonds warn of hazards ahead, orange diamonds mark temporary conditions such as road work, and a five-sided sign marks a school zone or school crossing. Rectangles usually give rules (white) or directions (green).

What does a red circle with a line through it mean?

On a regulatory sign, a red circle with a diagonal line means the action shown is not allowed, such as no left turn or no U-turn. A green circle means the action shown is permitted.

How many road sign questions are on the G1 test?

The road signs section of the G1 knowledge test has 20 questions, and you need at least 16 right to pass that section.

Where do the sign images on this page come from?

The images come from the Official MTO Driver's Handbook published by the Government of Ontario. Ontario Roadie is not affiliated with the Ministry of Transportation, so always check the handbook as your main study source.

Think you know your signs? Try the road sign questions in the free G1 practice set.

Start the practice test