Road signs by shape and color

Key points

1. Signs are classified by function: regulatory, warning and information guide signs.

   Source: Handbook p. 23

   “The types of traffic signs are classified according to function. They are regulatory, warning, and information guide signs.”
   Montana Driver Manual, Handbook p. 23

2. Red always means stop, yield, do not enter or wrong way.

   Source: Handbook p. 23

   “Remember: red always means stop, yield, do not enter, or wrong way.”
   Montana Driver Manual, Handbook p. 23

3. The STOP sign is the only 8 sided sign. Stop completely, and if there is a crosswalk, stop before it.

   Source: Handbook p. 23

   “The STOP sign is the only eight-sided traffic sign. It means that you must come to a complete stop before entering the intersection ahead and yield to traffic close enough to be an immediate hazard. If there is a crosswalk, stop before entering it.”
   Montana Driver Manual, Handbook p. 23

4. A YIELD sign means slow to a reasonable speed and yield to all vehicles on the road you are entering.

   Source: Handbook p. 23

   “The YIELD sign means slow down to a reasonable speed and yield right-of-way to all vehicles on the roadway being entered.”
   Montana Driver Manual, Handbook p. 23

5. A red circle with a red slash across a black arrow or symbol means do not do what is shown.

   Source: Handbook p. 23

   “When you see a sign with a red circle and a red slash mark across a black arrow or symbol, it means don’t do whatever is shown.”
   Montana Driver Manual, Handbook p. 23

6. Regulatory signs are rectangles with black words or symbols on white, and you must obey them.

   Source: Handbook p. 24

   “Regulatory signs are rectangular with black words or symbols on a white background. You must obey the rules on all regulatory signs.”
   Montana Driver Manual, Handbook p. 24

7. Warning signs are black and yellow and usually diamond shaped. The round railroad crossing ahead sign is the only round warning sign.

   Source: Handbook p. 25

   “Warning signs are black and yellow. These signs are used to warn you of dangerous conditions ahead where you are required to drive with great caution. Warning signs are usually diamond shaped. However, the “railroad crossing ahead” sign is round. It is the only round warning traffic sign.”
   Montana Driver Manual, Handbook p. 25

8. Orange is the basic color for work zone signs, barricades, drums and cones.

   Source: Handbook p. 27

   “The most commonly used traffic control devices are signs, barricades, drums, cones, tubes, flashing arrow panels and flag persons. Orange is the basic color for these devices.”
   Montana Driver Manual, Handbook p. 27

9. School zone speed limits may be as low as 15 mph.

   Source: Handbook p. 29

   “School zone speed limits may be as low as 15 mph”
   Montana Driver Manual, Handbook p. 29

10. Stripes on a barricade sloping down to the right mean bear right; sloping down to the left mean bear left.

    Source: Handbook p. 27

    “Stripes sloping downward to the right mean the driver should bear to the right. Conversely, stripes sloping downward to the left mean bear to the left.”
    Montana Driver Manual, Handbook p. 27

Numbers to know

Recognize these signs

3 questions from the Montana practice test

1. 1. Traffic signs in the Montana manual are classified according to which three functions?

   1. Temporary, permanent, and seasonal
   2. Parking, toll, and fuel
   3. Urban, rural, and interstate
   4. Regulatory, warning, and information guide
   Show answer

   Regulatory, warning, and information guide. The classification tells you what a sign is trying to do. Regulatory signs command or prohibit an action, warning signs call attention to danger, and information guide signs help with travel information. The other groupings describe locations, services, or duration rather than the manual's functional system. Identifying the category helps you choose the right response: obey a rule, prepare for a hazard, or use the information to navigate.

2. 2. What is distinctive about the shape of a Montana STOP sign?

   1. It is the only eight-sided traffic sign
   2. It is the only round warning sign
   3. It is a five-sided school warning sign
   4. It is a rectangular guide sign
   Show answer

   It is the only eight-sided traffic sign. The STOP sign is identified by its eight-sided shape, which makes it recognizable even when visibility is poor. A round sign belongs to the railroad-crossing warning category, while a five-sided shape is associated with school-related warnings in standard sign systems. A rectangle describes many regulatory or guide signs, not the unique STOP outline. Shape recognition helps a driver respond before every word is readable.

3. 3. Which warning sign is the exception to Montana's usual diamond shape?

   1. The sharp right turn sign
   2. The school ahead sign
   3. The winding road sign
   4. The railroad crossing ahead sign
   Show answer

   The railroad crossing ahead sign. Most Montana warning signs are diamond shaped, but the railroad crossing ahead sign is specifically identified as round. That unusual shape is a recognition aid when a driver is scanning signs in poor visibility. School, winding-road, and sharp-turn warnings belong to the usual diamond-shaped warning group. The exception does not make the railroad message less urgent: it still announces a hazard ahead and calls for slower, attentive driving. Remember the pairing as a quick test cue: black and yellow warning family, round railroad exception.

Source: the Montana Driver Manual, Chapter 3: Signs, Signals, and Markings. This lesson is a plain English summary, not the law itself; where it differs, the manual and the statute govern. Last checked 2026-09-27.