Sign shapes, colors and warning signs

Key points

1. An octagon (8 sides) means stop.

   Source: Handbook p. 21

   “Standard shapes: Octagon (8 sides) Stop.”
   New Hampshire Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 21

2. A pentagon (5 sides) marks a school zone or school crossing.

   Source: Handbook p. 21

   “Pentagon (5 sides) School zone and school crossing.”
   New Hampshire Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 21

3. A circle gives advance warning of a railroad crossing; the crossbuck (X) marks where the crossing is.

   Source: Handbook p. 21

   “Circle Advance warning of a railroad crossing. Crossbuck (X) Indicates where a railroad crossing is.”
   New Hampshire Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 21

4. A diamond warns of a special hazard ahead.

   Source: Handbook p. 21

   “Diamond Warning (special hazards are ahead”
   New Hampshire Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 21

5. A pennant on the left side of the road warns of a no passing zone ahead.

   Source: Handbook p. 21

   “Pennant (sideways triangle) No passing (this sign, found on the left side of the road, gives the driver warning of no passing zones ahead.)”
   New Hampshire Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 21

6. Colors: red prohibition, green direction, blue services, yellow warning, white law, orange road work.

   Source: Handbook p. 21

   “Red Prohibition (stop or do not do something) Green Direction or guidance Blue Driver services Yellow General warning White Law or rule of the road Orange Road repair work warning”
   New Hampshire Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 21

7. Brown means tourist and recreation guidance, pink incident management, and purple E-ZPass.

   Source: Handbook p. 21

   “Brown Tourist and recreation guidance Pink Incident management Purple EZPass”
   New Hampshire Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 21

8. At a stop sign, your wheels must completely stop behind the stop line or crosswalk, or before the intersection.

   Source: Handbook p. 21

   “Stop Sign Drivers must come to a full stop (wheels must completely stop moving) behind the stop line or crosswalk”
   New Hampshire Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 21

9. A yield sign means slow down and let traffic with the right of way cross before entering.

   Source: Handbook p. 21

   “It means the driver must slow down and allow traffic that has the right-of-way to cross before entering.”
   New Hampshire Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 21

Numbers to know

Recognize these signs

3 questions from the New Hampshire practice test

1. 1. Which sign shape gives advance warning of a railroad crossing in New Hampshire?

   1. A rectangle
   2. An octagon
   3. A pentagon
   4. A circle
   Show answer

   A circle. The manual's standard shapes assign the circle to advance warning of a railroad crossing, while the crossbuck X marks the crossing itself. The octagon means stop, the pentagon marks a school zone or crossing, and a rectangle carries traffic regulations or directions. The round yellow sign with the X and RR letters appears along the road before the tracks and tells the driver to slow down or stop and look and listen for a train before proceeding.

2. 2. In the New Hampshire manual's standard sign colors, what does a brown sign indicate?

   1. Tourist and recreation guidance
   2. Incident management
   3. Road repair work warning
   4. Driver services
   Show answer

   Tourist and recreation guidance. The color chart pairs each color with a message. Brown means tourist and recreation guidance, such as parks and historic sites. Orange is road repair work warning, pink is incident management, and blue is driver services such as fuel, food and lodging. Green gives direction or guidance, white marks a law or rule of the road, yellow is general warning, red is prohibition, and purple identifies E-ZPass lanes. Reading the color tells you the kind of message before you read the words.

3. 3. What does this five-sided sign with two walking figures mean in New Hampshire?

   
   1. A hospital zone
   2. A pedestrian only street
   3. A playground with no vehicle access
   4. A school zone or school crossing
   Show answer

   A school zone or school crossing. The pentagon, or five sided sign, is reserved for school zones and school crossings. Seeing it means children may be crossing and that a posted school zone speed limit may apply, which in New Hampshire is 10 mph below the usual limit from 45 minutes before school opens until opening and from closing until 45 minutes after. Where a crossing guard is present, stop and yield when signaled. The shape is not used for hospitals or playgrounds.

Source: the New Hampshire Driver's Manual, Section 6: Rules of the Road. 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.