No left turn at this intersection

Traffic flows only in the arrow's direction

Passing allowed on the arrow side

CA · STUDY GUIDE

Road Signs, Signals & Markings

Sign shapes and colors, traffic signals, and pavement markings — they appear on every version of the exam. All 60 questions below cite the CA Driver's Manual section they come from.

Rules of the Road Penalties, Alcohol & Drug Laws Junior Operator Law & Licensing

1 · PAVEMENT MARKINGS

A solid yellow line on your side of the center line means:

✓ Do not pass the vehicle ahead if there's one lane in your direction
· Passing is allowed when clear
· The lane is for carpools
· You may drive on either side

A single solid yellow marks the center of two-way traffic: don't pass when the solid line is on your side with one lane in your direction. A broken yellow next to your lane means you may pass when safe.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 6 · Lane Markings, p. 13

2 · PAVEMENT MARKINGS

You may cross double solid yellow lines only when:

✓ Turning into or out of a driveway or private road, making a U-turn, or entering a designated left HOV entrance
· Passing a slow vehicle
· Traffic is light
· Driving downhill

Stay right of double solid yellows except: an HOV lane with a designated left entrance, construction directing you across, or turning left across them into a driveway, private road, or U-turn.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 6 · Double Solid Yellow Lines, p. 13

3 · PAVEMENT MARKINGS

TWO sets of double solid yellow lines spaced two or more feet apart are:

✓ A barrier — never drive on or over them except at designated openings
· A carpool lane marker
· A passing zone divider
· Decorative markings

That spacing makes them a barrier. No driving over it, no left turns or U-turns across it, except at openings provided for that purpose.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 6 · Double Solid Yellow Lines, p. 13

4 · PAVEMENT MARKINGS

Double solid WHITE lines (common near carpool lanes and ramps) mean:

✓ A lane barrier — never change lanes across them
· Change lanes quickly
· Buses only
· The road is one-way

They mark a barrier between a regular lane and a preferential lane like an HOV lane. Wait for a single broken white line to cross.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 6 · Double Solid White Lines, p. 14

5 · PAVEMENT MARKINGS

Your freeway lane's stripes become large broken lines. This means:

✓ The lane is ending or becoming an exit — be prepared to exit or merge
· You're entering a carpool lane
· Passing is prohibited
· The speed limit is dropping

Large broken lines mark ending freeway and street lanes. Look for the sign telling you to exit or merge.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 6 · End of Lane Markings, p. 14

6 · TRAFFIC SIGNALS

May you turn right at a RED ARROW?

✓ No — remain stopped until it turns green
· Yes, after a complete stop
· Yes, if no sign prohibits it
· Yes, between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m.

Unlike a solid red light (where right turns are allowed after stopping unless posted), a red arrow means no turning at all — wait for green.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 6 · Right Turn Against a Red Arrow, p. 18

7 · TRAFFIC SIGNALS

A left turn at a red light is legal only:

✓ From a one-way street onto a one-way street, unless a sign prohibits it
· From any street onto a one-way street
· Never in California
· When no cameras are present

Only from a one-way onto a one-way, after stopping and yielding to everyone with a green — and only where no sign prohibits it.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 6 · Left Turn Against a Red Light, p. 20

8 · TRAFFIC SIGNALS

At a solid red light, you may turn right:

✓ After a complete stop at the limit line, yielding to pedestrians — unless NO TURN ON RED is posted
· Without stopping if clear
· Never in California
· Only with a green arrow

Stop at the stop or limit line, yield for pedestrians, then turn right when safe — unless a NO TURN ON RED sign is posted.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Traffic Signals, p. 33

9 · TRAFFIC SIGNALS

A flashing red signal means:

✓ Stop — then go when it is safe
· The signal is broken; drive through
· Slow down only
· Stop and wait for green

Flashing red = STOP, then proceed when safe, like a stop sign. Flashing yellow = proceed with caution; you don't need to stop.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Flashing Red Light, p. 33

10 · TRAFFIC SIGNALS

A solid yellow light means:

✓ Stop if you can do so safely — the light is about to turn red
· Speed up before the red
· The same as flashing yellow
· Pedestrians may cross

Caution: it's about to turn red. Stop if you can safely; if you can't, cross the intersection cautiously.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Solid Yellow Light, p. 33

11 · TRAFFIC SIGNALS

At a green light, you should still stop for:

✓ Any vehicle, bicyclist, or pedestrian still in the intersection
· Nothing — green means go immediately
· Cross traffic with a red
· Vehicles behind you

Green means go — after yielding to anyone still in the intersection. And don't enter unless you can get completely across before the light turns red.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Solid Green Light, p. 34

12 · TRAFFIC SIGNALS

The traffic light is completely dark. Treat the intersection as:

✓ An all-way STOP, then proceed cautiously
· Open road
· Yield-controlled
· Closed — turn around

A dead signal becomes an all-way stop: stop as if STOP signs faced every direction, then go when it's safe.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Traffic Light Not Working, p. 34

13 · TRAFFIC SIGNALS

A pedestrian is still crossing as DON'T WALK begins flashing. Drivers must:

✓ Yield to the pedestrian — even while the hand is flashing
· Proceed; the pedestrian lost priority
· Honk to hurry them
· Drive around behind them

Flashing DON'T WALK tells pedestrians not to START crossing — but drivers must still yield to anyone already in the crosswalk.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Pedestrian Signals, p. 35

14 · TRAFFIC SIGNS

At this sign you must:

✓ Make a full stop before the crosswalk or limit line, check all directions, then proceed
· Slow to 5 mph and roll through if clear
· Stop only when other cars are present
· Yield without stopping

Full stop before entering the crosswalk or at the limit line; no line — stop before entering the intersection. Check traffic in all directions before proceeding.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · STOP Sign, p. 35

15 · TRAFFIC SIGNS

This sign requires you to:

✓ Slow down and be ready to stop for any vehicle, bicyclist, or pedestrian before proceeding
· Always come to a complete stop
· Speed up and merge
· Stop only for trucks

YIELD: slow down, be ready to stop, and let any vehicle, bicyclist, or pedestrian pass before you proceed.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Red YIELD Sign, p. 35

16 · TRAFFIC SIGNS

This sign at a road or ramp means:

✓ Do not enter — the road carries traffic toward you
· Parking prohibited
· Toll road ahead
· Trucks prohibited

DO NOT ENTER guards ramps and one-way roads. At night, your headlights shining on red reflectors is another sign you're headed the wrong way — back out or turn around safely.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Red and White Regulatory Signs, p. 38

17 · TRAFFIC SIGNS

You've entered a ramp and see a WRONG WAY sign facing you. You should:

✓ Back out or turn around when it is safe — you are driving against traffic
· Continue to the next exit
· Speed up to clear the ramp
· Stop and stay where you are

DO NOT ENTER and WRONG WAY signs mark roads carrying traffic toward you. When safe, back out or turn around. At night, red road reflectors shining in your headlights confirm it.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · WRONG WAY Sign, p. 38

18 · RAILROAD CROSSINGS

This X-shaped sign means you are approaching:

✓ A railroad crossing — look, listen, slow down, and prepare to stop
· A four-way intersection
· A no-passing zone
· A school crossing

Look, listen, and slow: let any trains pass before proceeding. Many crossings also post a blue ENS sign with a number to call if a vehicle stalls on the tracks.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · X-Shaped Sign, p. 38

19 · TRAFFIC SIGNS

This five-sided sign means:

✓ You're near a school — drive slowly and stop for children in the crosswalk
· A hospital zone
· A park entrance
· A pedestrian mall

Five sides = school zone. The limit is 25 mph within 500 feet of a school when children are outside — and some zones post limits as low as 15 mph.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · 5-Sided Sign, p. 38

20 · RAILROAD CROSSINGS

A truck displaying a diamond-shaped hazardous-load placard MUST:

✓ Stop before crossing any railroad tracks
· Use only the left lane
· Drive at night only
· Avoid freeways

Placarded trucks, school buses, and transit buses stop at every railroad crossing — expect the stop and don't tailgate them near tracks.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Vehicles with Hazardous Loads, p. 50

21 · RAILROAD CROSSINGS

Within 100 feet of a railroad crossing where you can't see the tracks for 400 feet, your limit is:

✓ 15 mph — unless the crossing is controlled by gates or signals
· 25 mph in all cases
· 55 mph
· There is no special limit

15 mph within 100 feet when visibility down the tracks is under 400 feet — you may go faster only if the crossing has gates, a warning signal, or a flagger.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Near Railroad or Light Rail Tracks, p. 51

22 · RAILROAD CROSSINGS

The crossing's red lights stop flashing but the gate is still down. You should:

✓ Stay stopped — never go under a lowering or lowered gate, and call the posted number if it seems stuck
· Zigzag around the gate carefully
· Push the gate up
· Proceed since the lights stopped

Never drive under a lowering or lowered gate. If the gate stays down with no train in sight, don't weave through — call the posted railroad emergency number or 911. And when reds ARE flashing, wait until they stop even after the gate rises.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Near Railroad or Light Rail Tracks, p. 51

23 · RAILROAD CROSSINGS

Your vehicle stalls on the tracks and warning lights start flashing. Everyone should:

✓ Exit immediately and run diagonally away from the tracks TOWARD the oncoming train, then call 911
· Stay inside and call for a tow
· Push the car while the train approaches
· Run straight down the tracks away from the train

Out immediately, run at a diagonal away from the tracks in the direction the train is coming from (so debris flies away from you), then 911. No train in sight? Call the number posted at the crossing.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 8 · Disabled Vehicles on Railroad Tracks, p. 70

24 · TRAFFIC SIGNS

This warning sign means the road ahead is:

✓ Slippery when wet
· Closed in winter
· A winding road
· Under construction

Slippery when wet — slow down at the first sign of rain, especially after dry spells when oil hasn't washed away.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Warning Signs, p. 37

25 · TRAFFIC SIGNS

This yellow diamond warns of:

✓ Merging traffic ahead
· A divided highway
· A lane addition
· A sharp curve

Merging traffic ahead — adjust your speed and position to let entering vehicles blend in safely.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Warning Signs, p. 37

26 · TRAFFIC SIGNS

This sign warns that ahead there is:

✓ A traffic signal — be ready to stop
· A police station
· A rest area
· A school

Traffic signal ahead — often posted where the light is hard to see in time. Slow and be ready for red.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Warning Signs, p. 37

27 · TRAFFIC SIGNS

This sign means:

✓ A divided highway begins ahead
· Two-way traffic ends
· The lanes narrow
· A tunnel is ahead

The road ahead splits around a divider — keep right of it. The inverse sign, End Divided Highway, warns two-way traffic resumes.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Warning Signs, p. 37

28 · TRAFFIC SIGNS

This sign means:

✓ No left turn at this intersection
· No U-turn
· Left turns yield
· One-way street

The circle-and-slash over the left arrow prohibits left turns — route around the block instead.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Red and White Regulatory Signs, p. 36

29 · TRAFFIC SIGNS

Where this sign is posted:

✓ U-turns are prohibited, even on green
· U-turns are allowed after stopping
· Left turns are also banned
· It applies only at night

NO U-TURN overrides the general rule allowing U-turns at green lights — find another way around.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Red and White Regulatory Signs, p. 36

30 · TRAFFIC SIGNS

This sign tells you:

✓ Traffic flows only in the arrow's direction
· Passing allowed on the arrow side
· Exit ahead
· Curve in the arrow's direction

One-way traffic in the direction of the arrow — remember one-way-onto-one-way is also the only legal left-on-red in California.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · White Regulatory Signs, p. 36

31 · PAVEMENT MARKINGS

A BROKEN yellow line next to your lane means:

✓ You may pass when it is safe
· Passing is prohibited
· The road becomes one-way
· A bike lane begins

Broken yellow beside your driving lane = passing allowed when safe. Solid yellow on your side = stay put.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 6 · Broken Yellow Line, p. 13

32 · TRAFFIC SIGNALS

A steady YELLOW arrow means:

✓ Your protected turning time is ending — the signal will change soon
· Turn immediately
· Turning is prohibited
· Pedestrians have the arrow

The protected window is closing. Can't stop safely or already in the intersection? Cautiously complete the turn, watching for the next signal — green, red, or a red arrow.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Yellow Arrow, p. 33

33 · TRAFFIC SIGNALS

A FLASHING yellow signal means:

✓ Proceed with caution — you don't need to stop
· Stop, then go
· The same as red
· Speed up to clear it

Flashing yellow warns: slow down, be alert, proceed with caution. (Flashing red is the one that works like a stop sign.)

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Flashing Yellow Light, p. 34

34 · TRAFFIC SIGNALS

A FLASHING yellow arrow means:

✓ You may turn, but the turn is unprotected — yield to oncoming traffic first
· The turn is fully protected
· No turns allowed
· The signal is malfunctioning

Turns are allowed but not protected — oncoming traffic has a green, so yield first and proceed with caution.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Flashing Yellow Arrow, p. 34

35 · TRAFFIC SIGNALS

A GREEN arrow (with the main light red) means:

✓ GO in the arrow's direction — it's a protected turn; oncoming traffic is stopped
· Yield, then turn
· Wait for the circle to turn green
· Pedestrians only

The green arrow gives you a protected turn — oncoming vehicles are held by a red. Still glance for red-light runners and pedestrians.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Green Arrow, p. 34

36 · TRAFFIC SIGNALS

The numbers on a pedestrian countdown signal show:

✓ The seconds remaining to cross the street
· The crosswalk's width in feet
· The signal cycle number
· The speed limit

Countdown = seconds left for crossing. Diagonal-crossing intersections let pedestrians cross in any direction on WALK — expect people from every corner.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Pedestrian Signals, p. 35

37 · TRAFFIC SIGNALS

At an intersection with no pedestrian signals, pedestrians follow:

✓ The vehicle traffic signals
· Their own judgment
· Hand signals from drivers
· The nearest crossing guard only

No pedestrian signal heads? Pedestrians obey the vehicle signals — and drivers still yield to anyone lawfully crossing.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · No Pedestrian Signals, p. 35

38 · TRAFFIC SIGNS

A TWO WAY TRAFFIC warning sign means:

✓ You're leaving a one-way road — oncoming traffic ahead
· Passing is encouraged
· A divided highway begins
· Two lanes merge

Ahead, traffic flows both directions — keep right and expect oncoming vehicles. Its cousin, End Divided Highway, warns the median is ending.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Warning Signs, p. 37

39 · TRAFFIC SIGNS

A LEFT TURN YIELD ON GREEN sign means:

✓ On a green circle, your left turn is unprotected — yield to oncoming traffic
· Left turns always have priority
· No left turns on green
· Yield only to pedestrians

A green light isn't a protected left. This sign reminds you: oncoming traffic has green too — turn only when there's a safe gap.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · White Regulatory Signs, p. 36

40 · TRAFFIC SIGNS

A DO NOT PASS sign means:

✓ Passing other vehicles is prohibited on this stretch
· No trucks beyond this point
· One-way traffic ahead
· No parking

White regulatory signs are law: DO NOT PASS means exactly that, regardless of how slow the vehicle ahead is going.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · White Regulatory Signs, p. 36

41 · TRAFFIC SIGNS

You're in a lane marked with an arrow and the word ONLY. You must:

✓ Travel in the direction of the arrow — leave the lane if that's not where you're going
· Treat it as a suggestion
· Stop and wait
· Reverse out

ONLY lanes commit you to the arrow's movement. Check pavement arrows early so you're never trapped in a turn lane you don't want.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · White Regulatory Signs, p. 36

42 · TRAFFIC SIGNS

A DO NOT BLOCK INTERSECTION sign reminds you to:

✓ Enter only when you can get completely across before the light changes
· Honk while crossing
· Stop inside the intersection
· Yield to trucks only

Gridlock is illegal with or without the sign: never enter an intersection you can't fully clear.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · White Regulatory Signs, p. 36

43 · TRAFFIC SIGNS

SLOWER TRAFFIC KEEP RIGHT applies to you when:

✓ You're driving below the speed of other traffic — move to the right lane
· You're towing anything
· It's raining
· You're under 21

Driving slower than the flow? Keep right. If someone behind you wants to go faster, move right and let them pass — being cited for blocking traffic is possible even below the limit.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · White Regulatory Signs, p. 36

44 · RAILROAD CROSSINGS

A small "3 TRACKS" sign below a railroad crossbuck tells you:

✓ Three sets of tracks cross here — check each one before proceeding
· The crossing is 3 miles ahead
· Trains pass three times daily
· The speed limit is 3 mph

The number = how many tracks. After one train passes, another can come on a different track from either direction — look and listen for each.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · White Regulatory Signs, p. 36

45 · RAILROAD CROSSINGS

The blue-and-white sign posted at many railroad crossings provides:

✓ An emergency number to call if a vehicle stalls on or near the tracks
· Train schedules
· A tourist information line
· The crossing's construction date

The blue Emergency Notification System sign lists the number and crossing ID to call about a stall or emergency on the tracks — it can stop trains before they arrive.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Yellow and Black Circular Sign, p. 38

46 · TRAFFIC SIGNS

A LANE ENDS warning sign means:

✓ Your lane is disappearing — merge into the adjacent lane when safe
· The road ends completely
· An added lane begins
· Trucks must exit

Merge early and courteously. Contrast with the ADDED LANE sign — where a new lane joins and no merging is required.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Warning Signs, p. 37

47 · TRAFFIC SIGNS

An ADDED LANE warning sign means:

✓ Two roadways join, but a new lane is added — no merge is required
· You must merge immediately
· A lane is closing
· Passing is prohibited

Traffic entering gets its own lane, so nobody has to merge — but stay aware of vehicles appearing beside you.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Warning Signs, p. 37

48 · TRAFFIC SIGNS

A yellow diamond showing a STOP sign symbol means:

✓ A stop sign is ahead — often hidden until late; start slowing now
· You just missed a stop sign
· Stop immediately here
· A traffic light is broken

Stop Ahead warns of a hidden or hard-to-see stop sign around a curve or crest. Yield Ahead works the same way for yields.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Warning Signs, p. 37

49 · TRAFFIC SIGNS

The yellow diamond with a walking figure warns of:

✓ A pedestrian crossing ahead — slow down and be ready to stop
· A hiking trail entrance
· A hospital
· A parade route

Pedestrian crossing ahead: scan the crosswalk and its approaches, and remember you must always yield to pedestrians in your path.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Warning Signs, p. 37

50 · TRAFFIC SIGNS

A yellow diamond with a cross (+) symbol warns of:

✓ A four-way intersection ahead — watch for entering traffic
· A hospital ahead
· A church zone
· Railroad tracks

Crossroad ahead: traffic may enter from either side. The sideways T version marks a T intersection where the road ends.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Warning Signs, p. 37

51 · TRAFFIC SIGNS

A WINDING ROAD sign (arrow snaking) means:

✓ A series of curves ahead — slow down before entering them
· The road is closed
· A river crossing
· Steep grade ahead

Multiple curves are coming. Slow before the first one — braking mid-curve on a downhill is how cars leave the road.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Warning Signs, p. 37

52 · TRAFFIC SIGNS

END DIVIDED HIGHWAY warns that:

✓ The median is ending — two-way traffic will share one roadway
· The freeway is closing
· A toll booth is ahead
· The carpool lane ends

The divider is going away: keep right and expect oncoming traffic on the same roadway ahead.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Warning Signs, p. 37

53 · TRAFFIC SIGNS

A large yellow rectangle with a big black arrow pointing left means:

✓ The road changes direction sharply that way — slow down and follow the arrow
· Left turns prohibited
· One-way street begins
· Detour canceled

The directional arrow marks a sharp change of direction, often at a T or curve — approaching too fast is how you meet the ditch behind it.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Warning Signs, p. 37

54 · TRAFFIC SIGNS

A blue REST AREA 1 MILE sign is a:

✓ Guide sign for motorist services
· Regulatory sign — stopping required
· Warning of construction
· School zone marker

Guide signs point to services and destinations: rest areas, airports, ski areas. Regulatory signs (white) are laws; yellow warns; orange means construction.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Guide Signs, p. 36

55 · TRAFFIC SIGNS

A red circle-and-slash over a RIGHT arrow means:

✓ No right turn at this intersection
· Right turns yield
· Right lane closed
· One-way to the right

The slash prohibits the pictured movement — here, right turns. NO TURNS bans both directions; you must go straight.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Red and White Regulatory Signs, p. 36

56 · TRAFFIC SIGNS

EMERGENCY PARKING ONLY means you may stop there:

✓ Only for a genuine emergency — not for calls, maps, or rest
· For up to 15 minutes
· Whenever traffic is light
· To pick up passengers

Reserved for breakdowns and emergencies. Need to take a call or check a route? Exit and find legal parking instead.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · White Regulatory Signs, p. 36

57 · TRAFFIC SIGNS

A KEEP RIGHT sign at a divider or island tells you to:

✓ Pass the obstruction on its right side
· Stay in the right lane forever
· Turn right at the next street
· Yield to the right

Keep right of the median, island, or obstruction ahead — and remember channelizing islands themselves are never for driving or parking.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · White Regulatory Signs, p. 36

58 · TRAFFIC SIGNS

On a narrow mountain grade, a YIELD TO UPHILL TRAFFIC sign means:

✓ Downhill traffic gives way — matching the rule that downhill vehicles back up when needed
· Uphill traffic must stop
· Trucks yield to cars
· The grade is closed

Uphill traffic has the right-of-way on steep narrow roads — the downhill vehicle has better control backing up to a passing spot.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · White Regulatory Signs, p. 36

59 · TRAFFIC SIGNS

Driving at night, red road reflectors shine in your headlights. This means:

✓ You're going the WRONG WAY — back out or turn around safely
· A school zone ahead
· Fresh pavement
· Toll plaza approaching

Road reflectors show red only to wrong-way traffic. Combined with DO NOT ENTER and WRONG WAY signs, they're your last warnings — get turned around safely.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · WRONG WAY Sign, p. 38

60 · TRAFFIC SIGNS

A SLOWER TRAFFIC USE TURNOUTS sign means:

✓ Pull into the marked turnout area to let vehicles behind you pass
· Trucks must exit
· The road is ending
· Rest area ahead

Turnouts exist so slower vehicles can release the queue behind them — with five or more following on a two-lane road, using one is mandatory.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 6 · Turnout Areas or Lanes, p. 16

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