Sign colors — Michigan Permit Test

On a traffic sign, red means stop, prohibited or forbidden.

Red is kept for the signs you must obey right away, such as stop and do not enter.

Red: Stop/prohibited/forbidden

On a traffic sign, blue means service or hospitality.

Blue signs point to gas, food, lodging and hospitals.

Blue: Service/hospitality

On a traffic sign, yellow means caution or a general warning.

Yellow warns of a hazard ahead so you can adjust before you reach it.

Yellow: Caution/general warning

On a traffic sign, fluorescent yellow-green means school, pedestrian or bicycle caution.

The bright color is chosen to catch your eye where people on foot or on bikes may cross.

Fluorescent yellow-green: School, pedestrian or bicycle caution

On a traffic sign, fluorescent pink means an incident, emergency or unplanned event.

Pink signs go up for a crash or emergency that has disrupted traffic, so expect delays and changes.

Fluorescent pink: Incident, emergency, or unplanned event

On a traffic sign, black and white mean regulatory: something legally allowed or prohibited.

Black-and-white signs state the law, such as speed limits and turn rules.

White: Regulatory/legally allowed or prohibited

Regulatory signs tell you about specific laws and regulate the speed and movement of traffic; they are usually rectangular and white and black, red, white and black, or red and white.

A regulatory sign is the law written on a post, and ignoring one is a violation.

Regulatory signs tell you about specific laws. These signs regulate the speed and movement of traffic.

What does red mean on a traffic sign?

Stop, prohibited or forbidden. Red is kept for the signs you must obey right away, such as stop and do not enter. What Every Driver Must Know, p.42: “Red: Stop/prohibited/forbidden”