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Michigan · Permit test

The Michigan road signs test

Signs have a test of their own: you pass the written knowledge test and the road sign test before the Secretary of State (SOS) issues a permit. What Every Driver Must Know is where to study for the Michigan road signs test: it teaches signs by shape and color before the signs themselves.

  • 9Sign shapes to learn
  • 10Sign colors to learn
  • Chapter 5Where the manual teaches signs
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Updated November 2026 · Written from official sources, listed at the bottom of this page

What do shapes mean on the Michigan road signs test?

A sign’s shape is a clue to its meaning. The manual’s shapes, apart from the horizontal rectangle used for directions:

  • Red octagon with white border and the word STOP in whiteOctagon: stop
  • Downward-pointing red triangle with white center and the word YIELD in redTriangle: yield
  • Yellow diamond with a red octagon and a black arrow pointing up toward itDiamond: warning
  • Fluorescent yellow-green pentagon with two children walkingPentagon: school
  • Yellow pennant pointing right reading NO PASSING ZONEPennant: warning, no passing
  • White rectangular sign reading SPEED LIMIT 55Vertical rectangle: law
  • Round yellow sign with a black X and two letters RRound: railroad crossing
  • White X-shaped crossbuck reading RAILROAD CROSSINGCrossbuck: railroad crossing

Sign colors

Each color carries a meaning:

  • Red: stop, prohibited or forbidden
  • Yellow: caution or a general warning
  • Orange: caution for construction or maintenance
  • Green: directions and guidance
  • Blue: services and hospitality
  • Brown: recreation and cultural interest
  • Black: regulatory, what the law allows or prohibits
  • White: regulatory, what the law allows or prohibits
  • Fluorescent yellow-green: school, pedestrian or bicycle caution
  • Fluorescent pink: an incident, emergency or unplanned event

Regulatory signs

Regulatory signs tell you about specific laws and control the speed and movement of traffic. They’re usually rectangles, in white and black, red, white and black, or red and white.

  • Red circle with a white horizontal bar on a white square, reading DO NOT ENTERDo not enter
  • Red rectangle with white border reading WRONG WAYWrong way: get out of the lane the safest, quickest way
  • Black rectangle with a white arrow pointing right containing ONE WAYOne way
  • White sign reading NO TURN ON REDNo turn on red
  • Black right-turn arrow inside a red circle with a red slashNo right turn
  • Black U-turn arrow inside a red circle with a red slashNo U-turn
  • White sign reading CENTER LANE above two opposing left-turn arrows and the word ONLYCenter lane for left turns only
  • White sign reading DO NOT PASSDo not pass
  • White sign reading PASS WITH CAREPass with care: the end of a no-passing zone
  • Black truck inside a red circle with a red slashNo trucks
  • White sign reading RESERVED PARKING in green above a blue square with the white wheelchair symbolParking reserved for people with disabilities

Warning signs

Warning signs tell you what’s ahead. Signs for construction, maintenance and other work areas are diamonds with black lettering on orange or yellow.

  • Yellow diamond with a red octagon and a black arrow pointing up toward itStop ahead
  • Yellow diamond with a red-bordered yield triangle and a black arrow pointing up toward itYield ahead
  • Yellow diamond with an upward arrow for the main road and a second road merging into it from the rightMerging traffic from the right
  • Yellow diamond with two lines; the right line angles in as the right lane endsLane ends: merge left
  • Yellow diamond with a short black median at the bottom and two opposing arrows, left pointing down and right pointing up, bending around itDivided highway ends
  • Yellow diamond with two black arrows, left pointing down and right pointing upTwo-way traffic: keep right
  • Yellow diamond with a black snaking arrowWinding road
  • Yellow diamond with a truck on a downhill slopeHill: check your brakes
  • Yellow diamond with a car and two S-shaped skid marksSlippery when wet
  • Yellow diamond with a black plus-shaped crossroad symbolIntersection ahead
  • Yellow diamond with a vertical road and a side road joining from the rightSide road from the right
  • Yellow diamond with three black arrows forming a counter-clockwise circleRoundabout ahead
  • Yellow diamond reading LOW CLEARANCE 12 feet 6 inchesMaximum height allowed
  • Yellow diamond with a black bicycleWatch for bicyclists
  • Yellow diamond with a black walking personWatch for pedestrians
  • Yellow diamond with a black leaping deerDeer crossing
  • Orange diamond reading ROAD WORK 1000 FTRoad work ahead
  • Fluorescent orange triangle with a red reflective borderSlow-moving vehicle, no faster than 25 mph

Check yourself

The traffic sign challenge in chapter 5 tests the same signs; the manual page says where to find it and its answers. Four of the practice test’s questions show a sign too.

Take the practice test →Read about the manual →
Sources: Michigan Department of State and 1 more. Checked November 2026.

Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.

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