No turn on red sign: what it means

No turn on red sign: a white vertical rectangle with the words NO TURN ON RED in black
Drawing: DriveQuiz, based on MUTCD sign R10-11. Simplified; real signs follow the FHWA Standard Highway Signs specifications.

The NO TURN ON RED sign means you must not turn while the signal shows a red light, even after stopping. Wait for a green light or green arrow.

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What it means

MUTCD Section 2B.60: the sign is used where a right turn on a red signal, or a left turn on red from one one-way street onto another, is banned. Whether turning on red is allowed where there is no sign is a matter of state law.

Engineers consider it where, for example, drivers cannot see far enough, many people cross, or there have been several turn-on-red crashes on that approach (Section 2B.60).

Where you see it

Near the traffic signal at intersections where turning on red is banned.

A common mistake

Turning on red out of habit. Look for this sign before every turn at a red light, and check your state’s driver handbook for when turning on red is allowed at all.

Quick quiz

You are stopped at a red light with a NO TURN ON RED sign, and the road to the right is clear. What should you do?

  1. Turn right after stopping
  2. Wait for a green light or arrow
  3. Turn if no pedestrians are near
Show answer

B. Wait for a green light or arrow. The sign prohibits turning while the signal is red. Source: MUTCD 11th Edition, Chapter 2B, Regulatory Signs, Barricades, and Gates: Section 2B.60, FHWA; MUTCD 11th Edition, FHWA

Compare with

Next in regulatory signs: One way sign. See all regulatory signs or the full road signs list.

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Sources

  1. MUTCD 11th Edition, Chapter 2B, Regulatory Signs, Barricades, and Gates: Section 2B.60, FHWA
  2. MUTCD 11th Edition, FHWA. FHWA lists the current version as the 11th Edition with Revision 1, dated December 2025

Sign pictures are our own simplified drawings of the MUTCD designs, which are in the public domain (MUTCD Section 1D.06). Sources and image credits.