Do Not Enter sign
Required where traffic would be going the wrong way, such as where a two-way road becomes one-way, at freeway exit ramps where they meet the crossroad, and at some divided highway crossings.
What to do
Do not drive past this sign. You would be going against traffic.
Never turn into a road or ramp that shows DO NOT ENTER toward you; look for the entrance that carries traffic in your direction.
Where it's used
Section 2B.46 requires DO NOT ENTER where a two-way road becomes one-way, where an exit ramp meets the crossroad, where a channelized turning roadway meets a two-way road, and at most divided-highway crossings that work as two separate intersections. It faces traffic that could enter the wrong way, placed directly in their view and shielded from traffic it does not apply to. It is a red circle with a white horizontal bar and white DO NOT ENTER words on a square white background, usually 30 x 30 inches on single-lane roads (Table 2B-1), and an EXCEPT BICYCLES plaque may allow contraflow cycling.
Don't confuse it with
- Wrong Way: WRONG WAY is a red horizontal rectangle placed farther along the road to tell a driver who has already entered that they are going the wrong way.
- One Way (horizontal): ONE WAY is a black-and-white arrow sign showing the permitted direction, while DO NOT ENTER forbids entry from where you are.
- Road Closed: ROAD CLOSED is a white rectangular sign meaning the road is shut to all traffic, not that it is one-way against you.
- Type
- Regulatory signs
- Shape
- Square
- Colors
- red, white
- MUTCD code
- R5-1
- MUTCD section
- 2B.46
On state permit tests
Our questions for 24 states ask about this sign, including Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut and Georgia.
Test yourself
What does a DO NOT ENTER sign tell you? (Arkansas practice test)
- Yield to traffic already on the road
- You may not drive into that road or ramp from your direction
- Trucks may not enter, but cars may
- One-way traffic ahead; enter slowly
Show answer
You may not drive into that road or ramp from your direction. The Do Not Enter sign is a red circle with a white bar across it. It marks a road you are not allowed to drive into, such as the wrong way onto a ramp or one-way street.
You see a DO NOT ENTER sign at a ramp. What does it mean? (California practice test)
- The ramp is for trucks only
- Enter only if no traffic is coming
- Do not enter the road or ramp where the sign is posted
- Slow down before entering
Show answer
Do not enter the road or ramp where the sign is posted. Follow the instruction on red and white regulatory signs: DO NOT ENTER means you may not enter the road or ramp where it is posted.
More regulatory signs
Stop
All-Way plaque
Yield
Yield Here to Pedestrians
In-Street Pedestrian Crossing
Speed Limit
Night Speed Limit
Combined Maximum and Minimum Speed LimitsFrom the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), 11th edition, section 2B.46. Sign image: public domain, source.