No U-Turn sign
U-turns are prohibited at this location.
What to do
Do not make a U-turn here.
If you need to reverse direction, keep going until you reach a place where turning around is legal and safe.
Where it's used
Under Section 2B.26 the No U-Turn sign prohibits turning around from the approach and at least one should be placed where a No Left Turn sign would go, such as overhead, on a median or at the far left corner. It is a white square with a black U-shaped arrow under a red circle and slash. Where both U-turns and left turns are banned, the combined R3-18 sign should be used instead of two separate signs, and it must not be used at roundabout entries.
Don't confuse it with
- No U-Turn or Left Turn: The R3-18 sign bans left turns as well as U-turns, while No U-Turn still allows a normal left turn.
- No Left Turn: No Left Turn shows a bent arrow and bans left turns, while No U-Turn shows a U-shaped arrow and bans turning around.
- Type
- Regulatory signs
- Shape
- Square
- Colors
- white, black, red
- MUTCD code
- R3-4
- MUTCD section
- 2B.26
On state permit tests
Our questions for 14 states ask about this sign, including California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida and Illinois.
Test yourself
This sign shows a U-shaped arrow inside a red circle with a red slash. What does it mean? (California practice test)
- Roundabout ahead
- No U-turn
- U-turn permitted
- Winding road ahead
Show answer
No U-turn. A red circle with a slash through a U-turn arrow is a NO U-TURN regulatory sign.
When are U-turns forbidden in Colorado? (Colorado practice test)
- Where they can't be made without endangering others, or where No U-turn signs are posted
- Only on Sundays
- Only in residential areas
- Never
Show answer
Where they can't be made without endangering others, or where No U-turn signs are posted. A U-turn is illegal wherever a No U-turn sign is posted, and anywhere it can't be made without putting other road users at risk.
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.26. Sign image: public domain, source.