One Way (horizontal) sign
Shows that traffic on the street may travel only in the direction of the arrow. Posted parallel to the one-way street at intersecting streets and alleys.
What to do
Turn or travel only in the direction of the arrow.
Before turning onto a cross street, check which way the ONE WAY arrows point so you only turn into the direction of traffic.
Where it's used
Section 2B.49 requires ONE WAY signs on roads where traffic may travel in only one direction, placed parallel to the one-way street at every intersecting road and alley, and on the near right and far left corners at unsignalized intersections. At divided-highway crossings they show the direction of each roadway. R6-1 is a horizontal black rectangle with a white arrow containing the words ONE WAY, R6-2 is the vertical version with the words above the arrow, and an EXCEPT BICYCLES plaque may allow contraflow cycling.
Don't confuse it with
- Do Not Enter: DO NOT ENTER faces drivers who would go the wrong way and forbids entry, while ONE WAY shows the direction you may travel.
- Wrong Way: WRONG WAY is red and tells a driver already on the road that they are traveling against traffic.
- One-Direction Large Arrow: The yellow One-Direction Large Arrow is a warning sign for a sharp change in alignment, not a direction-of-travel rule.
- Type
- Regulatory signs
- Shape
- Horizontal rectangle
- Colors
- black, white
- MUTCD code
- R6-1R
- MUTCD section
- 2B.49
On state permit tests
Our questions for 3 states ask about this sign, including Mississippi, South Carolina and Utah.
Test yourself
What does this sign mean? (Mississippi practice test)
- Turn right ahead
- Detour
- Two-way traffic
- Travel only in the direction of the arrow (one way)
Show answer
Travel only in the direction of the arrow (one way). The One Way sign means you may only travel in the direction of the arrow.
What does a One-Way street sign tell you? (South Carolina practice test)
- Traffic flows only in the direction of the arrow
- Two-way traffic ahead
- The road is closed
- You may turn only right
Show answer
Traffic flows only in the direction of the arrow. One-way signs show that traffic flows only in the direction of the arrow; never drive the wrong way on a one-way street.
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.49. Sign image: public domain, source.