All Traffic Signs and Their Meanings: The Most Important Ones at a Glance

Traffic signs are a fixed part of the CBR theory exam: there are as many as 98 different exam questions about them. In this overview, you will find the most important traffic signs and their meanings, categorized — with the official RVV pictogram for each sign.

The 4 categories of traffic signs

According to the RVV 1990, the Netherlands has four main categories of traffic signs. Once you know which category a sign belongs to, you can often largely deduce its meaning: prohibition signs (round, red border) tell you what you are not allowed to do, mandatory signs (round, blue) tell you what you are required to do, warning signs (triangle, red border) warn you of danger or a special situation, and priority signs & indication signs regulate who has priority or provide other information, such as parking and signage.

1. Prohibition Signs

Prohibition signs are round signs with a red border. They indicate what is prohibited at that location, for example, for certain types of vehicles, dimensions, or weights.

Sign	Code	Meaning
	C7a	Closed for certain vehicles and buses, for example, due to an environmental/emission zone.
	C17	Closed for vehicles and combinations (with load) longer than indicated on the sign, for example, 10 meters.
	C20	Closed for vehicles with a higher axle load than indicated on the sign, for example, 4.8 tonnes.
	C6	Closed for motor vehicles with more than two wheels.
	F7	No U-turn — you are not allowed to turn here.
	C7b	Closed for buses and trucks.
	C16	Closed for pedestrians.
	C19	Closed for vehicles that, with load, are higher than indicated on the sign, for example, 3.1 meters.
	F5	Prohibition for drivers to proceed when approaching traffic from the opposite direction — often at narrow roads or bridges.
	C14	Closed for bicycles and mobility scooters without a motor.
	C18	Closed for vehicles that, with load, are wider than indicated on the sign, for example, 2.3 meters.
	C10	Closed for motor vehicles with a trailer.
	F1	Prohibition for motor vehicles to overtake each other.
	C15	Closed for bicycles, mopeds, and mobility scooters.
	C8	Closed for agricultural and forestry tractors, low-speed motor vehicles, and mobile machines.
	F10	Stop — the sign itself may state who or why you must stop.
	C1	Closed in both directions for vehicles, riders, and handlers of riding or draft animals or cattle.
	C9	Closed for riders, cattle, carts, (mopeds) bicycles, and various slow vehicles.
	C21	Closed for vehicles whose mass or sum of axle loads is higher than indicated on the sign, for example, 5.4 tonnes.
	C11	Closed for motorcycles.
	F3	Prohibition for trucks to overtake motor vehicles.
	C22	Closed for vehicles carrying certain hazardous substances.
	C12	Closed for all motor vehicles.
	A1	Maximum speed, for example, 50 km/h.
	C13	Closed for mopeds and mobility scooters with a working motor.
	C7	Closed for trucks.

2. Mandatory Signs & Required Direction

Mandatory signs are round and blue. Unlike prohibition signs, they tell you what you must do — think of a required direction or a mandatory bicycle or footpath.

Sign	Code	Meaning
	D1	Roundabout, mandatory direction.
	D2	Obligation for all drivers to pass the sign on the side indicated by the arrow.
	D3	Sign may be passed on both sides.
	D4	Mandatory direction straight ahead.
	D5	Mandatory direction to the right (or left).
	D6	Follow one of the directions indicated on the sign.
	D7	Mandatory to follow one of the indicated directions, for example, turning left or right.
	G9	Rider path — only for horseback riders.
	G12a	Bicycle/moped path — for cyclists and moped/scooter riders.
	G7	Footpath — only for pedestrians.
	F15	Lane or strip exclusively for trams.
	G11	Mandatory bicycle path — cyclists must ride here.
	F13	Lane or strip exclusively for line buses.
	F17	Lane or strip exclusively for line buses and trams.
	F21	Lane or strip exclusively for trucks.

3. Warning Signs

Warning signs are triangular with a red border. They prepare you for danger ahead, such as a slippery road, wildlife, or a railway crossing.

Sign	Code	Meaning
	J11	Railway crossing without barriers.
	J10	Railway crossing with barriers.
	J38	Traffic bump.
	J35	Poor visibility due to snow, rain, or fog.
	J8	Dangerous intersection.
	J1	Poor road surface.
	J39	Warning for an electric retractable post in the roadway (bollard).
	J37	General danger warning — the nature of the danger is stated on a supplementary sign.
	J36	Black ice or snow.
	J33	Traffic jam.
	J34	An accident has occurred.
	J32	Traffic lights ahead.
	J31	Crosswinds.
	J30	Low-flying aircraft.
	J29	Oncoming traffic.
	J28	Cattle on the road.
	J27	Large game.
	J21	Playing/crossing children.
	J23	Pedestrians.
	J24	Cyclists and moped riders.
	J26	Quay or riverbank.
	J20	Slip hazard / slippery road surface.
	J25	Loose stones.
	J19	Lane narrowing on the left.
	J15	Movable bridge.
	J2	Turn to the right.
	J4	S-bend(s), first to the right.
	J5	S-bend(s), first to the left.
	J16	Work in progress / road works.
	J3	Turn to the left.
	J18	Lane narrowing on the right.
	B5	Priority from side road on the right.
	B4	Priority from side road on the left.
	J7	Dangerous descent, for example, 10%.
	J6	Steep incline, for example, 10%.
	J22	Pedestrian crossing / zebra crossing.
	J14	Tram (crossing).
	J9	Roundabout ahead.
	J17	Lane narrowing (general).

4. Priority Signs

Priority signs indicate who has priority at an intersection or must yield. These signs are especially important: traffic signs always take precedence over normal priority rules.

Sign	Code	Meaning
	B1	Priority road — you are on a priority road and have priority over other drivers.
	B2	End of priority road — you no longer have priority from other drivers starting here.
	B7	Stop; yield to drivers on the intersecting road.
	B6	Priority intersection (shark teeth) — you must yield to drivers on the intersecting road.
	B4	Warning sign for priority intersection with side road on the left — announces a priority intersection ahead.

Note: a sign with shark teeth or a stop sign always means you must stop or yield — regardless of whether the intersection looks "equal" otherwise.

5. Supplementary Signs

Supplementary signs hang below another sign and make its meaning more precise: for whom it applies, from where, or for how long. Supplementary signs are text signs without their own pictogram, so only the explanation is provided here.

• Except for cyclists and mopeds — the sign above does not apply to them.
• Prohibited to enter, except for (excepted) cyclists and mopeds.
• Only for trucks — the sign above applies exclusively to trucks.
• Mandatory direction to the right, only for trucks.
• Valid over 500 meters — the above sign is only valid after 500 meters, so not immediately.
• Prohibited to enter, over 500 meters.
• Valid from now, for 500 meters — the above sign applies immediately and remains valid for 500 meters.
• Prohibited to stop, from here for 500 meters.
• Valid in wet road conditions — for example, a mandatory maximum speed of 50 km/h when the road surface is wet.

6. Railway Signs

Railway signs warn you step by step of an approaching railway crossing.

Sign	Code	Meaning
–	–	Distance to the track: three consecutive distance signs at 80 m, 160 m, and 240 m count down the distance.
	J12	Railway crossing with 1 track.
	J13	Railway crossing with at least 2 tracks.

7. Lane Narrowing: Who Has Priority?

At a lane narrowing, you usually encounter one of two signs. The difference lies in the shape: a round sign means you have priority, a square (rectangular) sign means you must yield.

• Round sign — the red arrow always indicates priority. If that arrow does not belong to you, then you yield to the black arrow (yourself).
• Square sign — the same principle, but you must yield to your oncoming traffic.

8. Parking Prohibition & Stopping Prohibition

These signs look similar, but the difference is exam-relevant: with a parking prohibition, you may still load, unload, or let someone get in/out. With a stopping prohibition, none of that is allowed — just keep driving.

Sign	Code	Meaning
	–	Parking prohibition.
	–	Prohibition to stop.
	–	Parking space only intended for permit holders.

9. One-Way Street & Mandatory Direction

A one-way street is indicated by different signs. All traffic moves in the same direction here; from an exit, you are required to follow the arrow on the sign. Therefore, you cannot expect oncoming traffic on a one-way street. With a mandatory direction, the rule is slightly different: you must follow the indicated direction, but you can encounter oncoming traffic here.

Sign	Code	Meaning
	C3	One-way street.
	D4	Mandatory direction straight ahead.

10. Other Confusing Signs

These signs often cause confusion on the exam because they look alike or are rarely seen in everyday traffic.

Sign	Code	Meaning
	L21	Bypass on the left side of the road.
	L20	Bypass on the right side of the road.
	L3	Bus stop / tram stop.
	L14	Emergency lane.
	–	Disabled parking space.
	L6	Split of the highway.
	G1	Highway (beginning).
	G5	Residential area.
	K14	Route for the transport of certain hazardous substances.
	F4	End of overtaking prohibition for trucks to overtake motor vehicles.
	F2	End of prohibition for motor vehicles to overtake each other.
–	–	Rush hour lane, exit to an N-road, exit towards a place name on the highway, and Park & Rest are mainly directional and road section-specific indications without a separate RVV pictogram — recognize them by the context on the highway.

Sources

• CBR — Theory Exam Car
• RVV 1990 — Regulation Traffic Rules and Traffic Signs (wetten.overheid.nl)