RVV 1990 · complete list

All Dutch traffic signs and their meaning

From A1 to G14: all 171 official Dutch traffic signs with code, category and explanation. Search by name or sign code, or filter by category.

Practice traffic signs for free

Dutch traffic signs are grouped into categories. Prohibitory signs are round with a red border and forbid something, mandatory signs are round and blue and require something, and warning signs are triangular with a red border and warn of a hazard. Below are all 171 RVV 1990 signs by category, with their meaning.

How to read any Dutch traffic sign

Shape and colour give away the meaning

You do not have to memorise all 171 signs one by one. The shape and the colour almost always tell you which group a sign belongs to. A round sign with a red border prohibits something. A round blue sign instead requires something, such as a compulsory direction of travel. A triangle pointing up with a red border warns of a hazard ahead. If that triangle is upside down, you have to give way. The octagonal stop sign is the only sign with that shape, so you still recognise it when it is covered in snow or dirt. Rectangular blue signs give information, and yellow signs belong to a temporary situation such as a diversion or roadworks.

The sign code reveals the category

Every RVV sign has a code starting with a letter, and that letter is the category. A is speed, B is priority, C is closed to traffic, D is direction of travel, E is parking and stopping, F covers the remaining orders and prohibitions, G relates to the type of road such as the motorway, H marks the built-up area, J is warning, K is direction signage and L is information. So if sign J8 comes up in your exam, you know straight away that it is a warning sign, even if the pictogram does not immediately ring a bell. That saves valuable seconds in the theory exam.

Supplementary plates change what applies

A white rectangular supplementary plate is often mounted below a traffic sign, and it helps determine what the sign actually means. Such a plate can state the times during which the sign applies, restrict it to certain vehicles, or indicate over what distance or in which direction it applies. A parking ban with a plate reading “ma t/m vr 8-18 h” therefore does not apply outside those hours. In the CBR theory exam the difference between right and wrong often sits precisely in that plate, so always read it first.

Signs that are often mixed up

A number of signs look very much alike. C1 closes a road in both directions, while C2 only prohibits entering a one-way street: from the other end you may still drive in. Watch out for two-wheelers as well. On traffic signs the same bicycle symbol stands for both bicycles and light mopeds, while the moped has a symbol of its own. A prohibition for mopeds therefore does not automatically apply to light mopeds. Click a sign below for the full explanation, the rule that goes with it and the signs it gets confused with.

The four main groups of traffic signs

In the exam it is quickest to place a sign in one of these four groups first. For each group you see a few signs you come across often.

  • Prohibitory signs

    Round with a red border

    Something is not allowed here: entering, overtaking, turning round, parking or driving faster than the number on the sign.

    Go to the category Prohibition

  • Mandatory signs

    Round and blue

    Here you must do something: follow the arrow, pass the sign on the side shown or use the compulsory cycle path.

    Go to the category Direction of travel

  • Warning signs

    Triangle pointing up, red border

    Something is coming up that needs your attention, such as a dangerous junction, children or traffic lights. Ease off the accelerator and look around carefully.

    Go to the category Warning

  • Priority and information signs

    Diamond, upside-down triangle, octagon or blue rectangle

    They decide who goes first or give information, such as a priority road or a one-way street. A priority sign overrules the ordinary rule that traffic from the right goes first.

    Go to the category Right of way

Speed

5 signs

Right of way

7 signs

Direction of travel

7 signs

Prohibition

24 signs

Other mandatory and prohibitory signs

22 signs

Warning

39 signs

Parking and stopping

16 signs

Signposting

12 signs

Information

21 signs

Built-up area

2 signs

Road type designation

16 signs

Tricky signs: how to tell them apart

These signs look alike but mean something different. The difference is always in one detail: the shape, the colour of an arrow or the number of stripes.

Road narrowing: round (F5) or square (F6)

At a narrow passage you see one of two signs. On the round sign F5 the arrow for your direction is red: you let oncoming traffic go first. On the square sign F6 your arrow is white and the oncoming arrow is red: oncoming traffic must let you go first.

No parking (E1) or no stopping (E2)

One red stripe is a no-parking sign: briefly stopping to let someone get in or out, or to load and unload, is still allowed as long as you are doing it right away. Two stripes in a cross mean no stopping: then even that is not allowed.

One-way street (C3) or compulsory direction (D4)

The square blue sign C3 tells you that you are entering a one-way street: there is no oncoming traffic. The round blue sign D4 is an order to follow the arrow. On that road you can meet oncoming traffic.

No overtaking for everyone (F1) or only for lorries (F3)

With F1 no motor vehicle may overtake another motor vehicle, not even a tractor. You may overtake cyclists and moped riders. With F3, which shows a red lorry, the ban only applies to lorries: in your car you may overtake there. Where the ban ends, you see F2 and F4.

Frequently asked questions about traffic signs

How many traffic signs are there in the Netherlands?

The official signs are in annex 1 of the RVV 1990 and are grouped into categories with a letter, from A (speed) to L (information). This page lists all 171 with their meaning. For the exam it helps to see them in four groups: prohibitory signs, mandatory signs, warning signs, and priority and information signs.

What is the difference between a prohibitory sign and a mandatory sign?

A prohibitory sign is round with a red border and tells you what you may not do, such as enter (C2) or overtake (F1). A mandatory sign is round and blue and tells you what you must do, such as follow the arrow (D4) or use the cycle path when you are cycling (G11).

Do traffic signs take precedence over the priority rules?

Yes. Traffic signs take precedence over the traffic rules (RVV 1990, article 63). If there is a priority sign, such as B6 (give way, often with shark's teeth on the road) or the stop sign B7, you follow it and not the rule that traffic from the right goes first. Traffic lights in turn take precedence over priority signs (article 64), and the instructions of a traffic controller take precedence over everything (article 84).

What is the difference between no parking and no stopping?

With a no-parking sign (E1, one red stripe) you may still briefly stop to let someone get in or out, or to load and unload, as long as you are doing it right away. With a no-stopping sign (E2, two red stripes in a cross) even that is not allowed.

Who has priority at a road narrowing?

Look at the shape of the sign. On a round sign (F5) the arrow for your direction is red: you let oncoming traffic go first. On a square sign (F6) your arrow is white and the oncoming arrow is red: oncoming traffic must let you go first.