Road signs/Wrong Way Sign
Wrong Way Sign: what it means and what to do
A wrong way sign facing you means you are driving against the flow of traffic on a one-way street, ramp or divided road. Stop safely and get out of the opposing lane.
What it looks like
A red rectangle with white WRONG WAY lettering. It is posted farther along than the do not enter sign so a driver who missed it still gets a warning.
What to do
- Do not keep going. Oncoming traffic is heading straight at you.
- Stop when it is safe. Do not keep going.
- Turn around or back out when the road is clear and rejoin traffic in the correct direction.
On the permit test
Tests show the sign and ask what it means or what to do next; the correct answer is always to turn back, not to continue.
A free question from our banks that show this sign:
A red WRONG WAY sign tells you?
Answer: You are going against traffic; turn back
A 'Wrong Way' or 'Do Not Enter' sign means you are heading against traffic; stop and turn back safely. It is not a signal to slow down, detour, or stop for tolls. If you see it, you are about to drive into oncoming cars, so back out or turn around immediately.
CA Driver Handbook — Traffic Signs · California DMV Permit free questionsWhere it shows up on state tests
11 questions across our state banks show this sign. Here is how many each bank has, and what each state's own test rules say about road signs.
| State | Questions showing it | What the state says about signs |
|---|---|---|
| California | 1 | No separate sign section published. |
| Florida | 1 | No separate sign section published. |
| Georgia | 1 | Two separate tests: road signs (20 questions) and road rules (20 questions). |
| Illinois | 1 | 15 of the 35 questions are traffic-sign identification; the other 20 are multiple-choice or true/false. |
| North Carolina | 1 | Separate road-signs test: identify at least 9 of 12 signs. |
| New Jersey | 1 | No separate sign section published. |
| New York | 1 | 4 of the 20 questions are about road signs, and at least 2 of those 4 must be correct — even with 14 right overall. |
| Ohio | 1 | 40 multiple-choice questions on motor vehicle regulations and traffic signs. |
| Pennsylvania | 1 | No separate sign section published. |
| Virginia | 1 | Part one is 10 traffic-sign questions and you must answer all 10 correctly before part two opens. |
| Washington | 1 | No separate sign section published. |
How it differs from similar signs
| Sign | How to recognise it | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Wrong Way Sign | Red rectangular sign reading WRONG WAY | A wrong way sign facing you means you are driving against the flow of traffic on a one-way street, ramp or divided road. |
| Do Not Enter Sign | Red circle with a white horizontal bar reading DO NOT ENTER | A do not enter sign means you must not drive onto that road or ramp in the direction you are heading. |
| One Way Sign | Black rectangular sign with a white arrow reading ONE WAY | A one way sign means traffic may move only in the direction the arrow points. |
| Two-Way Traffic Sign | Yellow diamond warning sign with one arrow pointing up and one pointing down | A two-way traffic sign means a one-way street or roadway ends ahead and you will then share the road with oncoming traffic. |
See them side by side
Common questions
Stop when it is safe and turn around or back out. A wrong way sign means you are facing oncoming traffic.
Along a one-way street or ramp, farther in than the do not enter sign, so they catch a driver who has already turned in by mistake.
All road signs Practice your state’s permit test free
Sources, checked 2026-10-08: Pennsylvania Driver's Manual (PUB 95), Chapter 2: Signals, Signs and Pavement Markings; Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (FHWA). Written in our own words; follow your state’s manual for the exact wording.