End of 20 mph zone sign: what it means
The end of 20 mph zone sign means you are leaving a 20 mph zone and a 30 mph speed limit starts.
What does the end of 20 mph zone sign mean?
Know your traffic signs describes it as the end of a 20 mph zone and the start of a 30 mph speed limit. The lower panel shows the 20 zone crossed out, and the upper part shows the new limit.
Quick quiz
What does the sign at the top of this page mean?
- A 20 mph limit with traffic calming ahead.
- Go at least this fast, if it is safe.
- The 20 mph zone ends and a 30 mph limit starts.
Show answer
C. The 20 mph zone ends and a 30 mph limit starts. It marks the end of a 20 mph zone and the start of a 30 mph limit (Know your traffic signs). Source: Know your traffic signs: speed limit signs, GOV.UK; The Highway Code, rule 125, GOV.UK; Traffic sign images, Department for Transport, GOV.UK
Where will you see it?
On the roads leading out of a 20 mph zone, often a residential area with road humps.
What should you do?
You may speed up to 30 mph if it is safe, but drive to the conditions: the limit is a maximum, not a target.
What do people get wrong?
Speeding up straight away in a busy street. Rule 125 says the limit is the absolute maximum, not a safe speed in every condition.
Common questions
What is the speed limit after this sign?
30 mph, as shown in the red ring.
Do I have to drive at 30 mph?
No. The Highway Code, rule 125, says the speed limit is the absolute maximum. Drive slower when the road needs it.
Compare with
20 mph zone signA 20 mph limit with traffic calming ahead.
30 mph speed limit signMaximum speed 30 mph.
Want to test someone else? Play a road-sign quiz with friends and family.
Sources
Checked on 4 November 2026 against Know your traffic signs (speed limit signs) and The Highway Code rule 125.
- Know your traffic signs: speed limit signs, GOV.UK
- The Highway Code, rule 125, GOV.UK
- Traffic sign images, Department for Transport, GOV.UK
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Traffic sign images are Crown copyright, from the Department for Transport. Sources and image credits.