No left turn sign: what it means

What does the No Left Turn sign mean?

MUTCD Section 2B.26 lists it with the other Movement Prohibition signs. At least one should be placed over the road, at the far left corner, on a median, or with the STOP or YIELD sign on the near right corner. Where left turns and U-turns are both prohibited, a combined No U or Left Turn sign is used.

Quick quiz

Where will you see it?

At busy intersections, at driveways onto divided highways and at signals where left turns would cross heavy oncoming traffic.

What should you do?

Continue through and use a legal route, for example turning right three times around a block, where that is allowed and safe.

What do people get wrong?

Making a U-turn instead. A No Left Turn sign does not say U-turns are allowed; check for a No U-Turn or combined sign.

Common questions

If left turns are banned, can I make a U-turn?

Not necessarily. Where both are prohibited, MUTCD Section 2B.26 says a combined No U or Left Turn sign should be used.

Where is the No Left Turn sign placed?

Over the road, at the far left corner, on a median, or with the STOP or YIELD sign on the near right corner (Section 2B.26).

Compare with

• No right turn signDo not turn right here.
• No U-turn signDo not turn around here.

Want to test someone else? Play a road-sign quiz with friends and family.

Sources

Checked on 3 November 2026 against the MUTCD 11th Edition (FHWA), Sections 1D.05 and 2B.26.

1. MUTCD 11th Edition, Chapter 2B, Regulatory Signs, Barricades, and Gates: Section 2B.26, FHWA
2. MUTCD 11th Edition, Part 1, General: Section 1D.05, FHWA
3. MUTCD 11th Edition, FHWA. FHWA lists the current version as the 11th Edition with Revision 1, dated December 2025

Sign pictures are our own simplified drawings of the MUTCD designs, which are in the public domain (MUTCD Section 1D.06). Sources and image credits.