No outlet sign: what it means
The NO OUTLET sign means the road or group of roads ahead has no other exit. You will have to come back the same way.
What does the NO OUTLET sign mean?
MUTCD Section 2C.24 says the NO OUTLET (W14-2) sign may be used at the entrance to a road or road network from which there is no other exit. DEAD END is used for a single road that ends without meeting another street.
Quick quiz
What does the sign at the top of this page mean?
- The road ends with no way through.
- No way out at the far end.
- A side road joins from the side shown.
Show answer
B. No way out at the far end. The road or road network ahead has no other exit (MUTCD Section 2C.24). Source: MUTCD 11th Edition, Chapter 2C, Warning Signs and Object Markers: Section 2C.24, FHWA; MUTCD 11th Edition, FHWA
Where will you see it?
At the entrance to neighborhoods, cul-de-sacs and rural roads.
What should you do?
Only go in if you need to. Otherwise, take another route.
What do people get wrong?
Driving in as a short cut and getting lost in streets that all lead back.
Common questions
What is the difference between DEAD END and NO OUTLET?
Section 2C.24 says DEAD END is for a single road that ends, and NO OUTLET for a road or network with no other way out.
Is it a rule or a warning?
It is a yellow warning sign. You may still drive in.
Compare with
Dead end signThe road ends with no way through.
Side road signA side road joins from the side shown.
Want to test someone else? Play a road-sign quiz with friends and family.
Sources
Checked on 4 November 2026 against the MUTCD 11th Edition (FHWA), Section 2C.24.
- MUTCD 11th Edition, Chapter 2C, Warning Signs and Object Markers: Section 2C.24, FHWA
- 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.