No Left Turn Sign: Meaning and What to Do
The red circle and slash over a left-curving arrow prohibits the left turn at the intersection where it is posted. It appears where a left turn would cross traffic too heavy to yield through, enter a one-way street against the flow, or conflict with a protected signal phase.
No Left Turn Sign
The prohibition holds regardless of the signal: a green light does not restore a movement a regulatory sign has removed. Where the restriction applies only at certain hours, a plaque below the sign says so; with no plaque, it applies around the clock.
What to do when you see the no left turn sign
Do not turn left where the sign is posted. Continue to the next intersection that allows the turn, or follow the posted alternative where one is signed. Cutting through a corner lot to dodge the restriction is itself a violation in most states.
The signs it is confused with
Tests pair it with No U-Turn, the same circle over a U-shaped arrow, and probe whether one implies the other: in most states it does not, and an intersection banning both posts both. Read the arrow under the slash literally; only the drawn movement is prohibited.
Signs are one topic of ten on every test
Every state practice test covers signs, signals, and markings among its ten topics, with every answer explained. Pick your state and see how its exam asks about signs like this one; it is free, with no sign-up.
Choose your stateQuestions about the no left turn sign
What does the no left turn sign mean?
The left turn is prohibited at that intersection, at all times unless a plaque limits the hours. A green light does not override it.
Does a no left turn sign also prohibit U-turns?
In most states, no; the two are separate movements with separate signs. Some states treat a U-turn as included, which is why each state's practice test uses its own manual's answer.
Why do intersections ban left turns?
Because the turn crosses oncoming traffic where volumes or sight lines make yielding unsafe, or because it would enter a one-way street against the flow. The ban replaces a judgment call that kept failing.
What should I do when my route needs a banned left turn?
Go one block past and use legal turns to come around, or follow the signed alternative. Three rights make a left, legally.
How is the no left turn sign tested?
As symbol identification among the prohibition signs and in signal scenarios confirming that green does not restore the banned movement.