Indiana Road Signs (A Complete Guide)

As a driver, it’s your responsibility to know and obey Indiana road signs.

This is why the permit test in Indiana includes many questions about these signs — so you’ll know the importance of it.

So whether you need a recap or are preparing for the permit test, we’ve got you covered.

Here, we’re going to give you a complete guide to ALL the Indiana road signs, including:

Traffic signs
Traffic signals
Lane markings

We’ll describe each sign and give you a visual aid.

So let’s get right into it!

Indiana Traffic Signs

Traffic signs help manage traffic and warn people of the right lanes and dangers ahead. Their meanings vary in color, shape, and symbol.

Let’s take a closer look at these.

Sign Colors

Did you know that the color of a road sign means something?

Yep, they’re not just random colors. Instead, some colors are meant to indicate actions you need to do, school zones you need to be more careful in, and places that are near you.

Sign Shapes

A road sign’s shape gives you an idea of whether you should stop, slow down, or change direction. It can also warn you of a hazard ahead.

Warning Signs

Now that you know the colors and shapes, let’s look at the symbols for warning signs found in Indiana.

Now, warning signs alert you of hazards, changes in direction, and places ahead. They are often colored yellow or orange.

These warning signs tell you of objects, road changes, road conditions, and places ahead.

The names written below the signs tell you of the hazard ahead. As with any other hazard, you are supposed to slow down and be ready to stop or yield. You may even be asked to stop.

As for orange warning signs, these usually relate to construction or maintenance zones. The shape can be either diamond or rectangular.

When you see these signs, be ready to slow down and follow the directions of the sign – whether it’s to take a detour, follow the direction the flagger is pointing at, or reduce speed.

Railroad warning signs all mean the same thing – to warn you of a railroad crossing ahead. Prepare to slow down or make a full stop if you see these signs.

School zone signs are always in yellow or yellow-green. The following signs alert you of a school zone, children crossing, or bus stop.

There’s only one symbol that shows a slow-moving vehicle. This warning road sign tells you that the vehicle can’t go over 25 miles per hour.

Speed advisory signs are warning signs that tell you of the speed limit ahead. Some signs also indicate the minimum or maximum speed allowed.

Regulation Signs

Regulation signs, as the name suggests, are signs that help manage the flow of traffic. They also tell you the speed limit, if you are allowed to enter (or at what time the road is closed), etc.

Here are several common regulation signs in Indiana:

Supplemental plaques are added below regulation signs to give more instructions as to where you can go.

Guidance Signs

Guidance signs are the opposite of warning and regulation signs. Instead, they are placed in certain areas of the highway to inform you of destinations, distances, and other services nearby.

Most of these signs will be rectangular with either green, white, or black text on them. Route signs, however, will be in a different shape as seen in the photo below.

Driver services and recreation signs tell you of services near you. They will usually be blue or brown rectangular signs by the highway.

Indiana Traffic Signals

Moving on, traffic signals help control traffic and avoid collisions on the road.

Whether you’re a driver or not, I’m pretty sure you already know the basic traffic signals.

Green means go
Yellow means slow down
Red means stop

But let’s look at the other traffic signals in Indiana.

Indiana Lane Markings

Finally, lane markings show separate lines of traffic.

Conclusion

And that was your complete guide to the Indiana road signs.

Whew! That’s a lot of road signs!

We know.

However, you should familiarize yourself with these, especially for the more common ones you see on the road.

Remember, having a firm knowledge of these signs will make the roads a lot easier to manage and safer to drive in.

So always keep out for the Indiana road signs and make sure to follow them accordingly.

Sample Sign	Color	Meaning
	Red	Signs that demand immediate action, usually to avoid threats or accidents on the road
	Yellow or Fluorescent Yellow-Green	Yellow signs are warning signs of hazards ahead. Fluorescent yellow-green signs warn you of school, park, bicycle, and playground zones.
	White	Display traffic regulations and speed limits.
	Orange	Warns you of temporary traffic conditions such as flaggers ahead or construction zone ahead.
	Green	Show directions or the flow of traffic. It also shows the information on destinations ahead and highway entrances or exits.
	Blue	Display road services ahead, such as a hospital, gas station, etc.
	Brown	Notify you of recreational and cultural sites nearby.

Sample Sign	Shape	Meaning
	Circular	Warns of railroads ahead
	Equilateral Triangle	Slow down/yield depending on the word on the sign
	Pennant-shaped	Found on the left side of two-way roads to warn drivers not to overtake from the left
	Square or rectangle	Can show one of three things: Traffic prohibitions or regulationsRoute markersDirections to nearby destinations
	Diamond	Warns of hazards and road conditions ahead
	Five-sided	Warns of a school zone ahead
	Eight-sided	Tells traffic to stop or yield using the appropriate right of way, often found at intersections

Traffic Light	Name	Meaning
	Yellow flashing lights	Yellow flashing lights that don’t have an arrow on them tell you to slow down as you approach the intersection. You must also yield to oncoming traffic or pedestrians. If you are at the right of way, all traffic should yield to you, but you still have to be alert for pedestrians crossing.
	Red flashing lights	A flashing red light tells you to make a full stop before crossing the intersection. If there are no other vehicles, cross the intersection with caution.
	Bicycle signals	Bicycle signals are only applicable to bicyclists. Similar to the traffic lights followed by regular vehicles, red means stop, yellow means slow down, and green means go.
	Bus/Transit signals	These control a bus or transit lane.

Sample Marking	Marking Type	Meaning
	Yellow Lane Markings	Yellow lane markings are used to separate traffic going in opposite directions. Solid yellow lines indicate areas where you are NOT allowed to pass. Broken yellow lines are areas where you can pass as long as it’s safe.
	White Lane Markings	White lane markings separate lanes of traffic that go in the same direction. Similar to the yellow markings, broken white lines are areas where you can pass as long as it is safe. Solid white lines mean you CANNOT pass.