Italian road signs: what you need to know about road signs in Italy, official sources, examples

Italian road signs: a handy overview of common road signs in Italy with that you need to know to decipher them and official sources so you can learn with Italian rules of the road.

If you are planning on driving in Italy, it is paramount that you familiarize yourself with the official rules of the road and you are able to quickly identify the meaning of road signs.

Road signs in Italy follow the Vienna Convention, which standardised them to provide international uniformity for road signs, symbols, and markings.

This means that for the most part, signs won’t be significantly different from what you are likely to have seen elsewhere and will be familiar to international drivers. Stop signs for instance are straightforward.

However, it is also common to across signs you may need a little extra time to interpret, especially ones with time-based restrictions or stacked supplemental plates.

Visitors to Italy ask me about Italian road signs often but I always resisted writing this post because road signs are parts of the rules of the road, aka the law and you should never use a blog as a source for this type of info.

However, I decided to write this so that you can have handy links to the official rules, a sort of ‘cheat sheet’ with what to look for when figuring out Italian road signs and photos of what actual Italian roadsigns look like. I hope it is helpful!

Disclaimer: The info on this page is not legal advice. This article explains the main categories of Italian road signs, their shapes and colors, and gives examples. It’s for information and trip-planning only; for official rules, enforcement practice or legal interpretations consult the official sources listed below.

Official sources on Italian road signs + additional sources you may need

Below are the most relevant official sources about road signs in Italy and Italian rules of the road:

Primary official references

• D.P.R. 16 dicembre 1992 n. 495 and Linee guida n. 5050 del 28 giugno 2019  — website of the Ministry Of Transport
• Gazzetta Ufficiale / Ministerial decrees: gazzettaufficiale.it

Practical guides / user-friendly references

• Automobile Club d’Italia (ACI) — “Il Codice della Strada” (Rules of the road) https://aci.gov.it/approfondimento/il-codice-della-strada/
• Municipal sites — for local ZTL maps, times and permit contacts (search the relevant Comune website for city-specific rules).

Italian road signs: main categories by shape and type

Italian road are normally classified in several types:

Danger/ warning signs (Segnali di Pericolo): Danger signs that the road ahead presents a hazard requiring caution for instance: sharp bend ahead, potential rockfall area, crossing ahead etc.

Prescription signs – Prohibitory sign / Do not signs (Segnali di Prescrizione – Divieto) – These are signs that tell you want no to do: do not enter, no parking, no stopping, no overtaking etc

Mandatory signs / must do signs – (Segnali di Obbligo), the signs telling what you you must perform. They are usually round and blue with white pictograms. Examples: Minimum speed (in motorways), must turn right, traffic one way only etc.

In practice, a good way to distinguish one from the other in most cases are the sign shape. While the shape alone is not sufficient to tell you what the sign is about, it can be a good indication. Most commonly:

Triangle = Danger / Pay extra attention

When you see a triangular sign, always pay extra attention as it means some form of danger is ahead. Triangular signs may point down, for instance in the case of ‘give priority’ signs or up, like in ‘potential danger ahead’.

Examples: give priority, animals crossing, sharp bend ahead, crossing ahead, severe incline etc.

Circle with red = prohibition sign

Italy has several circular signs. When you come across them, you want to pay attention to their color, as well as shape. Those with red (background, outer line, etc) usually tell you what not to do.

Examples: Do not enter, do not park, do not go faster than (speed limit) etc

Speed limits need to know: speed limits depend on the specific stretch of road and therefore change as you go. For instance, a road may have a standard speed limit of 90Km/h but suddenly drop it to 60 or less if a bend, crossing etc is ahead. Always keep an eye on the signs!

Circle with blue = Mandatory sign

Circular blue signs usually tell you what you must do.

Must turn a certain direction, one way street (must go a certain direction), must walk (Pedestrian only)

Example: the blue sign in the photos tells you that road is for pedestrians and bike only.

Rectangle = info

Rectangular signs are usually info signs such as directions, name of a town you are entering, etc

Rectangular road signs may also warn you about additional signs ahead. For instance in the sign below you can see: a rectangular info sign wanting you about a no access area 100 meters ahead.

Italian road signs colors

Another things to pay attention in Italian Road signs is their color. On rectangular signs:

Green background is usually for motorway signs. If you see green, it means you are on an autostrada (Motorway / highway / freeway) and motorway rules apply. You can find here >> my guide to italian autostrade (Italian toll roads)

Blue background usually means main, non-urban road

White is usually a secondary or local road or you may find white background on signs that indicate the start of a city limit

Brown background signs usually indicate a place of cultural significance or tourist interest

Combined / stacked signs and supplemental plates

The main Italian traffic signs are pretty easy to figure out but sometimes, they may look as a piling up of many different signs that may seem confusing.

In these cases, take you time: they do actually make sense if you take them one by one! For instance, if you come to a complex crossing, take your time and decipher one by one taking extra attention to the danger signs.

For instance in the photo above you have give priority signs, no access signs and sings helping you with direction of traffic.

Or in the photo below you have a give priority sign, obligatory direction sign and pedestrian crossing sign.

In other cases, the confusion comes from a sign with an additional plaque. In these cases, the plaque usually indicated additional info about the rule expressed by the sign.

For instance, a sign may say you cannot enter a certain road and the additional plaque the hours of validity of the sign. Or a sign indicating slippery road surface ahead in case of rain and snow for the following 1 km.

ZTLs, restricted areas access road sings in Italy

One of the most common worries for foreigners is to figure out the limited access areas in city centres, ake areas closed to traffic by non permit holders.

ZTL are always indicated by either electronic signs or a series of written signs. Always look our for anything saying ZTL (Zone Traffico Limitation), no transit signs  (Divieto di transito pictogram) plus additional plates giving hours and exceptions.

Always remember that you have ztl sings at teh start and at the end of hte ztl areas: do not mix them up!

Examples of ZTL Signs are:

Italian road signs and meaning (official)

As you can see, giving a comprehensive and easy to follow description of Italian road signs is not possible: the info on these page are a starting point but the only way to be safe on the road is to get hold of a full rules of the road manual with all the possible signs. Online, I find this site to be great as you can click on each sign and see what it means. I have no connections with them, just find them an easy and visual way to have a quick answer should you have doubts.

I hope this quick guide to Italian road signs is helpful to you. Safe travels!