The road signs test in Missouri is one of the four parts of the driver exam, alongside the written test, the vision test and the driving test. The Missouri Driver Guide says it checks your ability to recognize and understand traffic signs, and the 25-question Class F written test also covers highway signs, so signs count twice. The Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP) gives the tests free at its driver examination stations. Here is what to study and a practice quiz to check yourself.
How the road signs test in Missouri works
The Missouri Driver Guide from the Department of Revenue (dor.mo.gov, revised August 2026) lists the driver exam as four parts:
- A written test on traffic laws and rules for safe driving. You must answer 20 of 25 questions correctly.
- A vision test. The standard is at least 20/40 with either or both eyes.
- A road sign test, which checks that you recognize and understand traffic signs.
- A driving test, taken later, after you have practiced on your permit.
Missouri's state rule for the written test (12 CSR 10-24.060) also lists an understanding of highway signs among its topics. MSHP does not publish how the sign test is laid out, such as how many signs you see or whether they appear with the words removed, so prepare to name any common sign by its shape, color and symbol.
| Detail | What to know |
|---|---|
| Who gives it | Missouri State Highway Patrol driver examination stations |
| Cost | Free. MSHP does not charge for written or regular driving tests |
| Appointment | Not needed for written tests |
| Written test | 25 questions, 20 correct to pass (80%) |
| Sign test format | Not published by MSHP. Know signs by shape, color and symbol |
| Retries | Any written test up to two times per day, statewide |
Sign shapes on the Missouri test
Missouri follows the national Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), so the shapes match every other state:
Octagon
- STOP. Always red, always eight sides.
Downward triangle
- YIELD. Let others go first, stop if needed.
Diamond
- Warning: curves, hills, merges, deer, slippery road.
Pentagon
- School zone or school crossing.
Pennant
- NO PASSING ZONE, on the left side of the road.
Round yellow
- Railroad crossing ahead.
Crossbuck
- The railroad crossing itself. Yield to trains.
Rectangle
- Vertical: rules. Horizontal: guide and information.
Colors, signals and markings
| You see | It means |
|---|---|
| Red | Stop, yield or a move you must not make |
| Yellow | General warning |
| Orange | Work zone |
| Green | Directions and distances |
| Blue | Motorist services |
| Brown | Parks and recreation |
| Flashing red light | The same as a stop sign |
| Flashing yellow light | Slow down and proceed with caution |
| Yellow pavement lines | Separate traffic moving in opposite directions |
| White pavement lines | Separate traffic moving in the same direction |
| Broken line | May be crossed to pass when safe |
| Solid line | Should not be crossed to pass |
The signal and marking meanings above are taken from the Missouri Driver Guide. Two Missouri numbers often show up next to sign questions: stop 15 to 50 feet from the tracks when a railroad signal flashes or a gate is down, and expect a school bus's amber warning lights to start flashing 500 feet before it stops.
Most misses are look-alikes, not STOP or YIELD. Drill the round railroad sign against the crossbuck, and the pennant against the yield triangle.
Missouri road signs practice quiz
Ten road signs test practice questions. Cover the answers, say yours out loud, then check.
- Which shape is used only for STOP?
- What does a downward red and white triangle mean?
- What kind of sign is a yellow diamond?
- What does a five-sided sign warn you about?
- A yellow sideways triangle on the left side of the road means what?
- A round yellow sign with an X means what?
- What does a flashing red light mean?
- What do yellow pavement lines separate?
- What color are work zone signs?
- How close to the tracks should you stop when a crossing signal flashes?
Answers
- The octagon.
- Yield: slow down, give the right of way and stop if needed.
- A warning sign.
- A school zone or school crossing.
- No passing zone.
- A railroad crossing is ahead.
- Stop, then go when it is safe, as at a stop sign.
- Traffic moving in opposite directions.
- Orange.
- No closer than 15 feet and no farther than 50 feet.
How to study for the MO permit test signs
- Read Chapter 7 of the Missouri Driver Guide, the one on pavement markings, traffic signs and signals.
- Learn every sign by shape and color first, then by meaning.
- Take full Missouri practice tests so sign questions come mixed with rules, as they will at the station.
- Keep a list of the signs you miss and review it daily.
- Go to the station when you score 23 or more out of 25 on practice tests three times in a row.
Is there a separate road signs test in Missouri?
The Missouri Driver Guide lists a road sign test as one of the four parts of the driver exam, and the written test also covers highway signs. MSHP does not publish the sign test format.
What MO permit test signs should I study?
Every common sign by shape and color: stop, yield, warning diamonds, school pentagons, the no passing pennant, railroad signs, work zone signs and guide signs, plus signals and pavement markings.
Is the Missouri road signs test free?
Yes. MSHP does not charge for written or regular driving tests.
Where can I do road signs test practice?
Use the signs chapter of the Missouri Driver Guide, the quiz above and full practice tests on DMVZone.
