Road signs in the Netherlands
The road signs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (mainland Netherlands and six Dutch Caribbean islands) — as well as Suriname[a] are regulated in the Reglement verkeersregels en verkeerstekens 1990, commonly abbreviated as RVV 1990.[1] While most previous signage, from the RVV 1966 remained legal and official, they have been updated/replaced. Some aren't official anymore and have lost legal validity, but most surviving old signs remained valid.
Speed restrictions
A1: Speed limit (50 km/h)
A2: End of speed limit (50 km/h)
A3: Speed limit displayed on an electronic display panel
A4: Recommended speed
A5: End of recommended speed
Priority
B1: Priority road (formally used)
B2: End of priority road
B3: Crossroads with priority
B4: Road junction with priority over minor road from the left
B5: Road junction with priority over minor road from the right
B6: Give Way sign, must give priority to other traffic on the main road ahead
B7: Stop: Give priority to traffic on the main road ahead (formerly used
)
Road closed prohibition and mandatory
C1: Road closed in both directions to vehicles, riders and persons in charge of animals or livestock
C2: No entry in this direction for vehicular traffic, horse riders and persons in charge of animals or livestock
C3: One-way street
C4: One-way street
C5: Access permitted for both sides
C6: No access for vehicles with more than two wheels (formerly used
)
C7: No access for goods vehicles (formerly used
)
C7a: Closed to buses
C7b: Closed to buses and goods vehicles
C8: No access for agricultural vehicles. (formerly used
)
C9: No access for riders, cattle, wagons, agricultural vehicles, microcars, bicycles, mopeds or invalid carriages
C10: No access for motor vehicle towing trailers (formerly used
)
C11: No access for motor cycles (formerly used
)
C12: No access for motor vehicles (formerly used
)
C13: No access for mopeds, motor-assisted bicycles or motor-powered invalid carriages (formerly used
)
C14: No access for bicycles or for non-motor-powered invalid carriages (formerly used
)
C15: No access for bicycles, mopeds and invalid carriages (formerly used
)
C16: No access for pedestrians (formerly used
)
C17: No access for vehicles or combinations of vehicles with a length, including the load, greater than indicated (formerly used
)
C18: No access for vehicles with a width, including the load, greater than indicated
C19: No access for vehicles with a height, including the load, greater than indicated
C20: No access for vehicles with an axle load greater than indicated
C21: No access for vehicles or combinations of vehicles with a total weight greater than indicated
C22: No access for vehicles carrying hazardous substances
C22a: Environmental zone: no access for vehicles not compliant with article 86d of RVV 1990
C22b: End of environmental zone
C23-01: Rush-hour lane open
C23-02: Clear rush-hour lane
C23-03: Rush-hour lane closed
Signs giving positive instructions
D1: Roundabout – give way to vehicles on the immediate left
D2: Instruction to all drivers to keep to the right of the sign (or left if arrow is reversed)
D3: The sign may be passed on either side
D4: Instruction to drive ahead only (formerly used
)
D5: Instruction to follow the direction ahead shown by the arrow (formerly used
or 
) 
D6: Instruction to follow one of the directions ahead shown by the arrows (formerly used)
D7: Instruction to follow one of the directions ahead shown by the arrows
Parking and stopping
E1: No parking
E2: No parking and stopping
E3: No parking for bicycles or mopeds
E4: Parking area
E5: Taxi rank
E6: Parking for disabled drivers
E7: Parking permitted for the immediate loading and unloading of goods only
E8: Parking facilities only for the category or group of vehicle shown
E9: Parking for permit-holders only
E10: Entrance to controlled parking zone
E11: End of controlled parking zone
E12: Park and ride facilities
E13: Parking facilities for car sharers
Other signs giving orders
F1: No overtaking
F2: End of no overtaking zone
F3: No overtaking of cars by lorries
F4: End of zone with no overtaking of cars by lorries
F5: Give way to oncoming vehicles
F6: Priority over oncoming vehicles
F7: No U-turns (formerly used
)
F8: End of all restrictions imposed by traffic signs
F9: End of all restrictions imposed by electronic signalling panels
F10: Stop. The sign can also contain further information as to whom it is directed and why
F11: Compulsory use of passing lane for slow motor vehicles (under 25 km/h)
F12: End of passing lane for slow motor vehicles
F13: Bus lane
F14: End of bus lane
F15: Tram lane
F16: End of tram lane
F17: Bus and tram lane
F18: End of bus and tram lane
F19: Compulsory use of lane only for trucks and buses
F20: End of lane only for trucks and buses
F21: Compulsory use of lane only for trucks
F22: End of lane only for trucks
Traffic regulations
G1: Motorway
G2: End of motorway
G3: Expressway (formerly used
)
G4: End of Expressway (formerly used
)
G5: Living street (formerly used
)
G6: End of Living street (formerly used
)
G7: Footpath (formerly used
)
G8: End of footpath
G9: Bridleway
G10: End of bridleway
G11: Route for pedal cycles only (formerly used
)
G12: End of pedal cycles route
G12a: Route for pedal cycle and mopeds only
G12b: End of route for pedal cycles and mopeds
G13: Optional cycle path (formerly used
)
G14: End of optional cycle path
Built-up area
H1: Built-up area
H2: End of built-up area
Warning signs
J1: Uneven road
J2: Bend to right
J3: Bend to left
J4: Double bend, first to right
J5: Double bend, first to left
J6: Steep hill upward
J7: Steep hill downward
J8: Dangerous crossing
J9: Roundabout
J10: Level crossing with barrier or gates ahead
J11: Level crossing without barrier or gates ahead (formerly used
)
J12: Level crossing with single track
J13: Level crossing with two or more tracks
J14: Tram (crossing) ahead (formerly used
)
J15: Opening or swing bridge ahead (formerly used
)
J16: Road works ahead (formerly used
)
J17: Road narrows on both sides
J18: Road narrows on the right side
J19: Road narrows on the left side
J20: Slippery road (formerly used
)
J21: School crossing (formerly used
)
J22: Pedestrian crossing (formerly used
)
J23: Pedestrians
J24: Cyclists and moped riders (formerly used
)
J25: Loose chippings (formerly used
)
J26: Quayside or river bank (formerly used
)
J27: Wild animals
J28: Livestock
J29: Two-way traffic
J30: Low-flying aircraft
J31: Side winds (formerly used
)
J32: Traffic lights
J33: Queues likely (formerly used
)
J34: Danger of accidents
J35: Reduced visibility because of snow, rain or fog (formerly used
)
J36: Risk of ice or snow
J37: Danger. Details of the danger are shown on the plate beneath (formerly used
)
J38: Warning bump
J39: Warning for retractable bollard (poller) in the traffic lane that can be used to regulate access to streets and areas.
level crossing distance board(close)
level crossing distance board(between)
level crossing distance board(far)
Direction
K1: Low level motorway information sign showing both main and intermediary destinations and the motorway number (old)
K2: Advance warning sign of a motorway showing the distance to the next exit and destinations after the exit (the top destination is the name of the exit), direction to aerodrome/airport and the road number (non-motorway)(old)
K3: Information sign for exit to motorway service area, showing the name of the rest area and symbols for the services offered (old)
K4: High level motorway information sign showing lane instructions for through traffic and exit panel showing intermediary destinations, with the motorway number and European route numbers (old)
K5: Non-motorway advance information panel showing intermediary destinations, road numbers, a viaduct symbol and a sign for an industrial zone
K6: Non-motorway information panels showing intermediary destinations and non-motorway road numbers
K7: Signposts for cyclists and moped riders (finger posts) showing local and intermediary destinations, municipal cycle route numbers (above) and showing intermediary destinations and intermediary cycle route numbers (below)
K8: Signposts (multiple) for cyclists and moped riders showing intermediary destinations and indicating an alternative route (in italics) to one of the destinations
K9: Diversion with alternative route shown on an advance warning panel for a non-motorway highway
K10: Advance warning panel within a built-up area showing an intermediary destination, local destinations, local tourist sights, local facilities and road numbers through the town
K11: Lane instructions on a non-motorway highway. Panel showing intermediary destinations, road numbers and directions to a motorway
K12: Local signpost within a built-up area showing names of individual districts (in traffic areas)
K13: Signpost within a built-up area showing district numbers (in traffic areas)
K14: Route for the conveyance of hazardous materials
Information
L1: No vehicles over height shown, underpass
L2: Pedestrian crossing (formerly used
)
L3a: Tram stop/bus stop
L3b: Bus stop
L3c: Tram stop
L4: Get in lane
L5: End of lane
L6: Lane fork
L7: Number of through lanes
L8: No through road for vehicles (formerly used
)
L9: Advance warning of a no through road for vehicles
L10: Advance warning of traffic information for the direction shown
L11: Information on panel applies only to the lane(s) indicated
L12: Information on panel applies only to the lane indicated
L13: Model sign traffic tunnel
L14: Hard shoulder
L15: Hard shoulder equipped with emergency telephone and fire extinguisher
L16: Emergency telephone
L17: Fire extinguisher
L18: Emergency telephone and fire extinguisher
L19: Nearest exit or second nearest exits in the directions and at the distances indicated on the sign
L20: Passing area on right-hand side of the road
L21: Passing area on left-hand side of the road
Road Barriers
Retired signs (no longer used)
Below, signs are withdrawn or replaced with new diagrams of the same meaning.
Attention signs
Priority
B1: Priority road (1941-1990)
B1: End of priority road (1941-1950)
B2: End of priority road (1950-1990)
B7: Stop: Give priority to traffic on the main road ahead (1950-1966)
B7: Stop: Give priority to traffic on the main road ahead (1966-1979)
Road closed prohibition and mandatory
C6: No access for vehicles with more than two wheels (1966-1990)
C7: No access for goods vehicles (1966-1990)
C8: No access for motor vehicles that cannot exceed 25 km/h (1966-1990)
no pedestrians
Pedestrians only
Traffic regulations
G3: Expressway (1941-1966)
G4: End of Expressway (1941-1966)
G3: Expressway (1966-1990)
G4: End of Expressway (1966-1990)
G5: Living street (1966-1988)
G6: End of Living street (1966-1988)
G5: Living street (1988-1990)
G6: End of Living street (1988-1990)
Warning Signs
J37: Danger
J24: Cyclist crossing
OB618: Uneven road, larger trucks or other big vehicles may get stuck. This sign is placed before a railroad crossing.
Information
L2: Pedestrian crossing (1966-1990)
Notes
- ^ Suriname largely shares similar road signage designs used in the Netherlands since Suriname is a former Dutch colony — except drives on the left like Indonesia, Japan, Macao, Mozambique, Thailand, Timor-Leste and former British colonies.
References
- ^ "Reglement verkeersregels en verkeerstekens 1990 (RVV 1990)". overheid.nl (in Dutch). 1 July 2024. Retrieved 12 December 2024.