Road sign colours

Marcel Monterie, last updated 18-10-2008

Classification of systems

Type	Description	Countries	Remarks
1	All signs one colour	NL	Local destinations white
2	Motorways, fast traffic roads and other roads all differenct colours	HR, SLO
3	Motorways and fast traffic roads one colour, other roads different colour	CH, CZ, E, FIN, GR, H, N, SK
4	Motorways one colour, all other roads different colour(s)	A, BG, BIH, D, F, GB, I, IRL, MK, RO, RUS, TR

Summary of colours used

Motorway colour	References to other roads in motorway colour	References to other roads in other colour
Blue	B, D, GB, IRL, N, NL	E, F, H, L, P, PL, RUS
Green	GR	BG, BIH, HR, CH, CY, CZ, DK, E, FIN, I, MK, S, RO, SRB, SK, SLO, TR

Remarks

Only in the Netherlands and Belgium, all roads have the same colour signs, though in Belgium, references to motorways on other roads are in a different colour.
Only in Belgium, a different colour is used for signs on motorways and references to motorways on other roads.
Germany, Norway, the United Kingdom, Ireland and possibly Greece are the only countries which use the same colour for all signs on motorways even though other roads have a different colour (i.e. the colour of references to other roads deviates from the colour used on such roads).
Apart from rectangles, only five different shield shapes are used, of which three (NL-s, I-A and RO-DN) are only used in one country.
The German motorway shape is being used in more and more countries: D, CH, CY, GR, HR, SLO, TR and possibly RO. It almost seems to be developing into an international standard, though different colours are used in different countries and the class letter is included in most countries.

Countries to be added: Belarus, Ukraine

Explanation of columns

1 Country name

2 Common abbreviation, as often used on road signs and license plates

3 How text appears on motorway signs, e.g. Austria: White mixed case roman text on blue signs, Cyprus: Yellow capital greek letters and white mixed case roman letters on green signs.
NB TEKCT = text in Russian.

4 Example of how road numbers are typically shown on signs, if no shields is shown, a rectangle is used, usually with the same colour border as the text in the number

5 Which numbers are indicated for motorways with E numbers: either only E numbers, only national numbers, or both

6 How text appears when referring to other roads on signs along a motorway, this can be on patches or on separate signs

7 Example of how numbers of other roads are shown on signs along a motorway

8 How text appears when referring to motorways on signs along other roads

9 Example of indication of a motorway number on signs along other roads

10 How text appears on signs along expressways (motorway-like roads, roads with motorway characteristics)

11 How expressways are numbered on signs

12 How text appears on signs along other main roads

13 How main roads are numbered

14 Which numbers are indicated on E roads which are not motorways

15 Sign colours along local roads

16 Lower class road numbers (sometimes several classes or colours)

17 Indication of local destinations

18 Special road numbers within a city, only in a few countries

19 References to roads which are reached via other roads B Brackets

D Dashed rectangle

S Same as direct references

T (Plain) text

When several methods are used, they are listed in order of decreasing frequency.

Europe

Country

Abbr

Motorways

References to motorways on other roads

Reference to motorway

Reference to other road

Explanation of columns
1	Country name
2	Common abbreviation, as often used on road signs and license plates
3	How text appears on motorway signs, e.g. Austria: White mixed case roman text on blue signs, Cyprus: Yellow capital greek letters and white mixed case roman letters on green signs. NB TEKCT = text in Russian.
4	Example of how road numbers are typically shown on signs, if no shields is shown, a rectangle is used, usually with the same colour border as the text in the number
5	Which numbers are indicated for motorways with E numbers: either only E numbers, only national numbers, or both
6	How text appears when referring to other roads on signs along a motorway, this can be on patches or on separate signs
7	Example of how numbers of other roads are shown on signs along a motorway
8	How text appears when referring to motorways on signs along other roads
9	Example of indication of a motorway number on signs along other roads
10	How text appears on signs along expressways (motorway-like roads, roads with motorway characteristics)
11	How expressways are numbered on signs
12	How text appears on signs along other main roads
13	How main roads are numbered
14	Which numbers are indicated on E roads which are not motorways
15	Sign colours along local roads
16	Lower class road numbers (sometimes several classes or colours)
17	Indication of local destinations
18	Special road numbers within a city, only in a few countries
19	References to roads which are reached via other roads	B	Brackets
		D	Dashed rectangle
		S	Same as direct references
		T	(Plain) text
		When several methods are used, they are listed in order of decreasing frequency.