Regulatory signs · R3-5
Mandatory Turn sign
Archive file: R03-05 Mandatory Movement Lane Control - Turn Only/R03-05R Mandatory Movement Lane Control - Turn Only 30x36.svg
FHWA public-use information
What it means
Traffic in this lane must turn as the arrow shows.
Source: FHWA MUTCD — MUTCD 11th Edition with Revision 1 (December 2025), Section 2B.28, paragraph 01, PDF page 133.
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Meaning
A turn arrow with ONLY makes that turn mandatory for the lane below it. It is not merely recommending a route. PennDOT’s rule still applies if you chose the lane by mistake: reaching the junction in the turn-only lane requires following its arrow.
What to do
Make the indicated turn rather than carrying straight on from the turn-only lane. When two lanes turn together, keep your lane through the turn. Pennsylvania warns that an adjacent driver may be turning alongside you, so changing lanes in the middle of that movement creates a collision risk.
Where it is used
Federal standards mount the arrow-and-ONLY symbol above the particular lane it controls. The location is part of the message: it identifies which stream of vehicles has the required movement. Read the sign over your lane, rather than copying a driver in a neighboring lane with a different assignment.
A sign to tell apart
No Left Turn prohibits a movement on the approach. A mandatory-turn arrow requires the illustrated movement from its specific lane. The difference is between excluding a turn and assigning a turn; the presence of an arrow alone does not tell you which type of message you are reading.
Practice with explanations
These are original learning questions based on the cited handbooks. Read each answer and its explanation below.
1. You mistakenly reach a Pennsylvania intersection in a lane marked with a turn arrow and ONLY, but you wanted to continue straight. What must you do?
- Continue straight because you chose the lane accidentally.
- Follow the required turn.
- Stop in the intersection to change lanes.
Answer: B. Follow the required turn.
The lane’s required movement still applies when you entered it by mistake. Make the indicated turn.
2. Two Pennsylvania lanes turn left together. What should you avoid while turning?
- Remaining in your assigned lane.
- Watching the vehicle turning next to you.
- Changing lanes during the turn.
Answer: C. Changing lanes during the turn.
The neighboring driver may be making the same turn alongside you. Keep your lane through the maneuver.
State source coverage
Handbook coverage and sample questions do not prove that a sign will appear on your exam. Even a published test scope cannot guarantee an individual exam question.
Pennsylvania
Handbook coverage
Pennsylvania’s driver manual explicitly discusses this sign. This establishes handbook coverage, without a promise about any individual exam.
Pennsylvania permit sources · Practice with Pennsylvania questions
State variations
State-specific variations have not been independently established for this study.
Verified question coverage
These free state-bank questions were independently verified. This does not establish complete state-bank readiness, app availability or what will appear on your permit exam.
No currently verified state-bank question is available for this sign.
The linked 20-question permit quizzes do not currently include this sign.
This meaning is a federal MUTCD reference. Check your state's handbook for its rules and sign coverage; this page does not establish what appears on a state permit exam.
Try the free road sign quiz or find your state's handbook.
