Road signs

Québec road signs, family by family

Updated

Québec’s road signs make sense by family: prescription signs (what you must do), danger signs (what’s coming), information signs (where to go) and roadwork signs — plus traffic lights and the markings on the road. On the SAAQ knowledge test, road signs have their own section, passed separately — the format: 28 questions · 3 sections · 75% each.

The families to know

How the test examines road signs

Road signs are one of the test’s three sections, judged separately — you can’t make up for them with road rules: the passing score applies to each section. And the test loves the nuances between neighbouring signs: stop and yield, no parking and no stopping, obligation and prohibition. Knowing a sign’s name isn’t enough: what it demands behind the wheel is what gets tested.

How to learn them efficiently

By family first — each family has its own logic, and logic sticks better than a list. By traps next: the pairs that get confused deserve attention of their own. Then by testing yourself, until recognition becomes a reflex.

Permis 101’s library gathers 128 redrawn signs, sorted by official category, each with its meaning, where you meet it, and the exam trap if there is one — plus a quiz mode to test yourself. A free preview of 12 signs lets you try it. Round it out with real draws in the test’s format: that’s where recognition gets confirmed.

Frequently asked questions

How many road signs do I need to know for the test?

What matters isn’t memorizing a number, but recognizing each family and what it demands behind the wheel. Permis 101’s library gathers 128 of them, drawn from the official guides and sorted by category, each with its meaning and the exam trap if there is one.

What does a sign with an orange background mean?

An orange background always signals a roadwork zone: slow down and double your caution — workers may be on the road.

What is the difference between “stop” and “yield”?

The stop sign requires a complete stop, even if the way looks clear — slowing down is not enough. A yield sign asks you to slow down and let road users with the right-of-way pass; you only have to come to a complete stop if someone has the right-of-way. The test loves that nuance.

Are the app’s signs identical to the real ones?

They are redrawn from the published specifications — not photos, not copies — to match what you’ll see on the road and on the test.

Go further

The 128 signs, in your pocket

A library with search, meanings, exam traps and a quiz mode — and a free preview of 12 signs to try.

Download on the App Store

Free to start · $19.99 CAD once · No subscription

Permis 101 is an independent app, not affiliated with the SAAQ. For official information and to book your test, go to the SAAQ.