Prohibition signs

The signs

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  C1 · Road closed in both directionsNothing may pass from either side — vehicles, riders and led animals alike.
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  C2 · No entry in this directionYou are at the wrong end of a one-way street. The other end carries C3.
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  C3 · One-way roadTraffic flows only in the direction of the arrow.
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  C6 · Closed to motor vehicles on more than two wheelsKeeps cars out; motorcycles and two-wheeled mopeds (bromfietsen) may still pass, a microcar (brommobiel) may not.
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  C7 · Closed to lorriesOften used to keep heavy traffic out of villages.
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  C12 · Closed to all motor vehiclesCyclists, pedestrians and riders of two-wheeled mopeds (bromfiets) and light mopeds (snorfiets) may still use the road; a microcar (brommobiel) may not.
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  C16 · Closed to pedestriansTypical on motorway (snelwegen) approaches and in tunnels.
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  C18 · Maximum widthHorizontal arrows mean width, and the load counts towards it.
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  C19 · Maximum heightMeasure your roof box or trailer before you trust a gap.
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  F1 · No overtaking for motor vehiclesYou may overtake a bicycle, a moped (bromfiets) or a light moped (snorfiets): they are not motor vehicles. Motor vehicles, such as a tractor or a motorcycle, and also a microcar (brommobiel, art. 2a), you may not.
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  F3 · No overtaking for lorriesLorries may not overtake other motor vehicles; cars may still overtake.
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  C7a · Closed to busesBuses may not enter this road; you may still drive in with your car.
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  C7b · Closed to buses and lorries (vrachtauto’s)A van (bestelauto) is not a lorry, so it may still enter, just like your car.
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  C8 · Closed to tractors, mmbs and mobile machinerySlow vehicles such as farm tractors and low-speed motor vehicles (mmbs) may not enter; your car may.
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  C9 · Closed to slow traffic, cycles, mopeds and ridersMicrocars (brommobiel), light mopeds (snorfiets), tractors and low-speed vehicles (mmbs) may not enter either; your car may.
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  C10 · Closed to motor vehicles with a trailerYour car with a trailer (aanhangwagen) or caravan may not enter either; without the trailer it may.
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  C11 · Closed to motorcyclesOnly motorcycles are kept out; cars and mopeds (bromfietsen) may still enter.
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  C13 · Closed to mopeds (bromfiets) and snorfiets with engine runningAlso for disability vehicles with the engine running; with the engine off they may pass. Nothing changes for cars.
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  C14 · Closed to bicyclesAlso applies to light mopeds (snorfietsen, which follow the cycle rules, art. 2b) and to disability vehicles without an engine; mopeds (bromfietsen) and cars may enter.
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  C15 · Closed to bicycles and mopeds (bromfietsen)Light mopeds (snorfietsen, which follow the cycle rules, art. 2b) and disability vehicles may not enter either; cars may.
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  C17 · Maximum lengthThe load counts, and with a trailer (aanhangwagen) or caravan it is the length of the whole combination.
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  C20 · Maximum axle loadThe figure is the mass allowed on one axle, not the total mass of the vehicle (that is C21).
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  C21 · Maximum total massIt is the mass including the load; with a trailer (aanhangwagen) the whole combination counts.
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  C22 · Closed to vehicles carrying dangerous goodsApplies to vehicles carrying certain dangerous goods; you may still drive in with an ordinary car.
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  C22e · Low-emission or zero-emission zoneA low-emission zone covers diesel vehicles, a zero-emission zone commercial vehicles and lorries (vrachtauto’s); the sub-plate says who may still enter.
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  C22f · End of low-emission or zero-emission zoneFrom here the zone’s emission requirements no longer apply.
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  F2 · End of no overtaking for motor vehiclesFrom here you may overtake other motor vehicles again, if it is safe.
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  F4 · End of no overtaking for lorriesLorries (vrachtauto’s) may overtake motor vehicles again from here; the ban never applied to cars.
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  F7 · No U-turnsYou may not turn around here. On a motorway (autosnelweg) or expressway (autoweg) it is always banned, even without this sign.
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  F8 · End of all prohibitionsAll prohibitions set by earlier signs, such as a ban on overtaking, end here.
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  F10 · Stop, with the reason or authority on the signYou must stop. The sign may show who uses it or why; it is not a priority sign like B7.
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  F9 · End of all prohibitions on a matrix signAll prohibitions shown earlier on a matrix sign above the road no longer apply from here.
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  C22e1 · Sub-plate: zero-emission zone for commercial vehicles and lorriesCommercial vehicles (bedrijfsauto’s) and lorries (vrachtauto’s) may only enter the zone if they have no emissions, such as electric ones.
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  C22e4 · Low-emission zone for diesel cars: emission class 4 to 6A diesel car may enter the zone with emission class 4, 5 or 6. The classes on the plate, 0 to 3, may not.
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  C22e5 · Low-emission zone for diesel cars: emission class 5 and 6A diesel car may only enter the zone with emission class 5 or 6. The classes on the plate, 0 to 4, may not.
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  C22e6 · Low-emission zone for diesel cars and commercial vehicles: emission class 4 to 6Diesel cars and commercial vehicles (bedrijfsauto’s) may enter the zone with emission class 4, 5 or 6. The classes on the plate, 0 to 3, may not.
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  C22e7 · Low-emission zone for diesel cars and commercial vehicles: emission class 5 and 6Diesel cars and commercial vehicles (bedrijfsauto’s) may only enter the zone with emission class 5 or 6. The classes on the plate, 0 to 4, may not.
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  C22e8 · Low-emission zone for lorries: emission class 6A lorry (vrachtauto) may only enter the zone with emission class 6. The classes on the plate, 0 to 5, may not.
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  C22e9 · Low-emission zone for buses: emission class 6A bus may only enter the zone with emission class 6. The classes on the plate, 0 to 5, may not.
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  C22e10 · Low-emission zone for lorries and buses: emission class 6Lorries (vrachtauto’s) and buses may only enter the zone with emission class 6. The classes on the plate, 0 to 5, may not.

What you do in practice

• You recognise a one-way street by sign C3; at the other end there is C2: you may not drive in there.
• With a no-overtaking sign (F1) you may not overtake motor vehicles. Overtaking a bicycle, moped (bromfiets) or light moped (snorfiets) is allowed.
• At a low-emission zone a sub-plate says which vehicles and emission classes the ban applies to.

The mistake many people make

Thinking F3 also applies to cars. At F3 lorries (vrachtauto) may not overtake; in a car you may still overtake (inhalen).

The Dutch terms

The rule in the law

• RVV 1990 bijlage 1, C1 tot en met C22
• RVV 1990 bijlage 1, F1 tot en met F10

More in this guide

• Speed signs
• Priority signs
• Compulsory direction signs
• Signs for parking and stopping
• Signs for types of road
• Warning signs
• Information signs
• Signs that look alike

Dutch traffic signs and their meaning