A sign that gives orders
No entry
No entry - a red circle with a white bar - means no vehicle may go past it in that direction. It is how a one-way street stops you coming in the wrong way.
01
What it means
The white horizontal bar on a red disc is a flat prohibition: do not enter. It applies to the direction it faces, so it is the sign at the exit end of a one-way street or a contraflow, telling traffic not to drive against the flow. Going past it means driving the wrong way into oncoming traffic.
Do not confuse it with a plain red circle that has nothing inside - that is 'no vehicles', a blanket ban on all vehicles, which is a different sign.
02
Where you'll see it
The exits of one-way streets, contraflow bus lanes, and restricted access points. In dense one-way systems, common across central London, they are everywhere, and a wrong turn past one takes you straight into oncoming traffic.
03
On your driving test
Driving into a one-way street the wrong way, past a no-entry sign, is a serious or dangerous fault and an instant fail, because it puts you head-on with other traffic.
The fix is planning: read the signs and road markings early, and if a street looks one-way (arrows, or parked cars all facing the same way), treat it as one-way until you are sure.
Often confused with
Quick answers
What does a no entry sign mean?
No vehicle may pass it in that direction. It is most often used at the exit of a one-way street, so you do not drive against the traffic.
What is the difference between 'no entry' and 'no vehicles'?
No entry is a red circle with a white horizontal bar and applies to the direction it faces, typically a one-way exit. 'No vehicles' is a plain red circle with nothing inside and bans all vehicles from that road.
What happens if you go past a no entry sign on your test?
It is treated as a serious or dangerous fault, because you would be driving the wrong way into oncoming traffic, so it fails the test. Careful sign-reading and planning avoids it.
Sign artwork is Crown copyright, reproduced under the Open Government Licence v3.0; meanings from the Highway Code (gov.uk).
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