Colours and shapes

Signs follow the general European conventions concerning the use of shape and colour to indicate function of signs:

Colours of directional road signs

• On motorways, directional signs are green with white lettering.
• On main roads, directional signs with more than one destination are blue with white lettering.
• Within cities, directional signs with more than one destination are white with black lettering.

On main roads and within cities, the colour of a directional sign with a single destination depends on the type of destination:

• if the destination is a city that is reached by means of a motorway, the sign is green and carries the motorway name as well as the destination
• in the other cases when the destination is a city, the sign is blue
• if the destination is a city district, a hospital or an airport, the sign is white
• if the destination is a geographical feature or a tourist attraction, the sign is brown

Typeface

A version of the Transport typeface employed on road signs in the UK, called Alfabeto Normale, is used on Italian road signs. A condensed version, called Alfabeto Stretto, is also used for long names that wouldn't fit. Each name uses one font, but names in Alfabeto Normale and in Alfabeto Stretto can co-exist on one sign.

The font is officially regulated by the 1992 Codice della Strada, article 39 section 125.^[2] It defines both Alfabeto Normale and Alfabeto Stretto for uppercase letters, lowercase letters and digits, "positive" (dark on light background) and "negative" (light on dark background). However, there are regulations about the use of Alfabeto Normale dating back to 1969.^[3]

Uppercase is used in most cases. Lowercase is sometimes used for city districts and tourist attractions.

Language

The standard language is Italian. In some autonomous regions or provinces bilingual signs are used (mainly Italian/German in South Tyrol, Italian/French in Aosta Valley and Italian/Slovenian along the Slovenian border, but also Italian/Friulan in the Friuli historical region and Italian/Sardinian in Sardinia).
These are some examples of the italian sign "Passo carrabile" (No parking in front of vehicular access to the side properties) in the bilingual variants:

• 
  "Passo carrabile" sign in Italian
• 
  "Passo carrabile" sign in Italian and French (used in Aosta Valley)
• 
  "Passo carrabile" sign in Italian and German (used in South Tyrol)
• 
  "Passo carrabile" sign in Italian and Slovenian (used in some municipalities of Friuli-Venezia Giulia)

Warning signs

• Uneven road
  (formerly used that meant "Humps or dip")
• Bumps in the road (formerly used that meant "Humps or ramp")
• Dip (formerly used that meant "dangerous for dip")
• Bend, to right
  (formerly used )
• Bend, to left
  (formerly used )
• Double bend, first to right
  (formerly used )
• Double bend, first to left
  (formerly used )
• Level crossing with barrier or gate ahead
  (formerly used )
• Level crossing without barrier or gate ahead
  (formerly used )
• Single Level crossing
  (formerly used )
• Multiple level crossing
  (formerly used )
• Trams crossing ahead
• Pedestrian crossing ahead
  (formerly used )
• Bicycle crossing ahead
• Steep hill downwards
  (formerly used )
• Steep hill upwards
• Road narrows
  (formerly used )
• Road narrows on right
• Road narrows on left
• Opening or swing bridge ahead
  (formerly used )
• Dangerous verges
• Slippery road
  (formerly used )
• Children
  (formerly used )
• Cattle
  (formerly used )
• Wild animals
  (formerly used )
• Two-way traffic
  (formerly used )
• Roundabout ahead
• Quayside or river bank
• Loose chippings
• Falling rocks from right
• Falling rocks from left
• Traffic lights
  (formerly used )
• Horizontal traffic lights
• Low-flying aircraft
• Side winds
• Risk of fire
  (formerly used )
• Other danger
  (formerly used )
• Level crossing countdown marker (placed under the triangular warning sign, usually 150 m before crossing)
• Level crossing countdown marker (placed at two-thirds of the distance from the crossing, usually 100 m)
• Level crossing countdown marker (placed at one-third of the distance from the crossing, usually 50 m)

Temporary signs

• Road works
  (formerly used )
• Uneven road
• Road narrows
• Road narrows on right
• Road narrows on left
• Loose chippings
• Two-way traffic
• Traffic lights
• Other danger

Regulatory signs

Indication signs

• Motorway direction
• Primary or secondary road direction
• Urban area direction
• Detour
• Direction to a geographical feature or a tourist attraction
• Directions in urban areas
• Directions at a roundabout in urban areas. The green panel indicates a motorway
• Directions on a main highway
  (formerly used )
• Directions on a main highway with lane canalization
• Directions on a motorway
• Overhead directional sign
• Motorway number sign
• Motorway spur number sign
  (not an official road sign but it is used)
• International tunnel number sign
• State highway number sign
  (formerly used )
• Regional road number sign
• Provincial road number sign
  (formerly used )
• Municipal road number sign
  (formerly used )
• European road number sign
  (formerly used )
• Highway location marker
• Intermediate highway location marker with hectometre shown in roman numerals (in the example the sign is placed at the kilometre 24.8 of the road)
• Motorway location marker and distance from the exit shown (horizontal version)
• Motorway location marker and distance from the service area (vertical version)
• Main highway location marker and distances from next destinations
• Number of overpass along a motorway^[5]
• Destination that can be reached from next exit on a motorway or an expressway
• Town sign: start of urban area (50 km/h speed limit and no use of horn)
• Town sign: start of urban area where electric micromobility is being experimented (50 km/h speed limit, no use of horn and particular caution to cyclists and motorized scooters)^[6]
• Town sign (frazione): start of urban area (50 km/h speed limit and no use of horn)
• End of urban area, with distances to other towns (end of 50 km/h speed limit and of the prohibition of using horn)
• Provincial boundary sign (roads other than motorways)
• Provincial boundary sign (motorway)
• Regional boundary sign (roads other than motorways)
• Regional boundary sign (motorway)
• Direction to motorway
• Motorway distance sign
• Direction to service shown in urban areas (in the example municipal police)
• Street name sign
• Street name sign with one way
• Municipality boundary name sign
• River sign
• Directions to campsite and beach
• Directions to tourist destinations
• Direction to an industrial zone
• Directions in an industrial area
• Hotel information centre ahead
• information about hotels
• Direction to hotels ahead
• Directions to hotels
• Hospital
  (formerly used )
• Pedestrian crossing
• School bus stop. If the sign is mounted on a bus it means that bus is used as a school bus
  (formerly used )
• Emergency telephone
  (formerly used )
• Pedestrian underpass
• Pedestrian overpass
• Pedestrian ramp
• No through road
• No through road (side road)
• Advisory speed limit
• End of advisory speed limit
• Fast-traffic highway, only motor vehicles allowed
  (formerly used and )
• End of road reserved for motor vehicles
• Tunnel (roads other than motorways)
• Tunnel (motorways)
• Bridge (roads other than motorways)
• Bridge (motorways)
• Home Zone Entry
• End of Home Zone
• Pedestrian zone
• End of pedestrian zone
• Restricted vehicular traffic zone
• End of restricted vehicular traffic zone
• Start of a 30 km/h zone
• End of a 30 km/h zone
• Bicycle crossing
• Semi-direct left turn
• Indirect left turn
• Possibility of reversing the direction of travel (roads other than motorways)
• Possibility of reversing the direction of travel (motorways)
• Breakdown bay. The background is green on motorway
  (formerly used )
• Breakdown bay with emergency telephone. The background is blue in roads other than motorway
• Use of lanes on extra-urban roads (example)
• Bus lane on urban road (example)
• Bus lane on urban road (example)
• Use of lanes on motorways
• End of lane. The background is green on motorway
• Increase in the number of lanes. The background is green on motorway
• Motorway. If the symbol of motorway is used inside other information signs it has a squared shape ()
• Motorway ahead with a summary of transit restrictions
  (Formerly used )
• Motorway ends
• Expressway. If the symbol of expressway is used inside other information signs it has a squared shape ()
• Expressway ahead with a summary of transit restrictions
• Expressway ends
• One-way traffic (right)
  (formerly used )
• One-way traffic (left)
  (formerly used )
• One-way traffic
• Advised direction for trucks ahead
• Advised direction for trucks
• General speed limit (installed at national borders)
  (formerly used )
• Information about road condition of passes: road open
• Information about road condition of passes: road open and mandatory snow chains
• Information about road condition of passes: road open and advised snow chains
• Information about road condition of passes: road closed
• Information about road condition of passes: road closed after the town shown and mandatory snow chains
• Information about road condition of passes: road closed after the town shown and advised snow chains
• First aid
• Repairs
• Telephone
  (formerly used )
• Petrol station
• Petrol station with LPG
• Bus stop
• Tram stop
• Information centre
• Youth hostel
• Picnic site
• Camping site
• Local radio information. The background is blue in roads other than motorway
• Hotel
• Refreshments
• Restaurant
• Park and ride (bus station)
• Park and ride (tramway)
• Park and ride (train or underground)
• Park and ride (hiking trail)
• Motorail services
• Motorail services with sleeper
• Taxi stop
  (formerly used )
• Sewage discharge
• Car ferries
• Services in motorway service area (plus distance from the next area)

Additional panels

• Distance (in meters)
• Distance (in kilometers)
• Length of a danger or a prescription (in meters)
• Length of a danger or a prescription (in kilometers)
• Timetable: the sign applies all day
• Timetable: the sign between the hours shown
• Timetable: the sign between the hours shown but only in holidays (represented by the cross)
• Timetable: the sign between the hours shown but only in working days^[7] (represented by the two hammers crossed)
• The sign applies only to the category shown (in the example semi-trailer trucks)
• The sign doesn't apply to the category shown (in the example buses)
• Beginning of a danger or a prescription (vertical)
• Continual of a danger or a prescription (vertical)
• End of a danger or a prescription (vertical)
• Beginning of a danger or a prescription (horizontal)
• Continual of a danger or a prescription (horizontal)
• End of a danger or a prescription (horizontal)
• No road markings or road markings work in progress
• Road accident
• Crossing of railway linking tracks: the trains move very slowly and usually with the presence of a flagger (this crossing is not considered a level crossing).
• Snow removal vehicle at work
• Road subject to flooding
• Queue
• Construction vehicles at work
• In case of snow or ice
• In case of rain
• Slow moving vehicle ahead
• Tow-away zone
• Lane sign: an overhead sign applies only to te lane pointed out by this arrow.
• Hairpin turn ahead
• Number of hairpin turn
• Road cleaning
• Road cleaning during times shown
• Direction of main road (example). It is used with priority sign
  (formerly used )
• Direction of main road (example). It is used with priority sign
• Direction of main road (example). It is used with priority sign
• No parking during road cleaning operations
• Mandatory direction for vehicle carrying dangerous goods
• Mandatory direction ahead for trucks
• No trucks

Complementary signage

• Reflexion posts (left and right) on two-way roads
• Reflexion posts (left and right) on one-way roads
• Chevron marker (turn right)
• Chevron marker (turn left)
• T-intersection marker
• Chevron marker (singular)
• Chevron maker (red singular)

Obsolete signs (No longer used)

• Dangerous bends
• Give way to the line coaches
• No U-turns
• No right turn
• No left turn
• No overtaking for trucks
• End of no overtaking for trucks
• Alternative parking (No parking on the side of the number I on odd days and on the side of the number II on even days)
• Alternative parking (No parking on the side of the number I on odd days and on the side of the number II on even days)
• Regulated parking
  (Parking allowed using disc parking) ^[8]
• Motor vehicle lane
• Motorcycle lane
• Two lanes traffic