| United States |
Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, 11th Edition, issued by the Federal Highway Administration. State and local agencies may add approved supplements. |
English is standard for most regulatory and warning signs. A second language may be required or permitted by state, tribal, or local policy. |
Use the prescribed sign shape, legend, symbol, color, mounting height, letter series, and retroreflective performance. Do not substitute decorative fonts for standard legends. |
Check ADA requirements for accessible routes, pedestrian crossings, detectable warnings, accessible pedestrian signals, contrast, reach range, and unobstructed placement. Accessibility rules may apply to the installation rather than the sign face alone. |
Approved sign drawing, MUTCD reference, retroreflectivity information, material specification, wind-load calculation, and local agency approval. |
| Great Britain |
Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016, as amended, supported by the Traffic Signs Manual and related national guidance. |
English is used in England and Scotland. In Wales, bilingual Welsh-English signing is widely required for public road signs under Welsh language policy and local regulations. |
Select the correct prescribed diagram number, sign class, border, x-height, mounting arrangement, and color combination. Wales may require larger panels to accommodate two languages. |
Consider Equality Act duties, inclusive pedestrian design, legibility for low-vision users, clear pedestrian paths, adequate contrast, and suitable placement near crossings and footways. |
Approved diagram reference, bilingual artwork where applicable, reflective sheeting class, post and foundation details, and installation-location approval. |
| Ireland |
Traffic Signs Manual, published under Ireland’s road traffic legislation and associated national standards. |
Irish and English are used for many place-name and directional signs. The exact language arrangement depends on the sign category and location. |
Allow sufficient panel width for bilingual legends, use the prescribed route symbols and colors, and verify Irish spelling and accents before production. |
Review accessibility of sign location, pedestrian clear width, visual contrast, glare control, and safe positioning near crossings and footpaths. |
Final bilingual artwork, Traffic Signs Manual reference, reflective performance data, structural design, and approval from the relevant road authority. |
| Quebec, Canada |
Québec road-sign regulations and the Charter of the French Language, together with applicable provincial road design standards. |
French is the required public language. Additional languages may be used only where permitted, and French must remain markedly predominant in applicable public signage. |
Prepare French-first artwork, verify accents and terminology, and confirm sign dimensions after translation because French wording can change line length and panel size. |
Check provincial accessibility requirements, pedestrian-route continuity, contrast, readable lettering, mounting height, and obstruction-free placement. |
French proof approval, applicable road-authority standard, reflective material data, structural calculations for snow and wind, and accessibility site review. |
| Australia |
AS 1742 series for traffic control devices, supplemented by the road rules and specifications of each state or territory. |
English is the normal language for regulatory, warning, and directional road signs. Local authorities may approve culturally or locally relevant supplementary text. |
Confirm the state or territory supplement, sign size, color, font, retroreflectivity, support system, and installation zone before manufacture. |
Apply the Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport and relevant access standards where the sign forms part of a public transport or pedestrian facility. |
State or territory drawing, AS 1742 reference, reflective classification, UV and corrosion data, structural calculations, and site accessibility assessment. |
| New Zealand |
Land Transport Rule: Traffic Control Devices 2004 and the national Traffic Control Devices Manual, with road-controlling-authority requirements. |
English is commonly used. Māori names and bilingual wording may be required by local policy or selected for official place names and community contexts. |
Use approved symbols, dimensions, colors, lettering, and sign supports. Confirm whether the road-controlling authority requires a bilingual layout before setting artwork. |
Check the Disability Strategy and accessible-design guidance for pedestrian routes, crossings, tactile features, visual contrast, and obstruction-free sign placement. |
Authority-approved artwork, Traffic Control Devices Manual reference, reflective performance, corrosion protection, foundation details, and accessibility review. |
| Japan |
Road Traffic Act, national road-sign specifications, and local road administrator requirements. |
Japanese characters are fundamental. Directional signs commonly add Romanized place names or route information where required for navigation. |
Use the prescribed Japanese typeface, pictograms, color coding, character spacing, arrow layout, and panel proportions. Translation must be checked by a qualified local reviewer. |
Review barrier-free requirements for pedestrian facilities, clear walking paths, visual contrast, sign height, glare, and accessibility around stations and public buildings. |
Japanese and Romanized artwork proof, local road-authority approval, material and coating specifications, seismic or wind-load information, and installation drawings. |
| European Union cross-border projects |
There is no single EU-wide street-sign code. National traffic law applies, while the Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals provides an international harmonization framework for participating countries. |
Language rules are national or regional. Some areas require bilingual or minority-language signs, so translation must be approved locally. |
Do not assume that a sign approved in one member state is automatically legal in another. Verify symbols, colors, fonts, dimensions, mounting, and reflective classes country by country. |
Consider national accessibility law and EN 17210 principles for inclusive design, including visual contrast, readable information, pedestrian clear width, and accessible routes. |
National sign drawing, local-language approval, conformity and material records, reflective performance, structural calculations, and accessibility compliance statement. |
| International procurement baseline |
Use the destination authority’s current legal standard as the controlling document. International standards can support manufacturing quality but do not replace local approval. |
Obtain official wording from the destination authority. Never rely solely on machine translation for place names, legal warnings, accents, scripts, or bilingual ordering. |
Specify sign category, approved artwork, dimensions, substrate, edge treatment, reflective performance, color tolerance, mounting height, hardware, and expected service life. |
Evaluate legibility, contrast, glare, viewing distance, pedestrian clearance, tactile or audible features where applicable, and maintenance access. |
Request an approval drawing, language proof, compliance matrix, test reports, structural calculations, installation manual, inspection plan, and maintenance schedule. |
