Road signs in Mexico are regulated by Secretaría de Infraestructura, Comunicaciones y Transportess Directorate-General for Roads (Dirección General de Carreteras), and uniformized under a NOM standard and the Manual de Señalización y Dispositivos para el Control del Tránsito en Calles y Carreteras, which serves as a similar role to the MUTCD developed by the Federal Highway Administration in the United States. The signs share many similarities with those used in the United States, Canada, and Australia. Like Canada but unlike the United States, Mexico has a heavier reliance on symbols than text legends.
Prior to the introduction of the 2023 Manual of Signage and Traffic Control Devices, signage designs were spread across several standards and technical manuals, such as the Manual de Señalamiento Turístico y de Servicios and the Manual de Calles; in addition, several states had their own, slightly diverging local standards for signs.Compare the Jalisco and Mexico City signage manuals, for example: these two states diverge from the national standard in defining circular, instead of square, mandatory signs.
Signs compliant with the 2023 manual use a bespoke typeface, simply called México, which is a slightly updated version of the 2016 Mexico City "Calles" typeface by Sergio Núñez. Previous standards used characters based on Highway Gothic and Univers.
This country drives to the right.
Vertical signage Warning signs
Roadwork signs
Regulatory signs
Informational identification signs (SII)
Guide signs
SIR road signs
Tourism and services Tourist signs
Service signs
Hazard markers
State signage WORK IN PROGRESS
Retired signs These signs have been superseded in 2024, but can still be seen in many places, as the NOM-034-SCT2/SEDATU-2022 standard contemplates their replacement being gradual, with signage being replaced when they deteriorate over time.
Retired signs, 2014 set Vertical signs Regulatory signs (SR)
Warning signs (SP)
Roadwork signs (SPP)
Retired signs, 1986 set Vertical signs
Notes
References