MUTCD R16-15a · Regulatory signs
Alternative design prohibiting the use of hand-held phones while driving
What it means
Alternative design prohibiting the use of hand-held phones while driving.
What to do about it
It is a regulatory sign: it states a law you must obey, not a suggestion. Ignoring it is a citable violation. (MUTCD R16-15a.)
Practice this on the real test format
Signs are the part of the DMV written test people fail on, because reading them is a skill rather than a fact to memorize. Aprobify drills all 1034 of them, and tells you why each answer is what it is.
Get the appSign designations follow the MUTCD and the California MUTCD published by Caltrans; meanings are checked against the California Driver's Handbook (DL 600, rev. 6/2025). Edited by Fernando Aguilera. Aprobify is not affiliated with the California DMV.
Signs in the same family
These sit next to it in the regulatory signs series — the ones most easily mixed up with it.
- R16-9 Instructs drivers to check their headlights for proper operation
- R16-10 Beginning of a section where daytime headlight use is required
- R16-11 End of a section where daytime headlight use is required
- R16-15 Prohibits the use of hand-held phones while driving
- R22-2 Requires drivers to turn off 2-way radios and cell phones in blasting zones for safety
