What Does Left Turn Yield on Green Mean? Florida Answer (2026)

TLDR A "Left Turn Yield on Green" sign means the left turn is permitted but not protected: when the light is green, you may turn left only after yielding to oncoming traffic and pedestrians in the crosswalk. A green arrow is the opposite - it is a protected turn, and oncoming traffic must yield to you. Last updated August 2026.

"Left Turn Yield on Green" means you may make the left turn when the light is green, but you must first yield to oncoming traffic and to pedestrians legally in the intersection or crosswalk. The green ball light gives you permission to go, not the right of way - the sign exists because the intersection's left turns are unprotected, meaning the opposing lane of traffic has the same green light you do. It is one of the highest-frequency sign questions on the Florida Class E permit exam and one of the most common causes of intersection crashes for new drivers, so this page covers the sign, the green-arrow contrast, and every exam variant of the question. Last updated August 2026.

The Short Answer: Permitted, Not Protected

A green light paired with a "Left Turn Yield on Green" sign creates a permitted turn:

• You may enter the intersection on green and wait for an adequate gap.
• You must yield to oncoming vehicles that are close enough to be a hazard, and to pedestrians crossing with the light.
• You complete the turn only when the gap is safe - if the light changes while you are still waiting, you may still complete the turn when oncoming traffic clears, since you are already lawfully in the intersection.

A green arrow is the mirror image: it is a protected turn. Oncoming traffic faces a red light, so vehicles may travel in the arrow's lane and direction with the right of way - drivers must still yield to anyone lawfully already in the intersection.

Signal-by-Signal Table: Who Yields to Whom

How to Execute the Turn Correctly

The yield-on-green turn has a standard, testable procedure:

1. Signal at least 100 feet before the intersection as Florida law requires, and approach in the left-turn lane.
2. Enter the intersection on the green ball with your wheels still pointed straight. Never turn the wheels toward the turn while waiting - a rear-end collision would push you into oncoming traffic.
3. Yield to oncoming traffic moving straight or turning right into your path, and to pedestrians in the crosswalk. If you are facing a green light, the times you must yield the right of way are exactly these: oncoming traffic when turning left, and anyone already in the intersection.
4. Turn only when the gap is adequate - one that oncoming drivers could not plausibly close. Judging gaps by closing speed, not distance, is the skill: at 45 mph, an approaching car closes more than 60 feet every second.
5. Clear the intersection promptly when a gap opens, even if the light turns yellow or red while you wait - you have lawfully entered, and completing the turn is safer than reversing.

The Exam Variants of This Question

• "What does left turn yield on green mean?" - you may turn left on green, but must yield to oncoming traffic and pedestrians.
• "What does yield on green mean?" - the same permitted-turn rule: proceed only after yielding as required.
• "Which statement is wrong?" - the wrong statement is the one claiming a left turn on green has the right of way even against oncoming traffic. Oncoming traffic holds the right of way over your left turn.
• "Drivers turning left at an intersection with a green light must ___" - proceed into the intersection with wheels straight and yield to oncoming traffic.
• "If you are facing a green light, when must you yield the right of way?" - when turning left (to oncoming traffic) and to pedestrians and vehicles already in the intersection.

The Spanish-language question form - "que significa left turn yield on green" - translates to the same rule: vuelta a la izquierda permitida en verde, cediendo el paso al trafico en sentido contrario.

Why Unprotected Left Turns Are the Crash Hotspot

Permitted left turns concentrate three errors into one maneuver: drivers misjudge oncoming closing speed, fixate on the gap in traffic instead of the crosswalk, and turn their wheels early while waiting. The yield-on-green crash pattern - a left-turning driver pulling into an oncoming vehicle or a pedestrian - is precisely why the sign exists and why the exam weighs it heavily. If an intersection has a history of those crashes, engineers replace the permitted signal with a protected green arrow; where you still see the sign, assume the intersection demands your full attention.

Right of Way, Signals, and the Rest of the Exam

Yield-on-green belongs to a cluster of right-of-way questions that includes four-way stops, uncontrolled intersections, and turns. The official Florida Driver Handbook chapters hosted by LowestPriceTrafficSchool cover right-of-way with the exact source wording, and the Florida DMV Class E exam can be completed online through a state-approved provider when you are ready.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does left turn yield on green mean?

You may make the left turn on a green light, but the turn is unprotected: you must yield to oncoming traffic and pedestrians before turning. Only a green arrow gives a left turn the protected right of way.

What is the difference between a green light and a green arrow for left turns?

A green light is a permitted turn - you go only after yielding to oncoming traffic. A green arrow is a protected turn - oncoming traffic is stopped and must yield to you.

Can I complete my left turn if the light turns red while I am waiting in the intersection?

Yes. Once you have lawfully entered on green, you complete the turn as soon as oncoming traffic clears - reversing out of the intersection is neither possible nor safe.

Where should my wheels point while waiting to turn left on green?

Straight ahead. If your wheels are already turned and your car is struck from behind, you will be pushed into oncoming traffic. Turn the wheels only as you begin the turn itself.

Who has the right of way on a green light when going straight?

Going straight through a green light, you have the right of way over oncoming traffic turning left - but you must still yield to pedestrians and any vehicle already lawfully in the intersection.

Turn Right-of-Way Knowledge Into a License

Right-of-way questions never stop at signs - they run through lane markings, expressway entries, and following distance. Study them together in the state-approved courses at LowestPriceTrafficSchool: the 6-hour DETS course for drivers under 18 and the 4-hour TLSAE course for adults both cover intersections and right of way before your permit exam, and traffic school re-teaches them point-free if a left-turn citation has already happened.

Citations

• https://www.flhsmv.gov/driver-licenses-id-cards/
• https://www.lowestpricetrafficschool.com/handbooks/driver/en/5/26
• http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0300-0399/0316/Sections/0316.155.html