City limitNetherlands
An introduction to the traffic rules and road signs of Netherlands. Learn about driving, road safety and much more in our illustrated book, with answers to frequently asked questions.
For informational purposes only. Always follow official regulations. Some content and images were created with AI assistance.
50. City limit
A city limit is a boundary or roadside indication showing that a driver is entering or leaving a named city, town, village, locality or municipality. It is commonly marked by a place-name or boundary sign.
The meaning of these signs varies between countries. A city-limit or locality sign may identify an administrative boundary, a named settlement or a traffic-related boundary. It does not necessarily mark the beginning or end of a legally defined built-up area, and passing the sign does not always change the applicable speed limit or other traffic rules.
Wikimedia.org • Tibor • CC BY-SA
Which Dutch signs mark a built-up area?
The Dutch H1 sign marks the start of the bebouwde kom (built-up area), and H2 marks its end. These are traffic-law signs, not merely welcome boards showing a town name.
Does a Dutch municipality-name sign always set the speed limit?
No. The legal built-up-area status is indicated by the prescribed H1/H2 signs. Drivers must also obey any separate speed-limit or zone signs.

Traffic rules
Netherlands