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It’s that time of year when license plate changes occur, and with them comes a new list of banned license plate number combinations that are deemed too gross for the road.
Ahead of the switch to ’74’ plates on 1 September, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has revealed which ones would have been too indecent to be available, with the list ranging from innuendo to anti-ULEZ statements.
We’ve listed all the banned plates, from “BL74 WJB” to “NO74 LEZ”, as well as some auction combinations that will be available and whose value could skyrocket…
*SCROLL TO THE END OF THE STORY FOR THE FULL LIST
Banned: Just some of the 365 number plates banned by the DVLA this year – scroll to the bottom of this story for the FULL list
Twice a year, the DVLA is faced with the laborious task of filtering out all potentially offensive number plates that may be created using the new age identifier launched in March and September.
Senior members of the agency meet every two years at their base in Swansea to select documents they want to withdraw from sale because they may have derogatory meanings and connotations.
The team of experts examines all potentially offensive meanings that can be created from the last number plate and carefully tries to prevent anything that could be considered insulting from reaching the hands of drivers.
Rude number plates that might have gone unnoticed by the DVLA before the change can still be rescinded at a later date, but the agency says “the vast majority of registration numbers are available” as most are unlikely to cause offence.
The publication in September of the age-identifying number plate ’74’ shows there are still many combinations to be examined, keeping the DVLA working hard.
There is always a new challenge for the DVLA team, and this year the ‘4’ in ’74’ is the one causing a problem due to its similarity to the letter ‘A’.
Carwow went through the full list of banned combinations and found some lewd examples like “FA74 NNY” and “BL74 WJB” that no doubt got a few laughs behind closed doors.
Other scrapped aircraft include ’74 NAL’, ’74 NUS’, ‘AN74 USA’.
In keeping with the no-obscenity rule, the ‘SH74 TDD’ will also never see the light of day. Also removed from the list are the more childish license plates such as the ’74 RTS’ and the ‘AB74 STD’.
But the DVLA’s banned vehicles list isn’t just about avoiding sniggers and obscene references – it has a serious side too: it removes from the roads anything that might annoy, insult or distress people.
Possible references to the war in Ukraine, especially with Russian connotations, are strictly prohibited: the use of “NO74 RUS”, “EU74 WAR” and “FK74 RUS” is blocked due to their political nature.
Similarly, the ‘J74 HAD’ is banned, as is the ‘H74 MAS’ due to the escalating conflict between Israel and Hamas.
And drivers unhappy with UK car policy are being prevented from expressing their opinions on a piece of plastic as references to low emission zones such as “NO74 LEZ” have been removed.
In addition to having a valid car, you will need to have a valid license plate.
As well as the banned plates, the DVLA has highlighted those it believes new buyers are likely to pay more for.
As private plates are a hot commodity, DVLA auctions are a carefully considered selection of registrations that can spark serious bidding wars.
This September the DVLA has reserved: ‘EL74 LEN’ (ELLEN), ‘BA74 LDY’ (BALDY), ‘PA74 RTY’ (PARTY) and ‘DA74 DDY’ (DADDY).
Because they spell out nicknames and initials, their value is likely to skyrocket and someone could get their hands on a plate that could be worth double or more in the not-too-distant future thanks to the financial strength that private plates currently enjoy.
Other than the year identifier, what does a vehicle registration form actually mean?
How number plates are arranged and what the different elements mean (Source: DVLA)
There is a format for DVLA records which includes information for the DVLA to track a vehicle on their systems.
The first letters indicate the region where the vehicle is registered.
A sequence of randomly generated letters then concludes the end of the number plate, which is how the DVLA identifies the particular car as they are completely unique to each vehicle.
Where was your car registered? The regional identifier on the license plate tells you
The DVLA has a guide to regional identifiers as shown below. I, Q or Z are not used in local tag identifiers; Z is just used as a random letter.
Source: DVLA Vehicle registration numbers and number plates, document INF104
What rules are there about how dishes are displayed?
There are strict rules for manufacturers producing license plates, including fonts, font sizes, colors, and placements.
An incorrectly displayed number plate can result in a car failing an MOT and the driver could be fined up to £1,000 if caught.
Illegal practices include license plates where the display has been modified to say a word or name, but police can arrest people for doing so.
He DVLA number plate guide explains: ‘Numbers and letters on a license plate may not be rearranged or distorted to form names or words so that they are difficult to read.
‘For example, if you fix the screws to change any of the letters or numbers, you could be fined up to £1,000 and your car will fail an MOT if you drive with a number plate that is not displayed correctly.
‘In some cases, the registration number may be permanently removed. If you falsify a vehicle’s registration number, you will not get back any money you paid for the registration number or any other costs you may have to pay.
‘You cannot use a license plate number to make your vehicle look younger than it actually is.’
Why buy a private license plate? Investment tips you should know
The most expensive private number plates of 2023: We’ve already revealed the personalised number plates sold by the DVLA that fetched the highest prices last year – and compared them to the most expensive of all time.
– Buyers rotate dishes very quickly
– Unlike investments like cars or artwork, there are no storage costs.
– You can even drive your car with the license plate on without losing any value.
– License plate provider Platehunter reported an increase of 100 valuation requests per day compared to last year
– Companies operating in the sector estimate that the UK number plate industry will be worth more than £2 billion by 2023
– The second-hand market is seeing prices two to three times higher than the new market due to demand – huge resale value.
– Plates can double in price in just 12 months: quick returns, minimal effort
Does changing your license plate reduce the value of your car?
A new license plate obviously means a newer car, which has a domino effect on those with previous license plates.
However, it won’t make a big difference to the value of the car as other factors are more important, such as condition, history and mileage.
Darryl Bowman, from car insurance app Cuvva, said: ‘If you’re thinking of selling your car soon and want to get the best price possible, it’s best to sell it before the new plates come out.
‘And if you want to get a practically new car at a good price, buying a car with an old registration plate can be a good idea.
‘There are ways to reduce a car’s depreciation, including regular maintenance, having it inspected, choosing a popular model and reducing driving time to keep mileage down.’
*SEE BELOW FOR COMPLETE LIST OF PROHIBITED REGISTERS FROM SEPTEMBER 1974
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