It's that time of year when the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) steps in to prevent our roads from getting a little too cheeky.
The government agency has just released its annual list of registration plates that won’t be allowed on new cars once the '25' plates arrive in two months. This list, which comes out before the bi-annual plate changeover on 1 March, isn’t just about banning awkward combinations; it's also about keeping sensitive topics – like the Russia-Ukraine conflict – off our cars.
To avoid controversy, the DVLA is banning plates like '25 RUS' and '25 UKR'. Along with war-related themes, combinations involving religion, politics, racism, and crime are also off-limits.
The list for 2025 includes 210 banned plates, such as '25 PAZ', 'TE25 ROR', and '**25 LUT'. With the new '25' plates, the DVLA is cracking down on offensive combos that could easily slip through the cracks.
What might seem like a funny plate to one driver can easily be seen as offensive to another. It's the DVLA's job to prevent this from happening.
Each year brings new challenges, and this time it's the '5' that looks like an 'S', enabling some very explicit words to be formed. Examples like '**25 LUT', '**25 HAG', and '**25 HAT' are being blocked.
Profanity, offensive terms, and anything that can be seen as threatening – like '**25 TAB' and 'GB25 KLL' – are also banned. The DVLA is working to keep anything that could cause harm, embarrassment, or just bad vibes off our roads.
Though many don’t realise the effort that goes into this process, the DVLA team meets twice a year in Swansea to review potential issues. They sift through combinations that could be inappropriate or in poor taste, making sure only the best are on the streets. Plates that sneak through could be revoked later on.
Drivers caught with non-compliant plates can face having their plates taken and a £100 fine.
As for the rest of the plate, it works as usual. The first letters show where the car was registered, while the random digits at the end identify the car uniquely.
Wondering if a new plate affects your car's value? New plates are still desirable, though not as much as they used to be. While a newer plate might mean a more recent model, factors like condition, mileage, and history matter more than a number change.
