DVLA bans 300 offensive number plates

THE DVLA has released a list of hundreds of “offensive” number plates that have been banned from the road ahead of the release of new registration plates next week.

The list includes any that end with the three letters ARS or DAM and others that are specific to the year of release. Among the approximately 300 that will not be released next week when 67 vehicle registrations become available are NO67 FUN, NO67 END, MU67 GED, DO67 ERR, BA67 TRD and ST67 BBD.

In June, the number plate JH11 HAD was spotted in Newport, South Wales, and reported to authorities.

It was subsequently withdrawn, and the DVLA said the plate “slipped through the net”. Information released to BBC Wales following a Freedom of Information (FOI) request revealed that other combinations such as JE** HAD and *J11 HAD were also banned. The Swansea-based agency said in the FOI document that it has a responsibility make sure the combination used on registration numbers “does not cause upset or offence”.

It has an exhaustive list of potentially offensive number plates, which it updates annually. Other combinations listed are four-letter combinations including *B** UMS, *G** ODS and *R** APE, and five-letter combinations: AB** USE, AN** GER and BO** SOM.