‘Offensive’ registration plates banned in purge
SCORES of personalised number plates featuring the new 71 series have been banned amid fears of inappropriate applications such as “TA71 BAN” and “AN71 VAX”.
Officials at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency were tasked with preventing all unsuitable plates potentially hitting the roads with registrations referring to Covid-19, the EU and Afghanistan all blocked.
It comes as new 71 plates were introduced at the start of this month meaning the number will be displayed on all new vehicle registrations, including personalised requests from drivers.
However, the DVLA says it does not permit some private applications for car registrations on the grounds they cause “offence, embarrassment and are in poor taste”.
Coronavirus-associated number plates including CO71 VD, CO71 ONA, CO71 RNA and AN71 VAX have been prohibited in the list acquired by Auto Express.
Plates linked to Afghanistan were caught in the purge with TA71 BAN and TA71 BNN suppressed along with an apparent bar on overt or potentially offensive political statements such as EU71 BAD and AN71 USA.
Any registrations starting NA71 will be instantly dismissed as well as H71 LER and FA71 ST because of their possible connotations with the far-right.
The DVLA receives hundreds of requests for personalised licence plates every year which can earn the agency up to £160 million a year.
A DVLA spokesman said: “The vast majority of registration numbers are made available but the agency holds back any combinations that may cause offence, embarrassment, or are in poor taste.”
At the height of the pandemic the plate 1NHS sold for £120,000 at auction in 2020.