The DVLA has banned number plates for 2025 which it has deemed unsuitable for UK roads. As with every registration series released to the public, the driving agency withholds a subset of vehicle registration numbers that it considers to be potentially offensive, distressing or provocative.
These combinations may represent insults, swear words, sexual references, references to drugs, references with racist, sexist or LGBTQ+ connotations, as well as some political and religious references.
Freedom Of Information request findings released by the DVLA to private plate supplier Regtransfers have revealed a number of number plates that won’t be seen on Britain’s roads this year. For the latest Welsh news delivered to your inbox sign up to our newsletter.
Among the banned combinations in 2025 are several ‘wildcard’ plates, registrations that share a partial string of characters deemed to be unsuitable for release, including **25 HAG, **25 HAT, **25 LAG, **25 LUT, **25 PAS, **25 PAZ and **25 TAB, due to their connotations, as well as **25 RUS and **25 UKR, in response to the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
More banned plate combinations reference war, such as AR25 WAR, EU25 WAR, GB25 WAR, GO25 WAR. Also banned are PE25 RVT and PE25 VRT, which somewhat resemble the word ‘pervert’, while PS25 CHO, PU25 MAD, CR25 PLE, CR25 PPL, and OR25 ASM also find themselves on the list.
The first registration number series of 2025 will be the 25 series, eligible for use on the roads from March 1, 2025. The 75 series will follow later in the year, in September, 2025.
Commenting on the list of banned registrations, Regtransfers CEO Mark Trimbee said: “It’s always entertaining to see some of the plates deemed inappropriate by the DVLA, but there are also those that remind us why this is a necessary process. Personalised number plates are an excellent form of self-expression, but they shouldn’t be used to display genuinely harmful messages or views.
“As well as the usual sex and violence references, there are those subtle combinations that don’t seem to convey a clear meaning at first sight. With a little thought, however, we see how numbers such GB25 BAD, GB25 BOM, and GB25 SHT could seem to convey anti-British sentiments that might offend some. To ban or not to ban is obviously a bit of a balancing act.” Join our WhatsApp news community here for the latest breaking news. You will receive updates from us daily.