Offensive ‘67’ number plates banned by the DVLA

In September the new ‘67’ number plate is set to arrive, bringing with it the potential for new combinations of letters and numbers deemed too silly, rude or offensive by the DVLA to grace vehicles on the public highways.

Before each new number plate launch, the DVLA vetoes certain plates and the list this time includes the likes of ‘DO67 GER’, ‘BA67 AED’, ‘OR67 ASM’ and ‘DO67 SHT’.

Convening every six months, the DVLA judges any plate that could be deemed explicit or offensive due to political, racial or religious connotations to be off-limits to the public. As with each March and September plate change, the arrival of the ‘67’ age identifier brings with it a lengthy list of potential new combinations, with just the banned plates stretching to 10 pages.

It seems computers can’t manage this task, either, with a spokeswoman telling us: “There’s nothing scientific about it. It’s all done by taste and if some slip through the net and we get a complaint, we take the feedback on board.”

Once placed on the banned list, there’s no escaping it, with older plates like ‘VA61 ANA’ destined to never see the light of day. If a dodgy plate does slip past the censors, the DVLA also has the power to demand it back from its owner.

It’s not just rude words that fall foul of the rules: anything potentially racist, religiously offensive or drug-related is also off the menu. Don’t expect to be seeing ‘JE55 US’, ‘15 LAM’, ‘OS55 AMA’ or ‘AD13 CTS’ driving around your local town any time soon. Plates with a political slant are also a no-no, including referendum number plates like ‘EU16 OUT’ and ‘EU16 GON’ or anything with the ‘BNP’ suffix.

While this banned list protects unsuspecting car buyers from ending up with a potentially embarrassing number plate they never wanted, it also covers anyone looking to buy a personalised registration.