In Brief

New 2019 car registrations: the number plates banned by the DVLA

The blacklist includes DO19 POO, SH19 HOT and HU19 DCK

by The Week team

12 Feb 2019

Carl Court/Getty Images

A new list of number plates deemed too “rude or offensive” for public use has been revealed by the the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA).

Every six months, the motoring body updates its list of banned plates to coincide with the arrival of a new registration period, says Auto Express. And with the new 2019-plates launching on 1 March, a fresh batch of blacklisted number plates are set to cause amusement nationwide.

Most plates containing “silly” combinations of letters and numbers are highlighted by computer algorithms, but staff at the Swansea-based agency also host biannual gatherings to “hammer out potential double entendres”, the motoring magazine reports.

This time round, plates that have been omitted include OR19 SMS and BU19 GRY, according to the Daily Express.

There is also a list of plates that are blacklisted automatically every time a new registration period begins. These include plates with the letter formations B** UMS, CR** APS and FA** RTY, and any plates that include “ASS” or “SEX”.

Some drivers pay for customised number plates, which can be specced on the DVA’s website and start from around £250.

The “vast majority” of letter and number combinations are permitted, but plates “that may cause offence, embarrassment or are in poor taste” are a no go, said a DVLA spokesperson.

Here are some of the blacklisted 2019-plates: