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DVLA release latest list of banned licence plates

Censors meet every six months to decide on potentially offensive licence plates

Rose Troup Buchanan
Saturday 23 May 2015 10:39 EDT
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The DVLA has revealed a list of personalised licence plates it has banned for being in ‘poor taste’
The DVLA has revealed a list of personalised licence plates it has banned for being in ‘poor taste’ (GETTY)

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The DVLA have released a list of banned licence plates, revealing while you can ORG45M you can’t have a VA61ANA on the roads.

The list, which runs to an impressive 49 pages, details the list of “supressed” car licence plates, ranging from homophobic to the puerile and obscene, censored every six months.

Sensors, members of a DVLA steering group from across the agency, meet every six months to decide on potentially offensive license plates.

Registration numbers are withheld on the grounds of political, racial and religious sensitivities or simply that they are regarded as being in poor taste,” a DVLA spokesperson told the Guardian.

“Registration numbers like PEN 15 were issued many years ago when vehicle registration was carried out by local authorities.”

In 2006 the agency was criticised by LGBT rights groups Stonewall after releasing homophobic plates, later withdraw, that appeared to spell “Hate gay”.

Other banned plates over the years include BO11 OOX, P15 OFF, WE11 GAY, FU11 SHT, UP15 BUM and WA15 TED. The DVLA supressed plates saying JA11 BOY or JA11 BRD, as well as the more distasteful ST11 BRN or AK1 LLAH.

Religious plates are also banned, including KO12 AAN, 15 LAM, MU55 LEM, JE** SUS, J**1 HAD, or any combination of JEW.

You can have a look at the full list here.

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