Bad luck if you were hoping for one of these personalised number plates (Picture: Getty)
The DVLA has added new registrations to the list of number plates banned for being too rude or offensive.
Every year, the buyers of personalised registration plates find themselves disappointed when they’re stopped from snapping up their ideal eye-catching combinations of letters and numbers for their cars.
This is because the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) keeps a list number plates it’s keen to keep from public eyes, MailOnline reported.
With ’24’ joining registration plates to identify the vehicle’s age from March 1, the DVLA has released a new list of 334 number plates it won’t be allowing road users to have.
This happens twice each year when the DVLA issues new plates, with the age identifier ’74’ debuting in September.
Senior members of the organisation meet bi-annually in Swansea to examine any combinations that could have potentially crass or offensive meanings.
This is how DVLA number plates are formed
The ‘4’ in ’24’ is responsible for many of the additions to the DVLA’s latest list because it’s an easy stand-in for the letter ‘A’.
It’s no surprise then to see plates like ’24 NUS’, ‘AS24 HOL’, ‘W24 NKR’ and ‘SH24 GED’ included in the out list.
The list for March includes plates such as ‘FA24 NNY’, ‘EU24 UKR’ and ‘GB24 WAR’.
While some may deem these letter combinations funny or think they make a compelling social statement, the DVLA isn’t so fond of them.
The criteria for banishment is anything that ‘may cause offence, embarrassment or are in poor taste’.
Plates that spell out or almost spell out swears or otherwise offensive words are the most obvious to be banned.
References to war, Brexit and the EU, or anything racist, religious or political nature are prohibited by the DVLA.
Just because your preferred plate isn’t on the list doesn’t mean you’re in the clear. Anything that does slip through the net can be rescinded at a later date.
But ‘the vast majority of registration numbers are made available,’ the DVLA said.
Number plates follow an otherwise usual format.
The first few letters indicate the region where the car is registered. The letters I, Q, and Z are not used in local tag identifies. Z is only used as a random letter.
The two numbers indicate the vehicle’s age.
However, the end of the plate is randomly generated and used as unique identification for the car.
Below is the list of regional identifiers in the DVLA’s guide.
These are the regional identifiers
These are the regional identifiers
What rules are there about how plates are displayed?
Rules around font types, font sizes, colours and placements apply to the manufacturers making plates.
Drivers face up to a £1,000 fine and will fail their MOT if they don’t display their number plate correctly.
It is not legal to tweak number plates so they display a word or name, even if it’s a common sight. Police can and will pull people over for this.
The DVLA said: ‘You cannot rearrange or misrepresent the numbers and letters on a number plate to form names or words, so that they are hard to read.
‘For example, fixing bolts to change any of the letters or numbers. You could be fined up to £1,000 and your car will fail its MOT test if you drive with incorrectly displayed number plates.
‘In some cases, the registration number may be permanently withdrawn. If you misrepresent a vehicle registration number you will not get back any money that you have paid for the registration number, or any other costs you have to pay.
‘You can’t use a registration number to make your vehicle appear younger than it actually is.’
Does a number plate change reduce your car’s value?
Although cars with new plates are inevitably newer, the number plate does not make a significant difference to a car’s value.
A vehicle’s condition, history and mileage, among other factors will matter more to most buyers than changing a plate every six months.
New plate cars are always in demand, although less so than they once were. A car on a new plate will obviously be newer and has a knock-on effect on those on previous plates but this will not make a substantial difference to car value.
Darryl Bowman, from the car insurance app Cuvva, said: ‘If you’re looking to sell your car soon and want the best price possible, it’s best to sell before the new plates come out.
‘And if you want to grab a bargain for a nearly-new car, buying a car that’s registered one plate back might be a good idea.
‘There are ways to lower the depreciation of a car, including regular servicing, MOT checks, choosing a popular model and reducing your driving time to keep mileage low.’
The DVLA’s full list of 334 banned ’24’ number plates:
This is the full list of banned ’24’ number plates
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