DVLA unveils list of banned number plates ahead of new changes rolling out within weeks

Number plate

The new list of number plates includes more than 300 banned combinations

PA
Felix Reeves

By Felix Reeves


Published: 02/08/2024

- 15:09

Some personalised number plates sold at auction this week for more than £20,000

The DVLA has warned drivers that a new batch of number plates will be banned within weeks as it cracks down on controversial messages.

With the new "74" plate set to be rolled out onto forecourts on September 1, the DVLA is warning drivers of a list of new number plates that will not be seen on cars.


Two new registration plate identifiers are used every year in March and September. This year has already seen the introduction of the "24" plate, with "74" set to launch at the start of next month.

While new cars will receive the "74" identifier, the DVLA has clarified that many number plates will never see the road for various reasons including crime, racism, politics or religion.

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Number plate

New number plate changes will be launched on September 1

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The registration plate combinations are generally seen to be too rude for the road, insulting, inappropriate or could cause offence or embarrassment.

With the rollout of "74", the DVLA is concerned that the "4" looks like an "A" meaning some combinations like "FA74 NNY" and "SH74 TDD" will never be allowed.

Other potential banned number plates include ones relating to ongoing wars like "EU74 WAR", "FK74 RUS" and "*H74 MAS".

Carwow has also pointed out that people who are not keen on emissions-based charging schemes like Clean Air Zones and London's Ulez could also miss out on expressing their opinions.

Statement registration plates like "NO74 LEZ" are banned, as are more childish plates including "74 RTS" and "AB74 STD".

The DVLA also allows motorists to buy their own personalised number plates through online auction events, with the most recent taking place in the last week of July.

A total of 2,000 number plates were up for grabs, with starting prices ranging from as little as £70 or as much as £2,500.

One driver was able to come away with the plate "911 FUN", which had a starting price of just £1,200 but sold for £42,010 - the most expensive sale of the week.

Other notable sales included "375 L" (£26,010), "89 OO" (£22,000), "OO07 OOO" (£21,010) and "2000 O" (£21,000).

The next online auction will run from Wednesday, September 4, until Tuesday, September 10, with a further 2,000 plates on sale, headlined by "951 A", "1812 A" and "1990 L".

October 2023 saw the final in-person number plate auction held by the DVLA at Stratford Manor, with former Roads Minister Richard Holden attending.

The DVLA has also issued a ban notice for a number of the plates using an asterisk (*) which denotes that the use of any character in that position is not prohibited.

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Drivers can win personalised number plates at DVLA auctions

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The following "74" number plates are banned

  • **74 ARD
  • **74 NAL
  • **74 NUS
  • **74 RSE
  • **74 RTS
  • **74 WAT
  • *H74 MAS
  • *J74 HAD
  • *S74 ABS
  • *S74 ABU
  • *S74 ABZ
  • *S74 BBB
  • *S74 BBD
  • *S74 BBN
  • *S74 BBR
  • *S74 BBS
  • *S74 BBY
  • *S74 BED
  • *S74 BER
  • *S74 BSS
  • *S74 BZZ
  • *S74 MBO
  • *W74 NKR
  • *W74 NKS
  • AA74 LAH
  • AA74 RYN
  • AA74 YAN
  • AB74 ORT
  • AB74 STD
  • AB74 USD
  • AB74 USR
  • AD74 RKY
  • AF74 GAT
  • AF74 GGT
  • AF74 GGY
  • AF74 GTS
  • AF74 GTT
  • AF74 GTZ
  • AF74 GUT
  • AH74 OMO
  • AJ74 HAD
  • AL74 WAR
  • AN74 BLK
  • AN74 LEZ
  • AN74 LGB
  • AN74 LZR
  • AN74 PAK
  • AN74 PKY
  • AN74 USA
  • AN74 VAX
  • AP74 KEY
  • AP74 KKY
  • AP74 KYS
  • AP74 KYZ
  • AR74 YAN
  • AT74 CKU
  • AT74 NNY
  • AU74 STC
  • AW74 NKY
  • BA74 DYK
  • BB74 STD
  • BE74 END
  • BJ74 STY
  • BL74 CKY
  • BL74 WJB
  • BO74 C**
  • BO74 CCC
  • BO74 CCK
  • BO74 CCS
  • BO74 CCZ
  • BO74 CKK
  • BO74 CKS
  • BO74 CKS
  • BO74 CKZ
  • BO74 KKS
  • BO74 KKZ
  • BU74 SHT
  • BW74 NKY
  • BY74 RUS
  • BY74 UKR
  • CH74 NKY
  • CO74 ORD
  • CR74 PLE
  • CR74 PPL
  • CU74 MUF
  • CU74 NOB
  • EA74 DCK
  • EA74 DKS
  • EA74 DYK
  • EA74 FWF
  • EA74 GAL
  • EA74 GRL
  • EA74 HER
  • EA74 MEE
  • EA74 MME
  • EA74 MOT
  • EA74 MUF
  • EA74 MUM
  • EA74 NAN
  • EA74 NOB
  • EA74 POO
  • EA74 PWP
  • EA74 VAG
  • EA74 VAJ
  • EA74 YOU
  • EU74 BAD
  • EU74 BOM
  • EU74 FWC
  • EU74 OFF
  • EU74 RUS
  • EU74 SHT
  • EU74 UKR
  • EU74 WAR
  • FA74 DCK
  • FA74 DYC
  • FA74 DYK
  • FA74 GAT
  • FA74 GTS
  • FA74 GTT
  • FA74 GUT
  • FA74 LLY
  • FA74 NNY
  • FA74 NOB
  • FA74 PRC
  • FA74 PRK
  • FA74 TOS
  • FA74 WAH
  • FF74 GAT
  • FF74 GGT
  • FF74 GGY
  • FF74 GTS
  • FF74 GTT
  • FF74 GTZ
  • FF74 GUT
  • FF74 NGE
  • FK74 RUS
  • FK74 UKR
  • FL74 NGE
  • FU74 BOR
  • GA74 AAA
  • GA74 AJU
  • GA74 ASH
  • GA74 BOM
  • GA74 BOY
  • GA74 CMP
  • GA74 DAD
  • GA74 DED
  • GA74 GAS
  • GA74 HAM
  • GA74 HEL
  • GA74 JEU
  • GA74 JUD
  • GA74 KLL
  • GA74 NAS
  • GA74 NAZ
  • GA74 OUT
  • GA74 SED
  • GA74 SSD
  • GA74 WAR
  • GA74 ZAA
  • GB74 BAD
  • GB74 BOM
  • GB74 DED
  • GB74 DWN
  • GB74 FKT
  • GB74 HTR
  • GB74 KLL
  • GB74 KLR
  • GB74 KLS
  • GB74 RUS
  • GB74 SHT
  • GB74 UKR
  • GB74 WAR
  • GG74 SED
  • GG74 SSD
  • GO74 RUS
  • GO74 SHT
  • GO74 UKR
  • GO74 WAR
  • GR74 OPE
  • HA74 BLK
  • HA74 BOY
  • HA74 GAY
  • HA74 JUW
  • HA74 LGB
  • HA74 PAK
  • HA74 PKY
  • HA74 UKR
  • HA74 USA
  • HA74 WAR
  • HH74 ATE
  • HH74 LER
  • HH74 NAZ
  • HH74 TEU
  • HH74 TEX
  • HH74 TEZ
  • HH74 TLR
  • HH74 WAR
  • HH74TED
  • HO74 CST
  • JJ74 HAD
  • JY74 HAD
  • KN74 FED
  • KN74 FER
  • KN74 FES
  • KN74 FEU
  • KN74 FEX
  • KN74 VED
  • KN74 VES
  • KN74 VEU
  • LE74 ZAA
  • LE74 ZAR
  • LE74 ZAS
  • LE74 ZAY
  • LE74 ZAZ
  • LE74 ZBO
  • LE74 ZER
  • LE74 ZRR
  • LE74 ZRS
  • LE74 ZZA
  • LE74 ZZR
  • MU74 DER
  • NA74 TZE
  • NA74 TZY
  • NO74 LEZ
  • NO74 RUS
  • NO74 UKR
  • OF74 GAT
  • OF74 GOT
  • OF74 GTT
  • OF74 GUT
  • PE74 ADO
  • PE74 RVT
  • PE74 VRT
  • PP74 KEY
  • PP74 KKY
  • PP74 KYS
  • PP74 KYY
  • PP74 KYZ
  • PR74 CCK
  • PR74 CKK
  • PR74 CKS
  • RA74 PER
  • RE74 ARD
  • RE74 RDD
  • RE74 RDS
  • RE74 RDU
  • RE74 RDX
  • RE74 RDZ
  • RE74 RRD
  • RE74 TAD
  • RE74 TRD
  • RR74 PE*
  • RR74 PED
  • RR74 PER
  • RR74 PES
  • RR74 PEU
  • RR74 PEX
  • RR74 PEY
  • RU74 UKR
  • SH74 AGS
  • SH74 AGZ
  • SH74 GED
  • SH74 GER
  • SH74 GGD
  • SH74 GGS
  • SH74 GHM
  • SH74 GHR
  • SH74 GSS
  • SH74 GUU
  • SH74 TDD
  • SH74 TED
  • SH74 TTS
  • SH74 TTT
  • SH74 TTY
  • SH74 TTZ
  • SH74 TZZ
  • SK74 NKK
  • SK74 NKS
  • SK74 NKY
  • SK74 NKZ
  • SK74 NNK
  • SL74 GGS
  • SL74 GGY
  • SL74 GGZ
  • SL74 GSS
  • SL74 GYY
  • SL74 GZZ
  • SL74 PER
  • SL74 SHH
  • SL74 SSH
  • SL74 UTS
  • SL74 UTZ
  • SP74 SSS
  • SP74 STC
  • SP74 STK
  • SP74 ZES
  • SP74 ZZY
  • SP74 ZZZ
  • ST74 ABB
  • ST74 ABS
  • ST74 BBB
  • ST74 BBD
  • ST74 BBN
  • ST74 BBR
  • ST74 BBS
  • ST74 BBY
  • ST74 BED
  • ST74 BER
  • ST74 BES
  • ST74 BNG
  • ST74 BRS
  • ST74 BRZ
  • ST74 BSS
  • ST74 BZZ
  • SU74 CDE
  • TA74 BAN
  • TR74 DDS
  • TR74 DSS
  • TR74 NNY
  • TT74 NNY
  • TT74 WAT
  • TW74 WAT
  • TY74 NNY
  • UB74 STD
  • UB74 TCH
  • UF74 GAT
  • UF74 GGT
  • UF74 GGY
  • UF74 GTT
  • UF74 GTZ
  • UF74 GUT
  • UH74 ATE
  • UH74 TED
  • UH74 TER
  • UH74 TES
  • UH74 TEU
  • UH74 TEX
  • UH74 TEZ
  • UK74 UKR
  • UK74 YKE
  • UN74 RUS
  • UN74 UKR
  • UP74 KEY
  • UP74 KKY
  • UP74 KYY
  • UP74 KYY
  • UP74 KYZ
  • UP74 RUS
  • UP74 UKR
  • UP74KYS
  • UR74 CST
  • US74 WAR
  • UT74 NNY
  • WA74 RAB
  • WA74 RUS
  • WA74 UKR
  • WH74 WAR
  • WW74 NKZ
  • XT74 NNY
  • YB74 TCH
  • YE74 RUS
  • YE74 UKR
  • YE74 WAR
  • YS74 WAR

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